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What Makerere University PhD studies sought to achieve

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People attend the 75th graduation of Makerere University at the institution's premises in Kampala on January 13, 2024. PHOTO/DAVID LUBOWA 

More PhD students from Makerere University are set to graduate during the institution’s 75th graduation ceremony, which begins today.

In an interview with Monitor, the academic registrar, Prof Buyinza Mukadasi, revealed that 143 students will graduate with PhDs this year, up from 131 who graduated last year at the country’s leading university.

These are among the 13,658 students expected to get degrees and diplomas during the week-long ceremony at the institution’s Freedom Square.

“In 2020, Makerere University decided to become a research-led institution. The university has since invested substantial funds in research because we have the largest pool of human resources,” Prof Mukadasi explained.

He noted that out of the more than 1,400 university staff members, more than 1,000 hold PhDs, which represent the highest academic qualifications.

“We have increased the number of researchers capable of conducting studies that inform national decisions and drive the development agenda. The large number of PhD graduates also supports other tertiary institutions by providing highly skilled personnel for teaching and research,” Prof Mukadasi added.

IRENE REBECCA NAMATENDE

She examined the application of Pry or et al.’s 5P’s Model in managing the external examination of PhD theses at Makerere University, focusing on purpose achievement, adherence to principles and processes, stakeholder involvement, and performance metrics.

The findings revealed that while the examination process aligns with established principles ensuring academic integrity, discipline-specific standards, logistics, mentorship, and compliance, several challenges undermine its effectiveness.

These include delays in report submissions by external examiners, inadequate recognition and remuneration for exemplary examiners, weak performance metrics, poor tracking mechanisms for PhD candidates’ progress. These challenges have contributed to prolonged completion times for PhD candidates. The study concludes that while Makerere University has a functional external examination framework, inefficiencies hinder timely PhD completion. The study recommends developing robust
systems to monitor candidates’ progress and examiners’ performance, improving performance metrics, and introducing meaningful recognition and incentives for examiners.

JOHN BAPTIST HABIMANA
He conducted research on organisational culture and innovativeness of academic staff at Kyambogo University. The study assessed the influence of Power Distance (PD) on the Innovativeness of academic staff and examined the influence of Collectivism (CC) on Innovativeness of academic staff.

The findings revealed that the culture of UA did not predict innovativeness of academic staff and that both the culture of PD and leadership behaviour did not predict IAS. In addition, the culture of CC predicted IAS.

The study concluded that since UA culture predicted IAS the culture is important for IAS and that collectivism was a core construct in analysing culture effects on human relations.

SAFINA GALENDA
She explored the experiences of females in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) fields in research networks in public universities in Uganda.

The findings revealed that females in STEM fields in research networks had experiences related to funding, networking, research skills, career growth, conferences, mentoring, hectic schedules, and financial constraints.

This study therefore recommends to management of public universities in Uganda to establish a research and grants office for STEM fields in Uganda and equip it with skilled human resources to drive the administrative research agenda of their fields in their different colleges and faculties. 

MUKHTAR OMAR ABUKAR
He conducted the validation of the Higher Education Quality Assessment Model (HEQAM) instrument, addressing concerns about its prior lack of validation. Findings confirmed HEQAM’s validity, reliability, and consistency, demonstrating its adaptability to diverse educational contexts. The interdependence of its constructs aligns with practical notions of quality, offering a credible framework for evaluating and enhancing higher education.

The study emphasises standardised adoption of the validated HEQAM instrument to address gaps in quality assessment, improve institutional performance, and boost student satisfaction.

GLORIA LAMARO
She examined the role of problem-based learning (PBL) components, specifically case scenarios, academic collaborations, and guided facilitation, in enhancing critical thinking skills among graduate students at Gulu University. The findings highlighted the impact of PBL in bridging theoretical knowledge with practical problem-solving, promoting reflective dialogue, and refining reasoning skills.

Recommendations address integrating culturally diverse case scenarios, equitable access to technology, and systemic educational reforms to foster inclusive learning environments. 

IRENE REBECCA NAMATENDE
She examined the application of Pry or et al.’s 5P’s Model in managing the external examination of PhD theses at Makerere University, focusing on purpose achievement, adherence to principles and processes, stakeholder involvement, and performance metrics.

The findings revealed that while the examination process aligns with established principles ensuring academic integrity, discipline-specific standards, logistics, mentorship, and compliance, several challenges undermine its effectiveness.

These include delays in report submissions by external examiners, inadequate recognition and remuneration for exemplary examiners, weak performance metrics, poor tracking mechanisms for PhD candidates’ progress.

These challenges have contributed to prolonged completion times for PhD candidates. The study concludes that while Makerere University has a functional external examination framework, inefficiencies hinder timely PhD completion. The study recommends developing robust
systems to monitor candidates’ progress and examiners’ performance, improving performance metrics, and introducing meaningful recognition and incentives for examiners. 

SAMUEL MUKASA
She explored the curriculum leadership styles utilised by academic staff at Makerere University.Findings revealed that participatory, transactional, laissez-faire and transformational curriculum leadership styles are utilised by academic staff at Makerere University.

The study recommends that if lecturers are to utilise various curriculum leadership styles, top administrators must plan orientations on the kind of curriculum leadership styles academic staff should adopt. This study underwrites new knowledge in the sense that the findings make a contribution to our understanding of the kind of curriculum leadership styles academic staff use.

STELLA MARIS KAMANZI
She examined the applicability of the Entrepreneurial University Model to Makerere University. The study findings revealed substantial yields in Makerere University’s efforts to integrate entrepreneurship into the curriculum and promote mentorship, funding, and practical application.

However, challenges such as limited strategic execution, gaps in organisational capacity, understaffing, inadequate research infrastructure, and low faculty participation hinder implementation. Strengths in teaching, learning, and university business collaborations were identified, but deficiencies in
leadership, governance, and pathways for entrepreneurs constrain progress.

The study recommended that the University Council grant greater autonomy to university units for entrepreneurial initiatives, and Makerere University Management adopt targeted strategies for stakeholder engagement.