Advertise V-C Job Internationally

THE HEAT is on in Makerere University where senior faculty staff are starting to contest for the post of vice-chancellor. The current contract for Professor John Ssebuwufu expires next month.Under the new law, the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act 2001, the posts of vice-chancellors and their deputies in public universities are competitive. The University Council will choose three names from the list of contestants. The chancellor will appoint the vice-chancellor from among the three.Prof Ssebuwufu ends a nine-year tenure during which Makerere has undertaken major reforms and expanded tremendously. The student population stands at some 30,000. This makes it one of the biggest universities in Africa. Many new degree courses have been started; serious construction is going on; salaries have also gone up.Following the Mujaju Report on academic improvement at Makerere, many teaching staff have undertaken postgraduate studies.But much more must be done to put Makerere to the standard it deserves: It needs a new vision to academic development, staff and student administration, raising funds, study facilities, research and publishing and information technology.The new VC should be able to propel Makerere into the new millennium. Being the leading university in East and Central Africa, it is only appropriate that the job of vice-chancellor be internationally advertised to increase competitiveness and inject new ideas into Makerere. In-house competition by professors is commendable and should not be underestimated. But it is simply not enough competition for such an institution.The university authorities and the Government should seriously consider the option of extending the competition through international advertisement.Ends