Female lecturers want special PHD programme

Aug 06, 2016

She said some of them have a challenge of being married with families they have to take care of

Female lecturers from Makerere University Business School (MUBS) have asked for gender balance while enrolling for PHD courses to improve on education and training programs. 

Dr. Annet Nabutanzi Muyimba the dean faculty of management and public policy at MUBS said female lecturers need a special program to take up PHD courses to strengthen the poor enrollment of female lecturers.

Dr. Nabutanzi explained that out of the 40 professors from the school only nine (22%) are female.

"This is a poor enrollment for female lecturers, as women we have many challenges and fears which hinder our enrollment for PHD courses thus we call for special consideration not only from management of the school but also the government," she noted.

She said some of them have a challenge of being married with families they have to take care of or must have a masters degree faced with stiff competition from male lecturers to enroll for PHD courses.

 rofessor aryamureeba right chairperson of the management committee listening at the retreat Professor Baryamureeba right chairperson of the management committee listening at the retreat

 

She added that the same factors have failed those who have enrolled to complete their courses. She also called for a salary increment for faculty heads saying most of them have served for over 10 years without an increment.

She made the remarks during a retreat for directors and management of the school at C'Sand suites hotel on Friday in Jinja town.

During the meeting Professor Venasisus Baryamureeba the chairperson of the school management committee said they had instituted a three member committee that will analylse the various challenges and fears female lecturers face.

 


Baryamureeba who instructed Dr. Nabutanzi to head the committee said they are going to start enrolling female lecturers for shorter courses that last 20 months to address their fears and challenges.

He added that the committee is expected to come up with a policy that will be approved by the university council for implementation.

Dr. Levi Kabagambe the director of quality assurance and also a member of the committee said issues of gender were key to improving education. He noted that even female lecturers should be considered for enrollment of post-graduate diplomas especially in social sciences.

"Gender balance needs quick intervention to support female lectures as they are key in education, this will reduce on poor completion for those who have enrolled for PHD's," he noted.

Dr. Moses Muhwezi the deputy principal of MUBS noted that as they consider gender balance they are also going to rebrand and market the institution at regional levels to address the challenge of declining numbers of students.

Dr.Muhwezi said most students are now joining vocational institutions for hand skills which he said was not a bad idea but will not give them a chance to have a standard form of degree.

Muhwezi said the retreat was aimed at assessing various facilities, student campuses and also form new strategies for next academic year.

 


He added that in regard to the land that was given to the university at Naranbhai primary with permission from Jinja municipality, they're in the process of securing a land title and develop it according to the memorandum of understanding that was signed.

In his concluding remarks Baryamureeba asked government to provide startup capital to graduates so that they can begin their own businesses to reduce on unemployment.

"Most of the graduates have skills but lack capital, we expect government to give them startup capital from the youth development fund at a low interest rate because most of them have skills," he said

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