By Isaac Akugizibwe

KIU, Main Campus-The Supervisors and Examiners' workshop organised by the Directorate of Higher Degrees and Research on Wednesday 18th January 2023 aimed at enhancing the quality of research at KIU.

The One-day workshop running under the theme: ‘’Quality research supervision and Examination,’’ was officially opened by vice chancellor Prof.Mouhamad Mpezamihigo who in his opening remarks urged research supervisors to always focus on quality research and products.

"You can't be the second best University in the country or among the top five when you are producing half-baked postgraduates," he said.

"The quality of your graduate training determines the quality of research that will be undertaken," he added.

Professor Mpezamihigo also highlighted the key players in postgraduate training that include students, the University, the supervisor, the Examiners, and the public. While looking at the constraints in research training, he urged the supervisors and managers to desist from condemning individuals who lack the capacity to undertake or supervise some research projects.

"Sometimes students come up with interesting studies, and complex research questions and you the supervisor have no capacity to handle such. We should not condemn an individual who has limited or no capacity but rather help them get along," he explained

The vice chancellor also highlighted that some scholars in Uganda are still limited by some traditional rigidities and called upon fellow scholars to embrace flexibility in order to revolutionise the world of academia.

The workshop was facilitated by both internal and external experts. One of them was prof. Tumwine Sulait from Makerere university. He focused his presentation on the role of a research supervisor and examination dynamics. He advocated for objectivity and flexibility between the supervisor and the student, urging them to work under a mutual contract basis.

"The moment you sign an acceptance to supervise a student, you have entered a contract with that student. You have accepted to supervise him," Prof. Tumwine Sulait said.

He added that, "we must make learning simpler if we are to achieve competitive advantage."

Rev.Dr. Cyrus S. Ssebugenyi who represented the National Council for higher education in the workshop acknowledged the development and improvement in research that the university has undertaken in the last decade.

‘’I and Prof.Mpezamihigo handled KIU’S case in 2O11 and I want to note that ever since the university has moved from rejection to acceptance, and is currently one of the very best in this country,’’ he said

He also commended KIU’S overall development in terms of facilities saying," I know KIU with facilities, you are high up there."

He urged the university to adopt and adhere to its own research defence culture as each institution is free to have its own.

‘’Every institution needs to develop its own defense culture. In other institutions, there is a party after the defense. You need to develop yours.’’ Rev.Dr. Cyrus S. Ssebugenyi said.

KIU’S deputy director for higher degrees, Dr. Benson Tukundane who served as the workshop’s chief moderator said that the University has now moved all its research processes from analog or manual to digital to enhance efficiency.

‘’For the past eight years, KIU has streamlined all its research processes. All research processes have been digitized," Dr. Benson said.

‘’With workshops like this, the quality of research at KIU will improve," he noted.

This workshop, the first in 2023 was also attended by the University’s top managers led by prof. Janice Busingye, the  Deputy Vice-chancellor in charge of finance and administration, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Academics, Dr. Sophia Kazibwe, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research Innovation and Extension Prof. Durraiz Rehman, the Deputy Director of Research and Higher Degrees Dr. Tukundane Benson, Dr. Margret Kareyo the Dean School of Mathematics and Computing among others.