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Prof. Bisaso takes over as D/Principal as Prof. Muyinda is named IoDEL Director

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The staff of CEES on May 6, 2022 witnessed a change of guards as the outgoing Deputy Principal, Prof. Paul Muyinda Birevu handed over office to Prof. Ronald Bisaso. 

The ceremony also saw Dr. Godfrey Mayende handover the Directorship of the Institute of Open, Distance and E-learning (IoDEL) to Prof. Muyinda. 

The Principal CEES, Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga.
The Principal CEES, Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga.

While welcoming them, the Principal Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga called for team work and cohesion within the college.  The Principal appreciated Prof. Birevu for his leadership especially in e-learning of the college and the university at large, saying Prof. Birevu had demonstrated transparent leadership. “As you take on a new office, I pray that this style of leadership will be carried on,” Prof. Mugagga emphasized. 

Prof. Mugagga appreciated Prof. Bisaso for stepping in as Acting Principal at a time when Prof. Mugagga was unwell. He thanked God for his speedy recovery and looked forward to returning to work. He called on the new deputy principal to foster team work at the College. 

The Deputy Principal CEES, Prof. Ronald Bisaso.
The Deputy Principal CEES, Prof. Ronald Bisaso.

While handing over office Prof. Birevu appreciated the former Principal, Prof. Musagazi Masaazi for supporting him and guiding him throughout his tenure. He also thanked university management for giving him an opportunity to serve the university and staff of CEES for working with him. Dr. Birevu has served the college as Deputy Principal for over 4 years. 

Dr. Birevu highlighted some of his achievement which include; putting in place a robust tracking system of thesis and dissertations sent out to external and internal examiners, curriculum review and diversifying the mode of delivery on graduate programmes from face to face to blended. Under his leadership as Deputy Principal, the college saw an increase in grants from 2 in 2017 to 40 grants. “The college now has a research profile of 40 projects representing a percentage increase of 2000%,” Prof. Birevu said. 

The Outgoing Deputy Principal CEES and Incoming Director IoDEL, Prof. Paul Muyinda Birevu.
The Outgoing Deputy Principal CEES and Incoming Director IoDEL, Prof. Paul Muyinda Birevu.

Prof. Bisaso on his part shared his vision and plans for the college, which included establishing a grants office and grants management committee to foster and increase in research grants at the college. In the area of graduate training, the new Deputy Principal hopes to lobby for funds facilitate graduate committees, trainings in graduate supervision and also increase the number of graduate enrollment. 

The Outgoing Director IoDEL, Dr. Godfrey Mayende.
The Outgoing Director IoDEL, Dr. Godfrey Mayende.

Prof. Bisaso plans on establishing the CEES Writing Unit/Centre to support graduate students, ECAs language services and capacity improvement, start training of academic staff as per National Teacher Policy 2019 in transformative approaches and also create new departments e.g. Department of Early Childhood Development in SoE and follow up proposals for the EASHESD departments in the Kagoda Committee. 

Right to Left: Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, Ms. Janet Nabukeera and Ms. Deborah Nalule at the handover ceremony.
Right to Left: Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, Ms. Janet Nabukeera, Ms. Deborah Nalule and Mr. Julius Lebo (partially visible) at the handover ceremony.

Dr. Mayende Handovers over

During the same ceremeony, Dr. Mayende, who was acting Director of IoDEL handed over office to Prof. Birevu. Dr. Mayende welcomed Prof. Birevu upon being appointed Director of the Institute and pledged to support him in executing his duties. He thanked Prof. Musagazi for giving him an opportunity to lead the institute. He also appreciated the IoDEL staff who worked tooth and nail to ensure the smooth transition to emergency ODEL.  During the covid-19 lockdown, the university was required, by NCHE, to transition to emergency oDEL and carry out online exams, a thing the centre succeeded at. Among the achievements of the institute, Dr. Mayende shared the various staff promotions, growth in grants and grant administration. 

Front Row: Outgoing Director, Dr. Godfrey Mayende (2nd L) hands over to Incoming Director, Prof. Paul Muyinda Birevu (Left) the Directorship of IoDEL.
Front Row: Outgoing Director, Dr. Godfrey Mayende (2nd L) hands over to Incoming Director, Prof. Paul Muyinda Birevu (Left) the Directorship of IoDEL.

