Makerere VC race: Kirumira to give colleges more powers

MAKERERE UNIVERSITY VICE CHANCELLOR RACE

'Kirumira to give colleges more powers, create students employment'

It is again that season when the dons at Makerere University get to tussle it out for the top administrative seat of the Vice Chancellor. In the race are professors; Venansius Baryamureeba, Edward Kirumira & Barnabas Nawangwe.

We get you an abridged version of the three contestants' manifestos and their achievements. After Prof. Baryamureeba in the first edition, let's focus on Prof. Edward Kirumira today.

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Part 2: Prof. Edward Kirumira, Ph.D., Principal | College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS)

Who is Prof. Edward K Kirumira?

Prof. Edward K. Kirumira is the Principal of the   College   of   Humanities   and   Social Sciences at Makerere University.

He is a committed, humble and hardworking man; with a great sense of respect.

He was the Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences since 2003 for eight years and before that was the Head of   Department   of   Sociology,   Faculty   of Social Sciences, for five years.

Prof. Edward   K.    Kirumira    trained    at Makerere University, Exeter University (UK), the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the University of Copenhagen Denmark   in   collaboration with   Harvard University USA.

Prof. Kirumira specialized in Population and Reproductive Health with extensive   research   work   in   HIV/AIDS, emergent diseases and international health issues,   family   relationships,   health   seeking   behaviour,   poverty   and   rural development studies.

He is a Professor of Sociology.

At University level, Prof. Kirumira has served as a member of Makerere University Senate   and   varied   sub-committees   of   Senate   including   Quality   Assurance, Academic   Programmes   and   Library   Committee.   He   has also   served   on   the  University  Council  and  Vice  Chancellor  and  Deputy  Vice  Chancellors'  Search  Committees.

 He was a member of the Steering Committee for  Sida/SAREC Programme  Support  to  Makerere  University  between  October  2002  to  October  2010.  Between  2005  to  August  2006  he  served  as  a  member  of  the  Makerere  University  HIV/AIDS  Policy  Development  Committee.

And the Chair, Makerere  University  NUFU  Programmes  Assessment  Committee  from  2006  to  date.  From  July  2009  to  September  2010,  Prof  Kirumira  served  as  Chair,  The  Makerere-Mazruiana  Organizing  Committee  (charged  with  the  establishment  of  a  Chair  and  Endowment Fund and the East African Ali A. Mazrui Centre for Global Studies).

He is a founder member and chair of the Programme for African New Generation of Academics (PANGeA) network currently involving Makerere University, Stellenbosch

University,  University  of  Nairobi,  Dar-es-Salaam  University,  University  of  Malawi  and University of Botswana.

He  is  a  member,  Board  of  Directors  (representing  Makerere  University) on  the  Makerere  University  Private  Sector  Forum.

He  is also  a  member,  NORHED  Institutional  Development  Committee  for  the  new  Norwegian  support  programme proposal.

He has vast experience, of which puts him in a better position, to lead Makerere University.

At National and International level, Prof Kirumira is a member of the Partnership Committee for HIV&AIDS, Malaria and TB National Response of the Uganda  AIDS Commission; Government Representative, Board of Governors Uganda Management Institute   (UMI); and   member   of   the   UMI   Appointments   Board   and   Quality Assurance Committee.  He is the Government Representative, Board of Governors Makerere College School and Chairman Finance & Planning Committee.

Prof.  Kirumira is the Treasurer, Uganda National Academy  of  Sciences  (UNAS), UNAS  Fellow  and  Council  member,  and  Chairperson  of  the  Uganda  National Academy  of  Sciences Forum  on  Health  and  Nutrition.  He chairs the Resource Mobilization and Planning Committee of Uganda Central Coordinating Mechanism  for  the  Global  Fund  for  HIV/AIDS,  TB  and  Malaria  country  programme  and  has  offered technical advisory role to  national, regional and international  bodies.

He says if given a chance to lead the university this time, he will;

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STATEMENT OF INTEREST ON VISION OF A COMPETITIVE 21ST CENTURY MAKERERE UNIVERSITY

Prof. Edward K. Kirumira

Principal College of Humanities & Social Sciences

Background: Makerere University was and should be a pathfinder University not only in the region but also on the African continent. By its very dictum - We Build for the Future - it signifies the role and importance of Higher Education in the development of the African people and their place in the world economy. This is the bigger picture of re-claiming the position of Makerere University as a leader in Higher Education, research and innovation in Uganda for fast socio-economic growth and re-positioning her to be a competitive University internationally, in the 21st century.

