Makerere University College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) has come up with proposals to transform the curriculum in the respective disciplines during the workshop for the research project titled, Historicising Humanities at Makerere University since 1922.
The key goal of the project was to rethink and reshape the role of humanities in Uganda and reexamine the basis and significance of humanities and humanistic sciences at Makerere from a historical perspective
The three year project coming to an end was coordinated by Prof. Josephine Ahikire, Dr. Levis Mugumya, Dr. Edgar Nabutany and Dr. Atekyereza funded by Andrew W Mellon Foundation of New York.
In addition to conducting research and publishing the book, titled, “Historicising the Humanities at Makerere University: Trends, Patterns and Prospects”, the project hosted a number of conversations and conferences including an international humanities conference in August last year.
The book, “Historicising the Humanities at Makerere University: Trends, Patterns and Prospects” is a collection of reflections on selected disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. The book is a contribution by twenty-two authors with sixteen chapters that have taken a slice of the history of some disciplines and raised questions around their basis and trajectory. It is an attempt to renew conversation and debate as well as ideational leadership of the academy.
On 30-31 August 2023, the project team organized a two-days’ workshop dubbed, “Curriculum Transformation Workshop for Humanities and Social Sciences held at the Golf Course Hotel in Kampala.
The purpose of the two day workshop according to Dr. Mugumya was to have conversations on issues that the authors raised in order to improve curriculum development activities. The workshop brought together the authors and academic community in the college in a dialogue to review the book chapters, reflect and hold discussions to generate ideas for curriculum review and development in the respective disciplines
“Most of the Chapters in the book highlight the need to interrogate both the theoretical and pedagogical approaches that have been employed over time as well as recommending the rethinking of the current epistemologies in the humanities and humanistic social sciences disciplines,” Dr. Mugumya said.
During those endeavors, Dr. Mugumya reported that the participants and authors emphasized the idea of reflecting on core values and histories of departments, the narrative of the curriculum and prevailing demand of the place of humanities and employability of the graduates.