In his acceptance speech, Prof. Mayende congratulated his predecessor for steering the institute and for a job well-done and called on the staff of the department to support him during his term of office. 

Left to Right: Prof. Ronald Bisaso, Ms. Janet Nabukeera, Prof. Paul Muyinda Birevu, Mr. Julius Lebo, Dr. Godfrey Mayende, Ms. Deborah Nalule and Ms. Betty Kyakuwa at the Handover Ceremony.
Left to Right: Prof. Ronald Bisaso, Ms. Janet Nabukeera, Prof. Paul Muyinda Birevu, Mr. Julius Lebo, Dr. Godfrey Mayende, Ms. Deborah Nalule and Ms. Betty Kyakuwa at the Handover Ceremony.

The two handovers were witnessed by the Ag. Human Resources Manager Julius Lebo and the Manager Audit, Ms Nalule Deborah. 

Betty Kyakuwa
Betty Kyakuwa

Education

Understanding the Impact of the Trump Aid Freeze on Higher Education in Uganda

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Eutychus Ngotho Gichuru is a Doctoral Student at East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development, College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

By Eutychus Ngotho Gichuru

The announcement of the freezing of foreign aid by U.S. President Donald Trump sent shock waves around the globe, and one of the main sectors that would feel the consequences in Uganda was higher education. American aid had been a godsend for Ugandan universities as many have enjoyed support in their research, scholarship, and infrastructural projects. This withdrawal of such vital financial support has exacerbated existing challenges, making the need for innovative solutions to keep the higher education sector afloat quite urgent.

The Immediate Impact

The freeze in American foreign aid has brought about an immediate financial shock to the Ugandan higher education sector, considering its historical dependence on U.S. funding. The most conspicuous effect is in research funding, where universities have for a long time depended on grants from the USAID and other educational institutions for projects in health, agriculture, and technology. These funds now being frozen means that critical research programs, like HIV/AIDS research at Makerere University, have been brought to a screeching halt. This retardation of scientific progress not only reduces Uganda’s contribution to global research but also impoverishes achievements in public health and technology. Further, scholarships provided by American institutions have been disrupted, which has thrown current beneficiaries into financial crisis and barred any prospective students from opportunities for higher education. The loss of these scholarships goes a long way in affecting student opportunities, especially among those who had avenues of social mobility. Another effect of the freeze has been felt on Ugandan universities regarding infrastructural development, which aims to ease pressures associated with learning environments. Because USAID had previously financed the construction of lecture halls, libraries, and laboratories, institutions without such support could only struggle to maintain quality education facilities, further leading to classroom congestion and resource shortages.

 Long-term Educational Consequences

The freezing of this aid has repercussions that go beyond the immediate financial blow to encompass long-term ramifications threatening to unravel stability at higher education in Uganda. Long-term effects include compromises on quality education, whereby with reduced funding, there is the tendency for universities to cut budgets in faculty development; this may be disastrous in securing qualified educators. This may lead to larger class sizes, outdated teaching materials, and a general decline in academic standards. The freeze also threatens international collaborations between Ugandan and American institutions, which have been instrumental in fostering academic exchanges and joint research projects. Loss of these partnerships isolates Uganda from global academic networks, limiting opportunities for knowledge transfer and innovation. Other key concerns are the brain drain, as reduced prospects for research funding and academic growth may drive across the border some of the best scholars and students. This would weaken the nation’s workforce through the exodus of intellectual capital, negatively affecting national development. If not strategically intervened upon, the country will continue experiencing a prolonged educational crisis that may take years to get out of, increasing the gap between Uganda and other more developed academic systems around the world.

Case Studies: The Human Element

In drives to flesh out the human face behind the aid freeze, specific case studies were crucial in regard to Uganda’s higher education sector. Makerere University, recognized for its research excellence and the country’s premier institution, has suffered immensely due to funding disruptions. Projects focusing on HIV/AIDS research, which were largely supported by American grants, are now at risk of stagnation. This indeed, affects not only the university’s standing globally but also the greater fight against HIV/AIDS within Uganda, which has had tremendous progress in combating the epidemic. Similarly, Kyambogo University has emerged with programs in special education and vocational training; however, it faces acute setbacks. In this regard, various programs aimed at supporting students with different abilities can no longer easily secure alternative funding, thus marginalizing such groups as far as the educationist support is concerned. These examples epitomize that freezing of aid is not an abstract financial problem; it’s real people-students, educators, and researchers-dependent on American aid to advance interests for their career and academic objectives. The money dried up-cuts across the lives, damped aspirations, and threatens wiping out years of gains in this East African country.

