General
Mak Hosts International Workshop on Mainstreaming Gender in NORHED II Projects
Published
2 years agoon
Overview
Creating equal opportunities for men and women as well as boys and girls has long been an important priority for Norwegian development assistance. The 2030 Agenda and its17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) constitute the guiding frame for Norwegian development support.
As such, the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Building in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED) has special focus on SDG 4 (Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all), SDG 5 (Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls), and SDG 17 (Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize Global Partnerships for sustainable development). The Norwegian development policy mandates all Norwegian-supported institutions to integrate gender and equality as cross cutting issues in NORHED-funded Programmes.
Workshop on mainstreaming gender in NORHED II projects
On 30th August 2022, beneficiaries of the NORHED II projects in Eastern Africa convened at Laico Lake Victoria Hotel, Entebbe to discuss and brainstorm on ways of mainstreaming gender in NORHED II Projects. Held under the theme: “Gender Mainstreaming: Beyond Binaries”,the three-day workshop was attended by participants from Makerere University; Makerere University Business School (MUBS); Uganda Matyrs University; Technical University of Kenya (Nairobi); University of Juba (South Sudan);University of Dar es Salaam (Tanzania); University of Rwanda; Haramaya University, Dilla University, Hawassa University, and Bahir Dar University (Ethiopia); and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
The workshop was organized by Makerere University and NTNU in collaboration with partner institutions. It was coordinated by Prof. Frank Mugagga, Head, Department of Geography, Geo-informatics and Climatic Sciences at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Makerere University, also coordinator, Capacity Building for Socially Just and Sustainable Energy Transitions (SET) project, as well as Charlotte Anne Nakakaawa-Jjunju from NTNU. The opening ceremony was presided over by Ms. Mary Mabweijano, Senior Programme Officer at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kampala. It was graced by the Director, Research and Graduate Training at Makerere University, represented by the Deputy Director, Prof. Robert Wamala, and Ms. Ingvild Heggstad from NTNU International Office, also Senior Adviser and coordinator for NORHED II.
Remarks by the Senior Programme Officer, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Kampala
Highlighting the importance of mainstreaming gender in NORHED projects as part of the Norwegian Development Policy, Ms Mary Mabweijano-Senior Programme Officer at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Kampala re-emphasized the need to incorporate gender perspectives in curriculum, teaching, research, and governance. She called for increased participation of female students at post graduate level ‘where gender imbalance is most significant’.
“Special measures have been integrated to facilitate female participation in study programmes and research through scholarships, publication grants, mentorship programmes and leadership training. The expectation is that good results will be achieved by the end of the project cycles not only in research but also in areas of career advancement to senior leadership positions,” she explained, calling on the project beneficiaries to be ambassadors of gender mainstreaming.
Mainstreaming Gender in Higher Education and Research – Progress thus far
During the workshop, officials from Makerere University, Bahir DAR University (Ethiopia) and the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania briefed participants on progress made in mainstreaming gender in higher education and research at their respective institutions.
Presenting the policy framework for mainstreaming gender at Makerere University, Dr Euzobia Baine Mugisha, Director, Gender Mainstreaming acknowledged the support of the Norwegian Governmenttowards the establishment of the Department of Women and Gender Studies and the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate (GMD) at Makerere. The mandate of the GMD is to mainstream gender in the University functions of teaching and learning; research and innovations; knowledge transfer partnerships and networking and support services. In her presentation, Dr Euzobia noted that although significant progress had been made,and several policies put in place to mainstream gender in all programmes, there was still significant imbalance with fewer women progressing to higher academic ranks and taking on leadership positions.
Out of 98 professors at Makerere University, only 16 are women. At Governance level, there are only 6 women in the University Council out of 18 members, 13 in the University Senate out of 76 and only 5 out of 17 members in Central Management. “Research is also still gender blind. As a University, we must be intentional about improving staff and students’ welfare and incorporating gender in all activities. Placing gender officers at each of the Colleges would enhance processes of mainstreaming gender in university programmes,” she noted, calling for a harmonized legal and policy framework to support gender mainstreaming activities at all levels. She also called for capacity building for all staff to fully appreciate and adopt the gender mainstreaming approach to teaching and learning as well as research and innovations.
