Tuesday 18 March, 12:00-13:00 GMT. GS5 and online
Speaker: Dr Irene Etomaru, Makerere University, Uganda – College of Education and External Studies, East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development, and Department of Higher Education Studies and Development.
Join us for a seminar jointly organised by the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre at the Faculty of Education, and the British Association for International & Comparative Education (BAICE). This is an in-person event at the Faculty of Education, Cambridge, with the option to join online.
Summary
There is unprecedented expansion of doctoral education and training worldwide, triggered by countries’ ambitions to establish themselves as knowledge societies through research and innovations. Concerns about quality assurance in doctoral programmes have become eminent. This seminar discusses a paper examining mechanisms for quality assurance of inputs, processes and outputs in doctoral programmes in Uganda. Using qualitative, exploratory multiple case study research design, data was collected through in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and documents to review at systems and institutional levels. Thematic analysis of data reveals a fitness-for-purpose versus excellence conundrum demonstrated by the narrow focus of the quality assurance mechanisms. The findings raise questions about the relevance and competitiveness of the doctorates and their research outputs considering the imperatives of the 21st century.
The seminar makes policy and practice recommendations to enhance quality assurance in doctoral education in Uganda, which can be of relevance to developing countries operating in similar contexts.