Education
Staff Development: CEES Lecturers get Graduate Supervision Training
Staff of the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) concluded a two-day training in graduate supervision, with a call to ensure students graduate on time. The call was made by the Principal of the College, Prof. Anthony Mugagga while opening the training on August 10, 2023. Prof Mugagga said the college has previously had a low completion rate for graduate students a thing attributed to delays in feedback from both the lecturers and students. “We need to put in place a system that can prompt students and staff to give research feedback in time to allow more students to graduate,” he said. He said for Makerere to achieve her strategic goal of becoming a research-led University, the staff ought to contribute to this by improving graduate training for it is at the heart of this goal.
Prof. Mugagga said the college has introduced a graduate training accountability form, which will be used to track the progress of all students in an effort to see more students complete their studies.
His remarks followed a presentation from the Deputy Principal, Prof. Ronald Bisaso, on the status of graduate training and CEES. Prof Bisaso shared that the college has between 2012 and 2023 had 114 students graduate with PhDs and has over 200 in the pipeline. He, however, noted that supervision has got some challenges which ought to be addressed by the senior staff of the college.
He said the 114 students had been supervised by a few staff, a thing he said needs to change to have more senior staff supervise students and ensure an increase in graduation/completion levels.
He urged the staff who recently acquired PhDs to engage in more research so that they too can help their students.
He noted that a needs assessment had showed that the most successful researchers are those that engaged in inter-disciplinary research.
“A good number of recent PhDs in CEES including those recently promoted have a trans-disciplinary experience. This has potential for creating multi-disciplinary teams to conduct research,” Prof. Bisaso said. It is envisioned that this will also give an opportunity for graduate training scholarships for students.
Speaking at the opening of the training, Prof. Edward Bbaale, the Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), appreciated the college management for the training, saying it is in line with the University’s strategic plan of being a research-led university. As the university moves into a research-led arena, it is envisioned that by 2030, the university will have an increase of 30% graduate students, 10% of whom are expected to be international students, Prof. Bbaale said.
He called for the establishment of research entities at college level to allow for joint proposal writing and inter-disciplinary research.
The Makerere University Innovation Centre, he mentioned, will be in charge of spurring innovation, patents and commercialization of the products developed from the research.
Prof. Bbaale informed the staff that DRGT was in the process of revising the graduate handbook and digitalizing graduate students’ records in an effort to tract their progress. He also said the university has gotten a donor to fund the construction of a graduate building which will have offices and study facilities. He said the university was moving into aligning graduate training with the university almanac so that exams and completion are done at the same time.
He appreciated the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, for steering the university into internationalization through the various collaborations and MoUs established.
During the training, one of the trainers, Prof. Betty Ezati said it was important for supervisors to understand that supervision is not conducted in a vacuum but it is a consequence of our ideologies, values and conceptions.
She called on them to help the students develop expertise that should eventually exceed that of the supervisor, work to grow friendships and professional links, help a candidate gain a wide range of perspectives by creating opportunities for mingling with other professions with the same cause and guard against sharing the student’s weaknesses with colleagues.
Prof. Ezati advised against taking a one-size-fits-all approach to students, saying the individuality of a student must be acknowledged. She also advised against focusing only on the intellectual issues at the expense of the student’s emotional needs, being patronizing, undermining the student’s culture and religious affiliations and being too rigid.
Dr. Twine Bananuka shared with the trainees some best practices in supervision, which included; be purposeful in the task, balance formality and informality in the relations with the student, mind the social-cultural differences, have agreements and contracts, be value driven and accept your weaknesses and limitations.
While closing the two-day training, Dr. Misinde Cyprian, the Director, Quality Assurance Directorate (QAD) called on the staff to help students, saying many find it difficult to transition from the theoretical class of research methods to actually writing the research thesis, emphasizing that many need the help. He pledged DRGT’s support in organizing refresher courses for supervisors.
By Jude Ssempebwa
On Saturday 11th January, 2025, a huge delegation from the College of Education and External Studies crossed the Equator to attend Dr Joseph Kimoga’s priestly silver jubilee celebrations at his parents’ home in Baja, Bukulula Parish, Masaka Diocese.