Highlighting the progress in gender mainstreaming in Ethiopia, Dr. Meskerem Lechissa, Assistant Professor, Curriculum and Instruction at Bahir Dar University noted that although notable achievements had been registered in leadership with about 40% female ministers, Ethiopia still ranks among the bottom 35 countries in index for offering equal access to education to both boys and girls.“44% women are illiterate, compared to 59% men and only 26% of secondary school age females are enrolled in school,” she noted, explaining that a number of measures have been put in place to promote gender equality. These include affirmative action – lowering entry points for girls and putting in place a research budget for women and girls, expansion of universities to underserved Regions, National Code of Conduct for eliminating sexual harassment (Zero tolerance), establishment of Gender Offices in all higher education institutions, gender audit of infrastructures (gender sensitivity and security), economic support for disadvantaged girls, and contractual agreements signed by academic staff to employ gender responsive pedagogy.
Brainstorming on strategies for mainstreaming gender in NORHED II Projects
In the course of the workshop, participants discussed and shared strategies and activities for ensuring that gender issues are incorporated in the NORHED II Project activities. The NORHED II supported projects include EnergyNET led by Dr Karidewa Nyeinga from the College of Natural Sciences, Makerere University; Water Essence Africa led by Dr Ronald Semyalo (CoNAS, Mak); SET; Energy Economics and Governance; MERIT, JUST Transitions and CSA led by Prof. Gorettie Nabanoga from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University; Adaptive Environmental Monitoring Networks for East Africa (AdeMNEA) led by Dr Agnes Rwashana Semwanga from Makerere University; Co-creating Knowledge for Local Adaptation to Climate Change in LDCs (COLOCAL); Capacity Building in Renewable Energy Research and Education in Ethiopia (ReREd) led by Dr Habtamu Temesgen Hawassa University; Capacity Building for Research-Based Teacher Education (CABUTE); Transformative Education and Lifelong Learning for Sustainable Growth (TELLS); and Gender and Digitalization (GENDIG) coordinated by the School of Women and Gender Studies Makerere University.
As part of the measures to improve gender mainstreaming in NORHED II projects, participants called for intensified gender trainings for gender focal persons and increased involvement of men in gender issues.They also emphasized the need to be more intentional about gender considerations in all project activities.
Delivering a keynote on gender mainstreaming in education and research, Prof. Gorettie Nabanoga, Principal, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Makerere University, also gender focal person -NORHED II Projects, re-echoed the importance of diversity and Inclusivity in ensuring equity in all aspects of Education.
In the course of the workshop, Dr Julianne Sansa –Otim, coordinator of the AdeMNEA project presented her research on persuasive technologies intended to boost psychological well-being among career women, whereas Dr. Angelina Bazugba from the University of Juba shared views on mainstreaming gender in pedagogy.
On behalf of the Director, Research and Graduate Training, Makerere University, the Deputy Director, Dr Robert Wamala emphasized the importance of mainstreaming gender on all activities at the University. “Gender considerations are crucial as we celebrate 100 years of excellent service and move towards becoming a research-led university. We should therefore dig deep into issues of gender in our pursuit to transform our countries,” he noted.
Details about NORHED II Projects: https://news.mak.ac.ug/2021/09/mak-listed-in-19-of-60-projects-to-be-funded-under-norhed-ii/
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General
The 3rd Fundis and Technicians sensitization event and exhibition held successfully
Published
4 days agoon
November 2, 2024The 3rd annual Fundis and Technicians sensitization event and exhibition by manufacturers of building materials organized by the Department Architecture and Physical Planning at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University came to a close with a call for increased partnerships between training institutions and the community.
The event that attracted 200 participants including masons, fundis, painters, builders, metal and electrical fabricators ran from Thursday 24th to Friday 25th October 2024 at CEDAT. It was supported by several stakeholders and was characterized by training sessions and an exhibition of building materials by different companies that make cement, paint, water tanks tiles and many more.
Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe at the opening of the training. In his remarks, he extended appreciation to the technicians for accepting to take part in the training which he said was key in ensuring that they gain from continuous learning. Prof. Alinaitwe observed that although some of them did not get through formal training, it was important that they took part in such training programs to keep abreast of the developments in the construction industry where they undertake the bulk of the work as masons, technicians, plumbers, and metal fabricators.
‘Keep improving, we need to up our game in terms of quality’, he said while making reference to the need for quality output. He cautioned them on issues of cost and cheating of their clients by making realistic costs. ‘We need to cost the work well taking into account the materials, the labor, the equipment used, and the overheads’. The other area that needed to be taken care of by the technicians included time management, which reflects on attitudes towards work, team work. While addressing the gathering in his capacity as Chairman of the Engineers Registration Board, Prof. Alinaitwe said the upcoming engineering Registration Bill, if approved, has a provision for the registration of all artisans and hence the need to have the minimum requirements for the stakeholders to be registered. He also stressed the need to bring on board as more women as possible. ‘We want to see more women, who can do some aspects in construction better than men like painting.
Prof. Moses Musinguzi, the Principal of the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology while welcoming the trainees to the college said the training is a good initiative that will help address challenge of skill and work match. He encouraged the trainees to do smart work, and take due consideration of ethics and customer care. He encouraged the department to extend the training opportunity to other units of the college and the university and also make it more formal, as part and parcel of the training program of the college in liaison with bodies like UBTEB.
Assoc. Prof. Kizito Maria Kasule, the Deputy Principal CEDAT while appreciating the initiative of the department said countries like Germany have apprenticeship training that help the training of students to gain skills equivalent to those acquired while in formal institutions of learning. He said the academia in Uganda is increasingly recognizing the importance of the informal sector in the growth of the country. ‘We need to learn from you. Almost 90% of the people in the construction industry have been informally trained’. He said by learning from each other, the two sectors jointly make a contribution towards the development of the country.
Dr. Amin Tamale Kiggundu, the head of the Department of Architecture and Physical Planning said the initiative, a community outreach program of the college started three years ago in the year 2022 with 60 Fundis and masons, in 2023, the number was increased to 120 Fundis and the current 2024, was 200 Fundis of various categories, including painters, builders, metal fabricators, plumbers and electrical fabricators. He said this community outreach program aims at sharing the accumulated scientific knowledge in building, design and construction technologies at CEDAT, sharing the expertise, knowledge and experiences with communities in greater Kampala and hence bridging the existing knowledge and skills gap between the training institutions and the communities.
The 21st century is characterized by collaboration, partnerships, and establishment of knowledge economies. He said based on the trainings held so far, it is clear that partnerships between the training institutions and the communities were possible especially the Fundis who are closer to the communities. ‘We also want to learn from the Fundi’s experiences, how they are able to connect to the communities in some cases better than those who have gone through the training institutions’, he said. He further noted that the majority of fundis are young people that need to be supported with skills and other ways of nurturing them. The dream of the department, he said is to introduce an open door policy that allows fundis and other university students to come to learn.
Several organizations supported the event and participated in the exhibition and they included Habitat for Humanity, Uganda, Green Building Council Uganda, The National Building Board, Uganda Clays Limited, Centenary Bank, Steel and Tube Industries Ltd, Simba Cement, Plascon, Goodwill, Cresttanks among others.
General
MURBS has declared 13.40% interest on members’ balances for the financial year that ended on 30th June 2024.
Published
1 week agoon
October 30, 2024By: Ritah Namisango
Dr. Elizabeth Patricia Nansubuga, Chairperson of the Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS) Board of Trustees, announced this milestone during the 14th Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the year 2023/24 held on Thursday, 24th October 2024, at Makerere University Main Campus, School of Public Health Auditorium.
The AGM attracted various stakeholders, including trustees, Audit Committee Chairperson CPA David Ssenoga, Board Evaluation Consultant Vincent Kaheeru, URBRA Representative Mark Lotukei, Audit Committee members, co-opted members, and university administrators.
Presenting the performance report, on behalf of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Nansubuga highlighted that this is the highest interest declared by the scheme in the past five years, and she anticipates continued improvements. She noted that for the previous financial year, which ended in June 2023, the Board of Trustees declared an interest an interest of 12.34%.
