Makerere can rise and shine
Sep 12, 2005
Makerere University had for a long time been highly acclaimed as the Harvard of Africa and this was not without reason.
By augustus nuwagaba
Makerere University had for a long time been highly acclaimed as the Harvard of Africa and this was not without reason.
This institution established in 1922 was the regional hub for knowledge production and teaching. Makerere University was a centre of excellence in research and innovation.
This pride went on up to the mid 1970s when the University just like any other institution in Uganda atrophied. The period in 1970s and 1980s was characterised by civil strife and political turmoil leading to economic mismanagement. The ‘dearth’ of the institutional structure did not spare universities. Makerere suffered the full brunt of this turmoil. Many staff members left the country while the physical infrastructure deteriorated almost beyond repair.
In this vain, I wish to salute the Makerere University academic staff that endured all the turbulent times and continued to serve the University and indeed Uganda. These patriots continued teaching on almost no salary. There was hardly any research activity in the University. It is only recent that the University has started to recover. Amidst this euphoria, the Universities have been ranked by the Global Education Institute and the classification is as indicated in the table( on the right).
It is amidst the political and economic crises that Makerere University, once described as the Harvard of Africa has now been ranked as the 18th University in Africa and over 3000th in the world! The University of Dar es salaam is ranked 13th in Africa while the University of Nairobi is ranked 24th in Africa. The University of Zimbabwe, which had been hither to unknown has been ranked 17th in Africa. The University of Cape Town has been ranked the best in Africa! Big congratulations to Cape Town.
If one compares the ranking with other continents, the University of Cambridge maintained the first position followed by the University of Oxford. This has been the trend for so many years implying that something must have definitely gone wrong for Makerere.
Now, one may hazard a question as to what indicators the ranking uses and these are: Physical facilities; student: lecturer ratio; quality of research and publications; access to library/ICTs; scientific innovation; quality of publications and quality of staff all boiling down to quality if teaching.
However, one need to realise that the ranking of Makerere University is consistent with the ranking of Uganda on the Human Development Index (HDI) where the country has been ranked 144th. Notwithstanding all this undesirable situation, I want to encourage Makerere University and in particular the academic staff to take heart.
Not all is lost. We need to work hard in the current harsh and liberalised economic environment. There are poor working conditions for the academic staff including: galloping numbers of students (having increased from 7,000 in 1994 to 35,000 in 2005) amidst inadequate teaching facilities; lack of research facilities and few members of academic staff.
The implication of this scenario is the negative impact on quality of teaching and research which have the same bearing on the products that come out of the University. Makerere is the hub for manufacturing human capital for the entire global market and so, this situation must not be allowed.
We must wake up and at least be ranked in single digit in Africa if we are to compete effectively on the global labour market. What are the challenges?
lGrossly inadequate government funding to the University
lLarge student numbers amidst poor physical infrastructural facilities
lLack of research financing and support to scientific innovation
lLack of publication outlets
lLack of scholarships for further training.
Makerere University Academic Staff appeals to government to give priority for funding the University as a human capital development engine. The writing is clearly on the wall and if this is done, government will have the last laugh.
The writer is the Chairman of Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA)
Makerere University had for a long time been highly acclaimed as the Harvard of Africa and this was not without reason.
This institution established in 1922 was the regional hub for knowledge production and teaching. Makerere University was a centre of excellence in research and innovation.
This pride went on up to the mid 1970s when the University just like any other institution in Uganda atrophied. The period in 1970s and 1980s was characterised by civil strife and political turmoil leading to economic mismanagement. The ‘dearth’ of the institutional structure did not spare universities. Makerere suffered the full brunt of this turmoil. Many staff members left the country while the physical infrastructure deteriorated almost beyond repair.
In this vain, I wish to salute the Makerere University academic staff that endured all the turbulent times and continued to serve the University and indeed Uganda. These patriots continued teaching on almost no salary. There was hardly any research activity in the University. It is only recent that the University has started to recover. Amidst this euphoria, the Universities have been ranked by the Global Education Institute and the classification is as indicated in the table( on the right).
It is amidst the political and economic crises that Makerere University, once described as the Harvard of Africa has now been ranked as the 18th University in Africa and over 3000th in the world! The University of Dar es salaam is ranked 13th in Africa while the University of Nairobi is ranked 24th in Africa. The University of Zimbabwe, which had been hither to unknown has been ranked 17th in Africa. The University of Cape Town has been ranked the best in Africa! Big congratulations to Cape Town.
If one compares the ranking with other continents, the University of Cambridge maintained the first position followed by the University of Oxford. This has been the trend for so many years implying that something must have definitely gone wrong for Makerere.
Now, one may hazard a question as to what indicators the ranking uses and these are: Physical facilities; student: lecturer ratio; quality of research and publications; access to library/ICTs; scientific innovation; quality of publications and quality of staff all boiling down to quality if teaching.
However, one need to realise that the ranking of Makerere University is consistent with the ranking of Uganda on the Human Development Index (HDI) where the country has been ranked 144th. Notwithstanding all this undesirable situation, I want to encourage Makerere University and in particular the academic staff to take heart.
Not all is lost. We need to work hard in the current harsh and liberalised economic environment. There are poor working conditions for the academic staff including: galloping numbers of students (having increased from 7,000 in 1994 to 35,000 in 2005) amidst inadequate teaching facilities; lack of research facilities and few members of academic staff.
The implication of this scenario is the negative impact on quality of teaching and research which have the same bearing on the products that come out of the University. Makerere is the hub for manufacturing human capital for the entire global market and so, this situation must not be allowed.
We must wake up and at least be ranked in single digit in Africa if we are to compete effectively on the global labour market. What are the challenges?
lGrossly inadequate government funding to the University
lLarge student numbers amidst poor physical infrastructural facilities
lLack of research financing and support to scientific innovation
lLack of publication outlets
lLack of scholarships for further training.
Makerere University Academic Staff appeals to government to give priority for funding the University as a human capital development engine. The writing is clearly on the wall and if this is done, government will have the last laugh.
The writer is the Chairman of Makerere University Academic Staff Association (MUASA)