Dr Kimoga is an Associate Professor at the East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development, College of Education and External Studies, Makerere University.
The delegation included the College Principal, Professor Anthony M. Mugagga, the College Bursar, Mr Stephen Kayima, the School Dean, Dr. Jude Ssempebwa, Prof. F. E. K. Bakkabulindi, Dr Sr Justine Namaganda, Dr Peter M. Ssenkusu, other staff of the College, and dozens of present and past students of the College. These joined thousands of Dr Kimoga’s relatives, friends, colleagues and well-wishers in a colorful service of mass, which was followed by a sumptuous luncheon, live music, dance, presentation of gifts, and merrymaking.
The service, which was led by Dr Kimoga, was graced by the Chairperson of the Uganda Episcopal Conference, Rt. Rev. Joseph Anthony Zziwa, Bishop of Kiyinda-Mityana Diocese; the Kalungu East Member of Parliament, Honorable Francis Katongole Katabazi; hundreds of priests, including the Parish Priest of Bukulula Parish; and hundreds of religious sisters and brothers.
In his homily, Fr Godfrey Mukibi humorously chronicled Dr Kimoga’s educational and priestly journey and achievements, highlighting God’s exceptional blessings upon him. Fr Mukibi emphasized that Dr Kimoga’s stellar success as a seminarian and as a priest even if he was not accepted at the first minor seminary to which he applied bears proof that God does not necessarily choose those that people see as able.
“God enables those He chooses,” he said before going on to analogize Dr. Kimoga’s unlikely priestly selection with that of Moses, Joshua, Paul and other biblical characters.
Fr Mukibi commended Dr Kimoga for being meticulous and personable and congratulated him upon reaching his priestly silver jubilee. He also thanked Dr Kimoga’s parents for grooming him in civility, orderliness and a very strong work ethic.
In his address, Bishop Zziwa delivered Pope Francis’ congratulatory message to Dr. Kimoga. The message was signed for the Holy Father by Archbishop Luigi Bianco, the Apostolic Nuncio to Uganda.
After the service, Prof. Mugagga congratulated Dr Kimoga upon reaching his priestly silver jubilee. He thanked him specially for showing an example of the ideal Roman Catholic priest in the course of his work at Makerere University and wished him good luck in the years that will lead to his priestly golden jubilee. Prof. Mugagga requested the Uganda Episcopal Conference to deploy more clergy in the various higher education institutions in the country. He explained that young adults in the institutions critically need the counsel and example of the clergy but there aren’t enough clergy men and women in the institutions.
The College of Education and External Studies (CEES) has made a remarkable contribution to Makerere University‘s 75th Graduation Ceremony by presenting 1,192 graduands. Of these, 659 are female and 533 are male. The college also set a milestone with 28 PhD graduands—the highest in recent years—including 15 females and 13 males. Additionally, CEES graduated 63 master’s students, 148 postgraduate diploma holders, and 953 undergraduates.
In his address, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, commended CEES for its strategic initiatives aimed at addressing Uganda’s socio-economic challenges. He highlighted the “Student Training Entrepreneurial Promotion” (STEP) project under the Mak-RIF initiative, which equips teachers, students, and school dropouts with entrepreneurial skills to combat unemployment. This aligns with the College’s focus on enhancing Uganda’s educational landscape through programs such as Early Childhood Learning offered at various academic levels.
The Vice Chancellor praised Makerere‘s commitment to community engagement and innovation. He underscored the importance of CEES’s research on competence-based secondary school curricula as a step towards bridging gaps in foundational education. He also encouraged graduands to leverage their education for societal transformation, emphasizing entrepreneurial solutions to community challenges.
Staff awards
The Vice Chancellor, used the same occasion to recognize Dr. Reymick Oketch and Dr. Sekatawa Kenneth, who were awarded for their excellence as early and mid-career researchers, respectively. Dr. Sr. Namaganda Justine and Prof. Bakkabulindi Fredrick received awards after they were voted best lecturers by the student community, reflecting the college’s dedication to academic excellence.