Dr Nansubuga also announced that the scheme has achieved a Net Investment Income of UGX 44.6 billion, far higher than the UGX34.4 billion collected in Contributions during the year.
The Chairperson of the Board also revealed that the fund value had grown from UGX352.4 billion recorded at the end of the last financial year to UGX409.2 billion, indicating an increase of 16.1%.
“By 30th June 2023, MURBS had a fund value of UGX 352.4 billion. The Board of Trustees targeted Fund growth of 17%, and I am glad to inform you, that the fund value of MURBS, as per the Audited Financial Statements of 30th June 2024 is UGX 409.2 billion, which is an increase of 16.1%. This achievement was made possible by strategic periodical activities undertaken by the Board and our fund managers, supported by the strong oversight committees of the Board,” she reported.
She attributed the positive growth to factors such as improved debt recovery, operational efficiency, timely remittance of contributions by the sponsor (Makerere University), an increase in project and contract contributions, and the recovery of UGX8.85 billion in debts.
Dr. Nansubuga also expressed gratitude to Makerere University, the scheme’s sponsor, for consistently remitting contributions, a key factor that has significantly contributed to MURBS’ smooth operation. “I am happy to announce that the sponsor-Makerere University remitted your retirement benefits for the financial year 2023/24,” she said.
In the same development, Dr. Nansubuga reported that MURBS registered a legal victory against Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) over a real estate investment in Sonde undertaken in 2019, and which URA sought to tax heavily. She notified the AGM that MURBS won the case and was awarded costs which also set a precedent.
“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, I am pleased to inform you that during the financial year, we received a favorable outcome on a key court case. How did we end up with this case? In 2019, MURBS invested in real estate, we bought land in Sonde,” Dr Nansubuga explained.
“Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) then charged us with a tax assessment worth UGX600 million. It has been four (4) years in the tax appeals tribunal. Since then, the lawyers, the former and current trustees, have been appearing before the appeals tribunal, but in December 2023, MURBS won the case. We challenged URA, and this case was awarded with costs. URA has to pay MURBS. We therefore saved UGX600 million,” she added.
In terms of governance, Dr Nansubuga said that the scheme made changes in the board. Initially, the trustees were six and they needed a seventh member, and following a competitive race, they recruited another trustee; CPA Edina Rugumayo who has over thirty years in accounting.
“In terms of governance, we continue to uphold good governance practices and we align with international standards. Last year during the presentation, I said we were six and we needed to have the seventh trustee because the Board composition is supposed to be seven,” she explained.
“So, following a competitive process, we recruited an independent trustee. It was a very competitive position. You must have served on board which has over UGX50 billion. So, from that process, we were able to recruit CPA Edna Rugumayo Simbwa. She is a certified public accountant with over thirty years of experience in accounting, taxation, and corporate governance,” she mentioned.
She also thanked other stakeholders for making sure that MURBS activities run smoothly. These entities include Makerere University, KPMG, Gen Africa, Arcadia Advocates, Zamara, URBRA, and Stanbic Bank among others.
While discussing investments, Dr. Nansubuga mentioned that 86% of MURBS’ funds are currently invested in government bonds, but added that the Board is exploring diversification to reduce risks.
“86% percent of our money is invested in government bonds, and sometimes, you do not have to put all your eggs in one basket, there is a high concentration of risk. so that is one of the key material risks that we want to address to reduce the amount we have in government securities. We want to diversify our portfolio and avoid investing heavily in government securities. The Board will venture into other fields in order to earn money or return on investment from the diverse undertakings,” she said.
In terms of membership, Dr. Nansubuga reported a 4.4% increase, with the number of members rising from 8,229 to 8,590. She attributed this growth to the reinstatement of in-house beneficiaries and an increase in project and contract staff.
Dr. Kakuba also thanked the sponsor-Makerere University for remitting the membership contributions timely which has helped the scheme to grow.
Dr. Godwin Kakuba -Secretary, MURBS Board of Trustees, who presented the record of the 13th Annual General Meeting stressed that the AGM climaxes a financial year and the Board of Trustee has been vigilant on this and has not missed any AGM for 14 years now.
