The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) on 18th - 19th May 2023 hosted the colloquium to address resource constrains that impact the quality of teaching, learning and research in institutions located in the Global South.
Participants mainly comprising senior faculty, programme coordinators, Heads of departments and Deans discussed pedagogical innovations, internet infrastructure, faculty and student safety practices and policies of online pedagogy.
The colloquium was organised under the auspices of the CHUSS Centre of Excellence for Research, Teaching and Learning (CERTL) under the theme, “Supporting Teaching, Learning and Research at Global South Higher Education Institutions at Hilton Gardens in Kampala.
While closing the workshop, the Principal CHUSS Assoc. Prof. Josephine Ahikire said CERTL has legitimacy and a job to execute, in bringing back the soul of Humanities which is theory.
“We cannot be relevant if we cannot ground ourselves in theory and academic writing. Our course outline will show that we are inclined to grounding students in academic writing.” The principal said.
Prof. Ahikire stressed that CERTL is an idea.
“What we want to emphasise is that CERTL is not a unit, not an organisation, not a department but it is an idea. The idea is the revitalisation of the teaching of the humanities, research and academic engagements. As we do this, we also keep our eyes on the price of why we exist as humanities intellectuals”, The Principal said.
She thanked the leadership of CERTL for organising this kind of interaction as well as participants and presenters for taking time writing saying, writing is a challenge that they have to live up to.
The Principal urged staff to motivate students to write.
“We have to ensure that we motivate our students in terms of writing and academic skills.
Our challenge of now is to ensure that we encourage the culture of public intellectualism. Let us be able to create a presence as small as mighty as we are as social scientists. ”She added.
Prof. Ahikire thanked the former and active deans and heads of departments, programmes coordinators for supporting the college processes noting that this is the way to go.
At the end of donor funding, the Principal pledged to ensure that CERTL remains as idea for integration into the college budgeting process on grounds that it is about curriculum and strengthening both undergraduate and graduate programmes.
“Undergraduate programmes are foundational; we cannot run away from them. a person who performs well at undergraduate will perform well at the graduate level. Let us have strong focus on what we teach and how we motivate our students”.Prof. Ahikire advised.
Besides speeches, CERTL research fellows presented different topics they were researching on followed by discussions and inputs into their work.
On day one four presentations were made:
- Dr. Ferdinand Mutaawe Kasoozi presented on: Pioneering Novel Teaching and Learning Models for Resources-Stress Mitigation at Uganda’s Institutions of Learning.
- Dr. Danson Kahyana: Bridging the Theory-Practice Gap Through the Guest Lecture: Preliminary Reflections from Creative Writing Class.
- Ms. Otwine Anne - Career guidance and Counselling, occupational Information knowledge, and career self- concept; Acase of career life transition among students in Uganda.
- Dr. George Okiror and Dr. Eunice Akullo- Opportunities and Challenges of Research Teaching and Skilling of Graduate Students at the Department of Political Science and Public Administration.
On day two, seven presentations were made;
- Dr. Isaac Tibasiima and Dr. Caesar Jjingo - Exploring the practices of tech-driven writing centres in South African Universities
- Dr. David Onen - How to Build Successful centres of Excellence in Resource-Constrained Higher Education Institutions; Lessons for the Nascent Centre of Teaching of Teaching and Learning at Makerere University
- Dr. Mercy Mirembe Ntangaare - How Smart is, “the smart is . “ The Campus of the Future”, for learning communities in performing Arts? Sampling experiences and expectations of students and staff at Makerere University Kampala.
- Dr. Julius Julius Niringiyimana - Active Learning in Large Size classee: Investigating the Role of Think Pair Share (TPS) AT THE School of Social Sciennces, Makerere University.
- Rev. Simon Masiga - Inter-Religious Dialogue and inclusive Society of Persons with Disability. Towards an Inclusive socio –Religious Development.
- Dr. Sarah Nakijoba K - Interrogating the teaching of academic writing on the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
- Dr. Julius Kiiza - The Future of the “Research –led” University in Digitalising Africa Between Transformation and Transformation and Transformation.
Additional reporting on day one can be accessed on the link below