Makerere University to enhance linkages between research and industry, business sector
Drake Nyamugabwa
As the Makerere University’s International Humanities conference 2022 came to a close after 4 days, a panel of discussion comprising key practitioners in different areas of humanities convened to discuss the role the field plays in the transformation of society.
The practitioners were from humanities including performing artists, journalism poetry, writing, and psychology among others.
The conference that was organized by the College of Humanities and Social sciences started on August 23rd, 2022 through 26th August 2022.
In the new Strategic Plan (2020/21-2030/31) according to Prof. Umar Kakumba the Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs while closing the conference said that Makerere University will leverage the existing capacities to integrate knowledge generated through research, into teaching, learning, community engagement and the world of work in order to maximize impact.
He said that the University will shift from exclusively focusing on creating an enabling environment of financing, research & innovation infrastructure to a position of defining, creating, nurturing and investing in the building blocks for a research-led University in Uganda.
“In the context of changing global trends and increasing competition in higher education, we considered it a priority to further strengthen our academic development and research as well as student development,” he said
Prof. in the above picture added that is committed to contributing to national development through holistic capacity building and advancement of research across all disciplines as it seeks to be research-led, leaving no discipline behind including Humanities and Social Sciences.
“Over the next ten years, the University seeks to continue optimizing her potential as a knowledge hub and focusing its research and innovation to addressing the complex issues in the nation, region, and in Africa” the strategy partly reads signed Mrs. Lorna Magara, Chairperson of Council (2018-2022).
During the panel of discussion, Sherinah Namata above from Sherry Literacy Hub there is a need to deepen digital partnerships in order to reach out to as many of the communities we operate with a breakdown of dissemination of information for the people to understand easily.
“We should go out to solve the problems of society through information sharing. Teach skills to access information through technology to enable them to solve their community problems too” she said
Prof. John Chrisestomus Munene pictured above said as humanity practitioners, their focus is to generate solutions to contemporary challenges. He said that there is a need to reverse the education system that was meant to have intermediary products in order to narrow the divide between class and the outside world.
“We should break the glass ceiling from intermediate levels of education and reverse it. Its arts, and humanities that will recover the identity, and character to avoid problems”