Strategic Planning: The 2008/2018 University Strategic Plan, for which I am privileged to have been the Chair of its development, lays out three important legs of which Makerere University must be identified by. Namely, teaching and learning, research and innovations, and knowledge transfer partnerships and networking. I envision Makerere University (i) consciously and strategically investing in her academic, administrative and support staff; (ii) putting emphasis on harmonization of her programmes, courses and general students services provision; (iii) playing a critical leadership role in research, innovations and improvement of evidence-based policy and decision making in the public and private sectors; (iv) initiating and nurturing public-private partnerships and growing her internationalization; and, (v) supporting and training academic staff for other public and private universities and tertiary institutions to improve on the quality of higher education institutions and impacting the secondary and primary education sectors in the country.

In order to achieve this vision I intend to cultivate strong multi-institutional/agency national, regional and international partnerships, emphasize competence-based academic programmes delivery through increased research and innovation throughput and a student responsive leadership. In doing this my strategic vision will be based on a performance-based untilisation of the academic and administrative staff which is critical to determining the academic standards, research portfolio and good standing of a 21st century Makerere University. The university governance structures and systems must of necessity be strengthened and a commitment to allowing the development of a robust semi-autonomous committee and unit structure within the collegiate dispensation. In addition, a strong and reciprocal working relationship with the Government of Uganda and its national development plan agenda cannot be over-emphasized. This is a Public University and it must be appreciated as such without of course unduly constraining academic freedom that underlies the capacity of a 21st Century University to respond and be responsive to emerging development challenges.

Financing and accountability: that the University is currently experiencing financial challenges is to state the obvious. Dependency on tuition cannot make Makerere University break even. The most recent impulse has been to go the investment business model, the Makerere Holdings Company and the Endowment Fund are a case in the right direction. These efforts must certainly be supported in the broader framework of turning our human resource, both staff and students, into social capital. I envision a University that uses her academic staff as the main resource mobilization force and her administrative and support staff to manage robust and transparent financial accountability systems. Additional investment plans for Makerere University of the 21st Century University must be seen in as far as they are tied to, take advantage of, and enhance the core mandate of the university namely teaching, learning, research and knowledge transfer partnership. Money-making Printery, yes, but also that makes it easier and cheaper to print the examinations scripts on time and with good quality. Money-making Guest House, yes, but also providing decent accommodation to our external examiners, Guest Professors and research partners - the latter of course paying generously out of their research grants.

The student body is a major yet untapped financial resource base both in terms of providing services thereby cutting down on the expenditure and as consumers of services the university offers. A close to 40,000 students is not a small clientele. We must, in turn, work on our staff-student-administration relationship and view them not just as tuition givers!

Restoration of stakeholder confidence in financial accountability is key for a competitive Makerere University in the 21st century. We must work together to ensure proper and timely accountability for every shilling that we receive and are entrusted with. I see this as a hallmark for Makerere University to turn around and embark on the road to financial recovery. A mix of revenue generation and prudent expenditure should make us financially more stable - the catch phrase will be "Beyond Resilience: A New Normal".

All this can be done starting with a leadership that can be trusted, a staff that is sufficiently motivated and efficient, a student body that feels and experiences an improved teaching and learning environment and building institutional and public trust across the board with government, the private sector and an internationalized university.

Infrastructure development: the quality of education and training provided by a University is greatly dependent upon the quality of the facilities available. Providing more and expanded teaching, learning and research facilities with a commensurate and robust IT infrastructure backbone is absolutely critical for a competitive 21st century University. IT infrastructure should be seen both as an enabler and resource generation. It is important also to emphasize the need to secure the Estates and works of the University. Security is thus an integral part of infrastructure development.

Capabilities: I trust that I can steward this vision for Makerere University's competitiveness in the 21st Century because I bring to the job and Office of the Vice Chancellor three important personal attributes and strengths:

Leveraging my extensive knowledge of Makerere University and its people and capacity development thereof, including systems, processes, policies and programmes;

Demonstrated capability for international networks building of academic and financial institutions including technical advisory services and partnerships with several Development Partners;

Understanding of and participation in policy and programme development and implementation in the Higher Education sector in Uganda, the region and internationally.

(In Part 3, we will turn our attention to Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe)

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