What Can Be Done?

Regardless of whether the crisis has been less or more severe, there are a few approaches that could help the higher education sector in Uganda reduce the shock of the freezing of aid: first, diversification of funding. First and foremost, the Ugandan government should prioritize education in its budget to ensure that universities receive appropriate financial support. This might be supplemented by the introduction of educational bonds, specific education taxes, and the increase in national research grants. Additionally, deeper interaction with the private sector can promote scholarships, endowments, and research grants that orient education to market demands. Secondly, international partnerships with non-American institutions in Europe, Asia, and Africa could also provide sources of funding and collaboration opportunities. Further, the institutional resilience would be enhanced by cost management and income generation. The universities should also maximize all their financial resources by embracing full digital transformation-which would lower dependence on real estate infrastructure-while looking out for other opportunities like online course sales and offering consultancy services. Thirdly and lastly, there is also advocacy and influencing policy. For this, it is important that educational bodies urge the U.S. government toward exemptions or reviews of the foreign aid policy. Domestically, there is a need for policies that emphasize education funding and incentivize private sector investment in academia. Alumni networks can also be leveraged to make contributions toward university endowments, which could be used to grant scholarships and finance research projects. Finally, there is a need to adapt to new realities through curriculum reform and technological integration. Ugandan universities should, therefore, design curricula with an emphasis on practical skills that reduce foreign aid dependence by making them self-sustaining. Integrating technology in education, such as offering online courses to international students, can also generate revenue and expand Uganda’s academic influence globally.

Conclusion

The Trump aid freeze serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of educational systems that overly depend on foreign assistance. For Uganda, it is a call to action-an opportunity to restructure and fortify its higher education framework to become more self-sufficient and resilient. While the immediate implications of the freeze are indeed daunting, this crisis offers an opportunity for innovation, new partnerships, and construction of sustainable funding mechanisms. Diversification of funding sources, reinforcement of institutional resilience, policy advocacy, alumni engagement, community outreach, and new educational models-these are how Uganda’s higher education sector may surmount the setback and grow stronger. The future of Ugandan higher education lies in strategic adaptation, not dependence. The proactive steps will be more appropriate. This crisis can accelerate the wheels of long-term improvement in the performance of Uganda universities with stakeholders’ timely intervention so that even with falling global finance, Uganda universities may continue to prosper.

Eutychus Ngotho Gichuru is a Doctoral Student at East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development, College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University.

Mak Editor

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Mapping Research in Education: A Baseline Study on PhD Completion and Emerging Research Themes

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The Deputy Principal CEES, Prof. Ronald Bisaso presents canidadates for the conferment of degrees during the Second Session of Makerere University's 72nd Graduation Ceremony on 24th May 2022.

This report on mapping research in education intends to ignite debate on completion of doctoral studies to improve on doctoral throughput, and reflect on emerging research themes in order to strengthen and increase on evidence-based research from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) that can address a myriad of education related challenges in Uganda and beyond. The College of Education and External Studies (CEES) is one of the ten (10) constituent colleges of Makerere University. Makerere University aspires to be research-led in the current strategic period, 2020-2030 and as CEES journeys ‘Towards a Research-led College’, it is prudent to take stock of research capacity by analyzing PhD graduates of the period 2012-2024 and continuing PhD students admitted by 2022/2023 as well as the emerging research themes in CEES.

First, the total number of PhD completers was 121 in the period 2012-2024 out of whom only six (6) completed in less than 5 years, which is only 5 percent. This is a worrying statistic since at Makerere University, an institutional average of 41% of registered PhD students is reported to complete within four (4) years. Apparently, majority of the completers in CEES complete in 5-9 years represented by 86 PhD graduates. In the same way, among the continuing PhD students, only 59 out of 194 PhD students have spent 3-4 years on the programme perhaps because their year of admission is relatively recent. Second, the research themes that the doctoral research focuses on were explored. Nineteen (19) out of 121 PhD graduates had researched on human resource management, eleven (11) focused on technology in education, eleven (11) on pedagogy/teaching and learning, and only five (5) on inclusive education among others. In the continuing student cohort, there is a surge in students researching on pedagogy /teaching and learning (24), technology in education (20), inclusive education (16), and emergence of a research theme on STEM Education/TVET (17) out of 194 continuing PhD students.

