Friends,
Makerere was once one of the most powerful universities in Africa but it has recently become a laughing stock in the last ten years or so. I don’t know whether this has got partly to do with ill planning from the regime in power or its the administrators, but what I know is that Makerere University is still burying itself in its original history as an attraction of the new students instead of adopting regular strategic planning. Higher education or university education is now part of the global world and it has taken Makerere ages to realise that. For instance, Makerere have just started online admissions just after moreover several years of operation. In this day and age, the most successful institutions will be those that can do strategic marketing planning, carve out niches, and develop new programs that will drive students to the institution. Part of this planning will include investment in advertising and marketing initiatives aimed at developing institutional brand names and student prospect leads.
Why would faculty Deans have such big offices at Makerere in this day and time where saving office space is very important in the developed world. For instance, most of the lecturers in universities in the UK here can share an office as many as 3 people. The only thing that separates them is their computers and desks. If Makerere and Uganda universities need to come out of this ‘big office’ culture, they need to start looking at their institutions as businesses which makes some profits rather than purely educational institutions. Many academic traditionalists get very upset when you start referring to students as customers and education as a business but this is a short-sighted view if often what causes the death of many small private colleges in and around the world. Because of this traditional mentality, it is alleged that the new vice chancellor of Makerere was welcomed with huge debts accrued from administrators who don’t want to run the institution as more of a business.
It’s a pity that the deans of faculty at Makerere put their efforts in ‘okulembeka’ or negotiating foreign money for themselves instead of focussing on developing scholarship and grant opportunities for their students. Makerere needs to adopt Porter’s Five Forces to keep it going. Competition in any industry, including academia, does not arise from differences between competitors in that single industry. It also is dependent on the underlying economics of the industry. Porter’s Five Forces provides a practical model that also addresses economic principles. Porter maintains that strategy is not found on a direct line from point A to point B, that it is not the pursuit of a single ideal position.
This takes me straight to the point of entrepreneurship that some Ugandans have pointed out. In this 21st century, universities should act and think as entrepreneurs and produce more entrepreneurs by over investment of entrepreneur courses. Possessing an entrepreneurial frame of mind gives the institution an advantage over its competitors. Whether it is higher education or business, the strategic framework should be underpinned by the same characteristics: reflective, innovative, brand supportive dominant logic, and exceptional capabilities. However, I must also stress that to become a successful entrepreneur does not necessarily need someone to become a graduate though it helps. That’s why the government needs to help the entrepreneurs at Katwe and other places.
The government should also transform most of the higher rated colleges in different parts of the country into universities to reduce on overcrowding of Makerere University. For instance, polytechnics in the UK were transformed into universities. Most of the universities in the UK with the word ‘Metropolitan’ were once polytechnics including the one I studied in. It’s not that the government of UK totally abandoned the technical skills these polytechnics were offering. What they did was to build vocational colleges in their places. So you going to find that in almost all cities in the UK there are colleges with names such as: College of music, College of building, College of Technology, School of catering, …….. and this is done to expand on technical skills in the country. The UK nationals don’t pay any fees while studying in these small colleges. Therefore, having a large pool of technical colleges in Uganda will also widen on the technical skills among the ever increasing population of the country.
Finally, risk taking is more of a personal initiative which has got nothing to do with the level of education. So whether educated or not, you can become financially successful through personal initiatives. This probably explains why majority of the richest in the world are of modest education. Let the administrators of Makerere take risks and try new things every now and then to bring back the magnetism Makerere once had. They should not be stuck in the past.
Byebyo ebyange
Abbey Kibirige Semuwemba
United Kingdom
ruth mbabazi
Jul 21, 2010 @ 10:13:23
Hello Abbey,
Thanks for your post. I am wondering -What made Makerere shine? is it because it used to be run as a business?
mak must improve
Jul 23, 2010 @ 14:11:18
For the purposes of this communication
1. I will Remain yours Unanimous …. though am not a coward but I believe If I mention my name my Testimonials might forever dissapear and I urgently need them
2. I chose not to go to blogs and online spaces to air my concerns because that could affect the perception of the university which will subsequently be harmful to me …every one wants to be a child of glowing Alma mater
3. Makerere has improved no doubt about it …. When I was evaluating the chances of buying postgraduate university education from a Variety of university especially from african one …. Makerere had a few scaring online references …..sample these
allafrica.com/stories/200702120129.html
Iam proud as a former student that Makerere is improving in web ranking … but ….
