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Make your research useful to nation, dons told
Mbarara University Vice Chancellor Celestino Obua (R) speaks with Prof Buyinza Mukadasi, the director of research at Makerere University, during the bilateral research programme planning meeting at Makerere University in Kampala yesterday. PHOTO BY ALEX ESAGALA
KAMPALA. Swedish Ambassador Urban Andersson yesterday cautioned researchers from public universities that their research findings were not being utilised by policy makers for national development.
This follows a Swedish government commitment to support 337 academics at Kyambogo, Mbarara, Busitema, Gulu and Makerere universities in the next five years with a $32 million (Shs106.7billion) grant for postgraduate education, research and institutional development.
“This programme is a significant Swedish government investment. There are high expectations on its outcome, and there are many observers in different quarters following what is going on in Uganda…. With this in mind, let me remind you of a critical issue: bringing your research results outside the university lecture halls and desk drawers,” Mr Andersson said at a planning meeting in Makerere.
He added: “Ensure that your work will be known by policy makers and used by decision makers. Link your innovations to public or private sector efforts, and do this at an early stage of your work. Managing this with your research results, you will supersede any expectations put on this programme. And Sweden can defend this government investment solidly remaining with our key argument: every country needs its own experts, its own problem formulations.”
Prof John Ssentamu-Ddumba, the Makerere University vice chancellor, admitted that their research results were not benefiting the people as desired but promised to engage other stakeholders to make use of their results.
Prof Buyinza Mukadasi, who heads the Directorate of Research and Graduate training at Makerere University, said the bi-lateral scholarship programme has failed to attract female applicants.
He also noted that Makerere’s ICT project is currently under freeze because of a limited bandwidth following the expiry of Makerere ICT policy framework.
But in an email, Ms Ritah Namisango, the university spokesperson, denied that the policy had not expired although she said it needs to be reviewed.
Other challenges cited include procurement delays, audit delays by the Auditor General and low consumption of the grant funds by some of the beneficiary institutions.
In this phase, 125 PhD students will be trained; 105 locally and 20 students in collaboration with Swedish universities. Another 147 masters’ students will benefit from the arrangement as 65 post-doctorate research fellowships will be trained from within the region.
