University rankings: Busitema up, Makerere slips

Feb 07, 2012

AS Busitema University popped up in the university continental rankings, Makerere which has for years solely stood as a giant in Uganda slipped.


By Francis Kagolo & Conan Businge                                  
                                    
 AS Busitema University popped up in the university continental rankings, Makerere which has for years solely stood as a giant in Uganda slipped.

Busitema was ranked 100th in Africa from nowhere, and Makerere slipped to the 13th position from the 10th position which it had maintained for two ranking sessions.

Established just five years ago as the government’s fifth public university, Busitema University has beaten the over 25 Ugandan universities to become one of best 100 universities in Africa, according to the latest rankings. It joins Makerere in the continent’s top 100 universities, for the first time.

 Elisha Obella, Busitema University’s academic registrar explains their success is based on, “programmes which are very unique and look at areas that improve the livelihoods of Ugandans.” Such areas include agro-processing, mining, water resources, natural resources management.

Obella says the university aggressively researches and publishes. “In our method of teaching, we use the integrated approach which combines theory and practicals. We involve students so much in hands-on assignments.”

According to Obella, in each academic year, a student must spend 10 weeks in the field and have created so many partnerships with institutions abroad. “We have also invested so much in practical skills for our staff.”

However, surprisingly Makerere University, which has repeatedly been moving up the ladder and made several great strides of recent has slipped latest Webometrics ranking of the best universities in Africa and globally.

 According to the rankings released on Friday afternoon, Makerere fell by three positions. Makerere was last year ranked by Webometrics, for the second time, maintaining the 10th position in Africa’s institutions of higher learning.     

In February the same year, Makerere rose from the 15th to the 10th position in Africa. Webometrics is an organisation that monitors university performance worldwide. Of the over 26 universities in Uganda, Makerere still is the only one that made it to the top 100 in Africa.

Much as Makerere improved on the global scale, it slipped on the continental stand; yet its vision is to become the leading institution of higher learning on the African continent.

However, Makerere University has continued rising in Webometrics rankings in the world from 1,256th position in July 2011 to the current 1,211th position in January 2012, a leap of 45 positions.

According to Dr. Vincent Ssembatya, Director Quality Assurance, Makerere University, “This year the ranking has experienced major changes in the methodology considering the fluctuations in the stability of sources of information over the web.”

“One such change was brought about by Yahoo Site Explorer’s becoming defunct. The site was the main effective source of information on link analysis data,” he added.

He however, gave no mention on the reasons why the university sank in rankings on the continent. It is the first time that Makerere University has slipped on the continental ranking.

 

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