To compound the research themes at CEES, PhD student and academic staff research funded by the Government of Uganda through Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund (MakRIF) focused on quite similiar themes. Finally, areas of research that have been dominant across specialities in CEES in the last and next 5-10 years were highlighted by 28 academic staff at different ranks who responded to a survey. Overall, this report presents us with an opportunity to further reflect on the CEES Research Agenda, how to tap and maximize the potential of expertise in CEES, how to harness the diverse PhD research in education and research by academic staff in order to strongly generate impactful research and innovations, and contribute to policy and practice through policy briefs, knowledge briefs, and guidelines for uptake in education and the education system.

Ronald Bisaso, PhD. FUNAS.
Associate Professor of Higher Education and Deputy Principal, CEES.

Mak Editor

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DSTVE Welcomes New Leadership as Dr. Batiibwe Takes Over

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Dean School of Education-Prof. Mulumba Mathias (2nd L), Directorate of Human Resources' Mr. Patrick Mutebi (2nd R), Internal Audit Directorate's Ms. Mbabazi Winnie (R) and another official witness as Dr. John Ssentongo (3rd R) hands over to Dr. Marjorie Batiibwe (3rd L). Department of Science, Technical and Vocational Education (DSTVE), School of Education, College of Education and External Studies (CEES) transition in leadership from Dr. John Ssentongo to Dr. Marjorie Batiibwe, January 28, 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Department of Science, Technical and Vocational Education (DSTVE) at the School of Education, College of Education and External Studies (CEES) witnessed a transition in leadership on January 28, 2025, as Dr. John Ssentongo officially handed over the reins to Dr. Marjorie Batiibwe. The handover ceremony, presided over by the Dean of the School of Education, Prof. Mulumba Mathias, was attended by key stakeholders, including Mr. Mutebi Patrick from the Directorate of Human Resources, Ms. Mbabazi Winnie from Internal Audit, and other departmental staff.

In his farewell remarks, Dr. Ssentongo, who has served as Head of Department (HoD) for four years, expressed his gratitude to the university management, CEES leadership, and DSTVE staff for their unwavering support throughout his tenure. He highlighted several accomplishments during his leadership, including:

  • Curriculum Development – Successful reviews of the Bachelor of Science with Education, Postgraduate Diploma in Education, and Master of Education Science Education programs.
  • Infrastructure Upgrades – Renovation of the DSTVE building, refurbishment of the Resource Center, and enhancement of laboratories.
  • Staff Development – Promotion of several academic staff and recruitment of new lecturers.
  • Campus Beautification – Landscaping and greening of the DSTVE compound to enhance the learning environment.

Speaking at the event, Prof. Mulumba Mathias, Dean of the School of Education, commended Dr. Ssentongo for his dedicated service and transformative leadership at DSTVE. He acknowledged the outgoing HoD’s efforts in strengthening the academic and administrative structure of the department, particularly in curriculum development and facility improvements.

“Dr. Ssentongo has demonstrated exceptional leadership, resilience, and dedication in steering DSTVE towards excellence. His tenure has set a solid foundation for growth, and we are confident that Dr. Batiibwe will continue this momentum. The School of Education remains committed to supporting DSTVE in addressing existing challenges, particularly in staffing and resource mobilization,” remarked Prof. Mulumba.

He further urged Dr. Batiibwe to build on the department’s achievements and work closely with university leadership to advance technical and vocational education.

In her acceptance speech, Dr. Marjorie Batiibwe expressed her commitment to building on the successes of her predecessor, strengthening academic programs, and addressing the critical staffing gaps. She emphasized the need for collaborative leadership to propel DSTVE to greater heights.

As DSTVE embarks on this new chapter, the department remains steadfast in its mission to train skilled educators and enhance technical and vocational education in Uganda.

Betty Kyakuwa
Betty Kyakuwa

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