“We applaud the sponsor because many of these positives in the chairperson’s report can only be attributed to the support by the sponsor through fulfilling the obligation of remitting members’ contributions to the scheme,” he added.
Partner Asad Ssenoga, an independent auditor who audited the scheme said that he was impressed with the level of compliance that the scheme exhibited in all aspects. He said they focused on ensuring that the member contributions are supported with statements and allocated to members appropriately.
“Overall we were satisfied with the work we did on the audit, the numbers that were presented by the Chairperson are the correct numbers that we audited. We were comfortable with those numbers, due process was followed during the audit,” he said.
Mr. Mark Lotukei who represented the CEO of Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA) thanked the Trustees for always prioritizing governance, which has helped them to reach several milestones.
“As URBRA, we look at governance as the biggest component of our compliance. MURBS Trustees from the former to the current, have taken governance as the most important aspect. We really encourage them to continue with this good practice because governance informs all the other aspects,” he said.
Mr. Arthur Kibira, a member in attendance, expressed his appreciation for the Board’s efforts. He urged them to explore higher-risk investments for potentially greater returns. He expressed concern over the scheme’s heavy reliance on government bonds.
“Dr Elizabeth Nansubuga, I want to congratulate you, and your team and also congratulate ourselves. But, I want to believe that there is room for improvement. I am one of those who do not believe that the sky is the limit, we are limited by our own thinking. I am thinking that high risks give high returns. Is there a way of managing those risks, so that we could push this 13.40% interest to a figure much higher? If we do so, we shall say we have learnt how to manage risks,”, he guided.
General
Makerere University at the 2024 O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Annual Gathering in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Published
1 week agoon
October 30, 2024By
Mak EditorThe Research Chairs concept is similar to Centers of Excellence (for instance in supporting world-class research in a priority area), but also has many distinguishing features. Most notably, it recognizes individual excellence, leadership and talent. The O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Initiative (ORTARChI) builds on the work of Oliver Tambo, a prominent South African and pan-Africanist with a science education background, who believed in creating change through education and in cooperation and solidarity among African nations. The Initiative focuses on celebrating his legacy in building knowledge-based economies for the advancement of Africa.
ORTARChI builds on and leverages existing continental frameworks and interventions geared towards institutional capacity strengthening; recruitment and retention of excellent researchers; and incentives to support research that contributes to socio-economic and transformative development.
Ten (10) O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs across seven (7) countries in Africa, namely; Botswana, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia have been selected for funding through a rigorous and competitive two-stage review process. These research chairs are focused on research priorities identified by each host institution in conjunction with, especially the Science Councils, and in alignment with AU Agenda 2063 and STISA 2024.
Prof. Noble Banadda from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences had been inaugurated as one of the first 10 (ten) Oliver Tambo (ORTARChi) Chairs. Unfortunately, Prof. Banadda (R.I.P) passed on in July 2021, which created a vacuum. To ensure that Uganda and Makerere University continue to tap into the ORTARChi, we are glad to announce the appointment of Associate Professor David Meya from the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University for the purpose. The appointment will attract USD 170,000 annually for 5 years for graduate research with a target of training 5-6 PhDs, 10-15 Post-doctoral fellows and 10-12 Masters of Medicine and Master of Science Students at Makerere University and Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
Makerere University has had the pleasure of attending 2024 O.R. Tambo Africa Research Chairs Annual Gathering in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The annual gathering is co-hosted by the Joseph Ki-Zerbo University, National Research and Innovation Fund for Development (FONRID) and the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa. The theme for this year’s gathering is: “African Sovereignty: A Catalyst for Research Collaborations and Social Impact in the Continent“. At the annual gathering, Uganda was represented by Associate Prof. David Meya (Uganda Chair Elect, ORTARChI), Prof. Henry Alinaitwe (Deputy Vice Chancellor Finance and Administration, Mak), Associate Prof. Robert Wamala (Director, Research and Graduate Training) and Dr. Martin Ongol (Ag. Executive Secretary, UNCST). Assoc. Prof. David Meya – ORTARChI Chair Elect – is from Makerere University’s School of Medicine at the College of Health Sciences.
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