Mamdani confirms Makerere job
REKNOWNED scholar Prof. Mahmood Mamdani joins Makerere University in two months’ time, ending the speculation that he had turned down the offer.
By Francis Kagolo
REKNOWNED scholar Prof. Mahmood Mamdani joins Makerere University in two months’ time, ending the speculation that he had turned down the offer.
In an interview with The New Vision, Mamdani said he would work with other staff to rebuild the 88-year-old university.
Mamdani was in February appointed to head the Institute of Social Research (MISR). The five-year contract was supposed to take immediate effect.
There have been reports that he rejected the job over the sh2.8m salary the university is offering him.
“I want to confirm that I shall be taking over as director of MISR from July 1. Between now and then, I intend to complete outstanding responsibilities at Columbia University, including teaching courses in the Spring semester,†he explained.
Asked what his plans were, Mamdani said: “I am not coming to Makerere with a blueprint. Our past experience should teach us to be wary of blueprints, of ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions.â€
He, however, said he would focus on social research and service a range of faculties.
The professor also promised to create a high quality doctoral programme to ensure the university is self-reliant in terms of academic resources.
To enhance quality, he explained, PhD programmes would be grounded in coursework for two years before a student writes the dissertation. Currently, all doctorates at Makerere are by dissertation.
“It is coursework that introduces a doctoral student to key debates in the field. If we can produce say five doctorates a year, we should be in a position to produce an intellectual leadership, not only for Makerere, but also for some of the leading private universities in Uganda,†Mamdani explained.
His other priority, he said, is to create an enabling environment for those carrying out social research.
As MISR director, Mamdani, a PhD graduate of Harvard University, would become a member of the Makerere Senate, the university’s top academic decision-making organ.
He specialises in African history and politics. The, institute, which he is to head, started in 1970 and is charged with coordinating the planning of social economic research in East Africa.
REKNOWNED scholar Prof. Mahmood Mamdani joins Makerere University in two months’ time, ending the speculation that he had turned down the offer.
In an interview with The New Vision, Mamdani said he would work with other staff to rebuild the 88-year-old university.
Mamdani was in February appointed to head the Institute of Social Research (MISR). The five-year contract was supposed to take immediate effect.
There have been reports that he rejected the job over the sh2.8m salary the university is offering him.
“I want to confirm that I shall be taking over as director of MISR from July 1. Between now and then, I intend to complete outstanding responsibilities at Columbia University, including teaching courses in the Spring semester,†he explained.
Asked what his plans were, Mamdani said: “I am not coming to Makerere with a blueprint. Our past experience should teach us to be wary of blueprints, of ‘one-size-fits-all’ solutions.â€
He, however, said he would focus on social research and service a range of faculties.
The professor also promised to create a high quality doctoral programme to ensure the university is self-reliant in terms of academic resources.
To enhance quality, he explained, PhD programmes would be grounded in coursework for two years before a student writes the dissertation. Currently, all doctorates at Makerere are by dissertation.
“It is coursework that introduces a doctoral student to key debates in the field. If we can produce say five doctorates a year, we should be in a position to produce an intellectual leadership, not only for Makerere, but also for some of the leading private universities in Uganda,†Mamdani explained.
His other priority, he said, is to create an enabling environment for those carrying out social research.
As MISR director, Mamdani, a PhD graduate of Harvard University, would become a member of the Makerere Senate, the university’s top academic decision-making organ.
He specialises in African history and politics. The, institute, which he is to head, started in 1970 and is charged with coordinating the planning of social economic research in East Africa.