By Moses Lutaaya
The Directorate of Graduate Training concluded a 3-day training of trainers in Advanced Research Methods for lecturers selected from different schools and colleges, including College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), College of Education and External Studies (CEES), College of Business and Management Sciences (COBAMS), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) and College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB). The training took place between 16th-18th July 2025.
The training which was organized by the Directorate of Graduate Training and supported by CARTA, Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Research Hub at Makerere University, took place at the Senate Building Conference Hall.
In his opening remarks, the acting Deputy Vice Chancellor –Academic Affairs Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi emphasized that each of the PhD cross cutting courses has got their unique role and importance that it adds to everyone including lecturers and other scholars.
He commended the wealth of experience of the trainers and thanked them for coming up with different core methods of teaching the Advanced Research Methods course.
“It takes courage to stand before PhD holders and train them. However, the more you listen, the more you understand that there is a lot you don’t know”, Prof. Buyinza added.
Prof. Buyinza emphasized that these PhD cross cutting course were approved by the Senate and that they are now regular programs of the University, adding that participants must now be assessed, sit examinations and avail certificates to the participants.
“We need the seriousness of the trainees while attending these courses. You are the crop that we look to in training and meeting the demands of the over 500 PhD students we admit each year.” He said.
He further said, “Once you have the skills we require of you in these courses, we will avail you with the course description to teach and train the PhD students. We need a multi- disciplinary team because Advanced Research Methods requires so.”
He called upon the Graduate Training Directorate to train many more to enable the university have a sizeable number of facilitators. “Train as many as you can. Give them the basic principles and we shall have a crop of facilitators that Makerere University needs.”
Prof. Buyinza also informed the participants that the package and course content of the training were very relevant and that even if one did not do research methods at Masters, then at PhD, with this course, it makes a lot of sense to such learners. “With Pedagogy, the learner is at the center of learning and this calls for special skills in addition to integration of technology.” He added.
Read the full article on the Makerere University News Portal