Partnership – Gulu University
ONE-PAGER INFORMATION ON BSU3 PROJECT –GULU UNIVERSITY
Building Stronger Universities (BSU) Project-Gulu University is collaboration between Gulu University and a consortium of Danish universities. Partners at Gulu University are drawn from the Faculty of Education and Humanities, Faculty of Business and Development Studies, Faculty of Law; Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies, and Institute of Research and Graduate Studies. The Danish partners include researchers from four Danish Universities: Aalborg University the lead university, University of Copenhagen; Roskilde University and University of Southern Denmark. Gulu University has been a beneficiary of BSU I (2011-2013); BSU II (2014-2016) and BSU III (2017-2021).
The overall objective of the collaboration is to enhance collaborative research that generates knowledge relevant to address social problems for community transformation; and promote research-based teaching and learning (PBL and e-learning) that prepares graduates for working with such problems by 2021.
Two thematic areas are in focus: – i) Transforming education: As Education is intended to be transformative of individuals and society; and ii) Rights, resources and gender in post-war development. The thematic areas focus on establishing Research Groups, and increasing research activities and support beyond the BSU Project. Refugees and environment are cross-cutting issues which have great impact on northern Uganda.
The BSU3 Project has resulted in increased South-South, South-South-North and South-North collaboration leading to the establishment of stronger research groups implementing collaborative pilot projects within the two thematic areas. The South-North collaboration has led to the development and co-teaching of cross-cutting graduate courses and building institutional research capacity in a wider sense. This collaboration has enhanced mutual multi-disciplinary and cross-cultural learning, and sharing of new knowledge and experience within the two thematic areas.
The South-South and South-South-North networking between Gulu University, State University of Zanzibar, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University Colleges ,Aalborg University and Copenhagen University is characterized by collaborative implementation of activities that address cross-cutting issues and societal challenges across the East Africa geo-politics. The East Africa Case Challenge, a multi-disciplinary teaching and learning approach is being implemented under BSU additional fund. It aims at developing best solution to major societal challenges and real-world problems provided by the private and public sector organizations and relevant stakeholders. BSU South-South Networking Activity on Administrative and Financial aims at establishing a South-South networking platform, discuss and share information to get solution to common challenges and use partners experience to solve individual project problems.
The BSU III Project focuses on strengthening individual research capacity and University wide research structure, infrastructure and policies. To that end, University wide administrative structures/procedures/policies such as Research Policy, Research Agenda, Institutional Anti-Plagiarism policy and institutional Repository Policy and grants support desk have been developed.
Seven thematic pilot collaborative and action research projects and one Access2Innovation project comprising senior researchers, lecturers and graduate students are ongoing strengthening research-based teaching and learning across the University and the building of research capacity:
- Exploring the Potential of Green Charcoal and Household Livelihoods in Northern Uganda
- Digital learning at Gulu University
- PBL at Gulu University
- Communities and Reparations in Northern Uganda: An Analysis of Local and International Perceptions.
- Educational Leadership Styles and Transformation of Primary Education in Gulu District, Northern Uganda
- Documenting the Ugandan Refugee Model in Adjumani
- Urban Refugees and Urban Governance: Making it in the City, Making the City.
- Access2Innovation Project: Fabricating a Briquette Making Machine
Individual and research group capacity in applying for external grants has been strengthened through training in applying for external grants. This has led to winning of additional grants for Center of Excellence on ICT and Learning under BSU and IMAGENU Project, an FFU grant in the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies and COL-TDP a Commonwealth of Learning grant in the Faculty of Education and Humanities.