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Vice Chancellors meet in Gulu, move to strengthen visibility of members forum
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Ahead of re-opening the Makerere University Main Building, the University Council Thursday had a guided tour by the contractor.
Fire gutted the historic building in September 2020. The mystery fire according to a report compiled by the Criminal Investigations Department and the Ministry of Works resulted from a short circuit arising from a faulty electrical system.
The iconic building, which was opened by the colonial government in 1941 is two years behind schedule, and is now expected to be completed later this year. The restoration works are being handled by Excel Construction Ltd.
Meanwhile, Vice Chancellors under their umbrella body, the Uganda Vice Chancellors Forum (UVCF) have made proposals to strengthen the visibility of its secretariat to bolster capacity to improve the higher education landscape.
Established in 1997, UVCF brings together leaderships of 55 different universities and degree-awarding institutions within Uganda to shape the future of higher education learning, and research.
However, during the 73rd Uganda Vice Chancellors Forum general meeting hosted at Gulu University Thursday, members of UVCF said the forum despite its over two decades of existence in the country, has been invisible.
Prof. Eriabu Lugujjo, the Executive Director of UVCF told its members that they need all essential inputs for the forum for it to perform to the optimum and attract the government’s attention.
He said the forum ought to revive its activities that impact education policies, arguing that unless they are visible, they can’t be counted by the government.
According to Prof. Lugujjo, strengthening the visibility of the forum helps the different universities to collectively lobby for common interests in the area of financing, curriculum reviews, and subventions for private universities.
He notes that out of the 55 universities in the country, only 12 are public and receive support from the government while 43 are private and struggling to perform their functions due to inadequate resources.
Prof George Openjuru Ladaah, Gulu University Vice Chancellor who also doubles as the Chairperson of UVCF, says the Forum can stand as a major platform for various universities to negotiate with government on improving higher education learning once it strengthens.
He says the forum is also instrumental in creating a synergy of learning for leadership of the various institutions in areas of management and lobbying skills for grants to sustain the operations of universities.
He however says to achieve the visibility of the secretariat; members of the forum have to unite irrespective of their status of being private or public universities.
According to Prof. Openjuru, the forum is trying to negotiate with the government to waive taxes imposed on education materials for universities and provide subventions for public universities to spur academic research and innovation.
Prof. Joy Kwesiga, the Vice Chancellor of Kabale University notes that in other countries where the Vice Chancellors Forum has been visible, they achieved tremendously in influencing policies on education and quelling down major strikes among universities.
She says there is a need to revive the Vice Chancellors Forum in the country in a bid to achieve its crucial plans in the Higher education sector transformation.
Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe however says if the forum is well organized, it can play a key role in attracting the attention of donors in getting grants and scholarships for academic purposes in the country. He notes that unlike a university going to lobby on its own, coming as a forum of University vice-chancellors can increase chances of getting grants from international organizations like MasterCard Foundation.
During its general meeting, members of the forum seconded the proposals to revise the monthly membership subscription fees from two million shillings to five million shillings to finance the operation of the secretariat. The subscription hadn’t been revised for the past 20 years.
The forum in its bid to effectively and efficiently strengthen its visibility intends to undertake robust data systems for members, set up a policy framework for doctoral training to bridge PhD deficit in the country, and advocate for the government’s support in digitization.
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