First Lady’s Message
The Guest of Honour, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, represented by the State Minister for Primary Education, Hon. Joyce Kaducu, congratulated the graduands and acknowledged the parents for their sacrifices. She urged the students to be proactive contributors to Uganda’s development. “Go into the world and light a candle. Start humbly, face the future with courage, and create jobs rather than dispersing them,” she said.
Achievements
During the week-long graduation ceremony, 13,658 graduands will receive their awards, including 143 PhDs, 1,813 master’s degrees, 11,454 bachelor’s degrees, and 243 postgraduate diplomas. Of these, 53% are female, and 44% of the PhD recipients are women. The Vice Chancellor noted these statistics as evidence of Makerere‘s progress toward gender equity and research-led growth.
Prof. Nawangwe lauded the Government of Uganda’s support through initiatives like the Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF), which has enabled cutting-edge research. He also celebrated CEES’s role in fostering partnerships and innovations that address Uganda’s most pressing challenges, such as unemployment and quality education.
Future Direction
The Chancellor, Hon. Dr. Kiyonga, outlined Makerere’s vision for expanding its community outreach and commercialization of research innovations. He proposed strengthening partnerships with private-sector investors to turn academic ideas into viable businesses. Dr. Kiyonga also encouraged the graduands to apply their skills to create opportunities in agriculture, education, and other sectors.
As Makerere celebrates its legacy as a beacon of higher education, CEES exemplifies the transformative impact of education in building active and responsible citizens. The achievements celebrated today reflect the university’s dedication to empowering individuals and fostering national development.
On January 10, a team of researchers from Makerere University‘s College of Education and External Studies (CEES), in collaboration with international partners, held a dissemination seminar at Nican Resort Hotel in Kampala. The event marked the culmination of their study on “Enacted Citizenship in Times of Uncertainty,” which focused on teachers’ lived experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Uganda and Tanzania.
The study, led by Prof. Tiina Kontinen of the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, included contributions from Dr. Karembe Ahimbisibwe, Dr. Kellen Aganyira (Makerere University) and Dr. Judith Kahamba (SUA, Tanzania). The research was supported by the University of Jyväskylä’s Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy, where Dr. Karembe and Dr. Kahamba are postdoc fellows.
The research aimed to explore how state-citizen relations were re-articulated during the pandemic, focusing on the experiences of teachers in Kampala, Uganda, and workers in the tourism sector in Arusha, Tanzania. The study delved into how states justified their COVID-19 responses, how citizens coped with the pandemic, and the implications of these experiences on notions of citizenship.
Key Findings
The research identified significant impacts on teachers’ professional and personal lives, revealing challenges and adaptive strategies during the pandemic:
- Status of Teachers:
- Teachers were classified as “non-essential” workers, leading to job insecurity and lack of income during school closures.
- They experienced a sense of vulnerability, with mixed outcomes regarding relief support.
- Survival Strategies:
- Many teachers diversified income sources, engaging in casual labor, retail businesses, or unauthorized coaching.
- Teachers relied on social networks and reduced household expenditures to adapt to the “new normal.”
- Emotional and Professional Impact:
- The pandemic led to frustration and disillusionment among teachers, with some considering or transitioning to alternative professions.
- The disruption weakened the bond between teachers and learners, as economic pressures diverted focus from teaching.
- Perception of the State:
- Teachers viewed the state’s pandemic measures as both caring and authoritarian. Relief efforts were perceived as inconsistent, with accusations of corruption and favoritism in their distribution.
- The study highlighted the hybrid nature of state-citizen relations, oscillating between caring and oppressive tendencies.
Dr. Herbert Tumwebaze, representing the Head of the Department of Adult and Community Education, congratulated the research team on their efforts and acknowledged the participating schools and teachers. He emphasized the importance of such studies in understanding the multifaceted impacts of the pandemic on education.
Prof. Tiina Kontinen, the principal investigator, outlined the research’s next steps, which include analysis and publication. The seminar provided an avenue for stakeholders to reflect on the findings and discuss implications for policy and practice.
This study underscores the complex interplay between state policies and citizen resilience during crises. It sheds light on the unique challenges faced by teachers and highlights the need for more robust support systems for educators in times of uncertainty.
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