Minister Muyingo wants female vice chancellors in public universities

Minister Muyingo handing over a gift hamper to Prof Ruth Muwazi, the executive director HERS EA during the closing ceremony for the one week conference for senior universities adminstrators at the Grand Global Hotel on Friday. PHOTOs BY STEPHEN OTAGE

What you need to know:

  • Ms Lumutenga also said they so far have empowered 50 households in grassroot communities in Eastern Uganda and those activities have been presented at international conferences in Africa and USA.

The State minister for higher education has said if he had the powers, he would ensure all public universities are headed by female vice chancellors because women are good leaders and team builders.

While closing the Higher Education Resource Services East Africa (HERS-EA) conference for universities senior female staff on Friday, the minister, John Chrysostom Muyingo, said most public universities are grappling with many administrative challenges because the senior management is composed of men who normally have egocentric interests they fight for.

“I have only two female vice chancellors out of the nine public universities. The problems we have right now rotate around leadership and management. These mothers are good leaders in building teams. I pray that the next vice chancellors for Makerere and Kyambogo Universities are women,” he said at Grand Global Hotel in Makerere on June 5, 2019.

According to Dr Pamela Khanakwa, from the department of History, Makerere University, the conference brought together over 30 senior women leaders from different institutions of higher learning including NGOs and guest participants to discuss issues which are hampering women’s advancement in leadership, and teach them strategies to deal with them.

“We learnt how to be a leader and different leadership styles. We were taught how to work with male colleagues, we were taught how to develop career maps and paths, we also learnt that there is no such thing as retirement,” she said, adding that whatever one does outside the academic life, they should still be able to influence the community around them because of the experience they have gathered over the years.

Minister Muyingo handing over a gift hamper to Prof Judith White the former President HERS, USA

Ms Naomi Lumutenga, the Coordinator of HERS-EA said the one week training, was meant to address the shortage of women leaders in institutions of higher learning by developing a model where women are encouraged to research and publish issues pertaining to grass root women.

“In order to move up in their careers, the grass roots women need to have their issues properly researched and scientifically presented in order to influence policy,” she said, adding that they are actively working with Makerere University press and the Library to launch a journal which will provide the women with the channel to publish.

Ms Lumutenga also said they so far have empowered 50 households in grassroot communities in Eastern Uganda and those activities have been presented at international conferences in Africa and USA.