This is a measure of good web visibility and research but not quality of service(SERVQUAL) and customer satisfaction .
Makerere in terms of operation and efficiency especially giving testimonials such as certificates and transcripts, it operates like a village polytechnic … . let me clarify these….. please …….
am a post graduate student or alumni …..( I don know what iam because i have no papers) …but (those have graduated and cleared …. actually paid all in advance ) .
Though My research Thesis is online contributing to improved web visibility ….. all else is not ok for me…. and all my online collaborations I provide the links of all my former universities .
Truth be told, i have money a especially air tickets being coming to senate level 4 despite clearing all my items. Only to be faced with lame excuses which are not admissible in any performance based organization .am told the guy dealing with these and that is away…. ….(I Wonder, do they own the offices …. what if they die … we close shop!).
…. Surely how can you tell a foreign student to come after two weeks (like all of us live in wandegeya its just a matter of popping in using lower gate near Dag hall )………..
Makerere is greater than all of us !
In my respected opinion i think this in-deficiency is due to lack of accountability and transparency…MASSIVE CORRUPTION …. I WILL EXPOSE THEM AND THEIR MIDDLEMEN … GUYS WHO USED THIS RETROGRESSIVE CHANNELS LAUGH THEIR WAY HOME AS THEY GET ALL THEIR TESTIMONIAL DELIVERED AT THEIR CONVENIENT LOCATIONS …MY CONSCIENCE chose not to use this path ….the schools i grew up in abhorred this unethical and illegal practices
.I CANNOT regret my research experience in Makerere , it was superb with very cooperative professors (I chose Makerere because of Good research experience in an African setup and participation in the research…….. out of numerous world class universities I had been invited ).
The Transcript and certificates offices (is it under academic registrar office Mr Alfred Namoah and the team must pull their socks…)
is giving Makerere a bad image…. My friends who went to other universities globally are all now having their testimonials …. I cannot even check the status of my documents online ….I have to call unanswered landline …. worse have to write emails which go for weeks unreplied … ITS INHUMAN FOR A UNIVERSITY TO TRAIN and HOARD certificates >>>>>TO EXAMINE AND HOLD STUDENTS RESULTS is hurting >>>>>
THE TIME VALUE IS WHAT MATTERS
I nostalgically remember that a big public relation … which i suspect was done in good faith was done in the media that all students will go home with their testimonials but undermined by nonstrategic minds .
….these should be taken as positive criticism ….Since as we build for the future we must do it without killing the faith of the mansons and other key players but giving them raw deal.
I am finding it difficult to recommend anybody to Makerere but a voice at the back reminds of the good Ugandan and research experience in Uganda though constrained with resources but i cannot yield …..
When I first heard of these Transcript and cert saga…. Where a classmate told me she has no papers having done almost all here courses in makerere I thought it was a Fools day prank ….. I was two months in Uganda but Ignored them …. What a good Warning not heeded.
Am happy when my alma mater is well ranked but improve on these ….
but there is need to Carry out a survey on:
1) how many Graduate students have recieved their testmonials
2) how many are ready and not picked
3) how many have cleared every thing and have not being given either transcript or certs but have requested for them LIKE ME .
This can easily be done through official makerere web mail although I no longer have access or a a simple feedback online site
I remain a faithful alumni
I hope to come to uganda and pick my testmonials and kill the dusk with a old good dance bleached with great tunes of kandongo kamu once more …..
paul
Aug 13, 2010 @ 16:24:56
just wondering, are we going to be denied our hard sought for job opportunities with various organizations because of certificates?in kenya one graduates with his/her certificate in hand or three months after graduation he/she has it.How does makerere expect us to compete favourably in the job market with other universities graduands?surely someone is sleeping on his/her job.something has to be done.