General Policy Briefs

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11951/1031
Policy briefs written for organization leaders, policymakers, and other entities responsible for creating and influencing policy.

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    Innovating Doctoral Education and Training in Uganda for Research and Development
    (Makerere University, 2021-12) Etomaru, Irene; Bakkabulindi, Fred E.K; Balojja, Tom. D
    Uganda aspires to progress towards achieving middle-income status by 2040 as expressed in Uganda Vision 2040 (Government of Uganda, 2013). To attain the middle-income status and improved competitive advantage in the global knowledge-based economy, Uganda needs a strong research and innovation system. This cannot be realised without a critical mass of doctorates/researchers who can train innovative researchers, undertake translatable research and generate innovations. Although the most current figures are not readily available, there is acute shortage of a critical mass of doctorates/researchers in Uganda. There were only about 37 researchers per million inhabitants in Uganda by 2010, and only 26 by 2014, well below the world average of 1,083 (UNESCO, 2015). Yet, doctoral education and training capacity in both public and private universities/institutions in Uganda is very low. Only about 1,197 PhDs have been awarded in Uganda between 1970-2020. Without a critical mass of doctorates, creation of a knowledge based-economy in Uganda as expressed in NPD111(GoU, 2020) cannot be achieved by 2040. This brief provides policy direction and practical actions necessary for innovating doctoral education and training in order to create a strong research and innovation system in Uganda.
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    Uganda’s Agricultural Sector at Crossroads
    (Economic Policy Research Centre, 2017-07) Mwesigye, Francis; Sserunjogi, Bian; Mbowa, Swaibu
    Uganda’s agricultural growth has stagnated at about 2 percent for almost two decades yet the sector employs about 70% of the working population and contributes 40 percent of export earnings. On the other hand, Uganda’s population growth rate remains very high, above 3 percent per annum, signaling the likelihood of food insecurity and increase in poverty incidence. It is thus clear that the current state of agriculture cannot support the country’s target of attaining the lower-middle income status by 2020. A number of policies, programs and interventions have been implemented with no success in transforming the sector. These include: Structural Adjustment Programmes, Economic Recovery Program, Poverty Action Eradication Plan, and Plan for Modernization of Agriculture, among others. Indeed, the sector is at crossroads because while it is clear of what needs to be done to transform the sector, the current institutional set up seems weak and uncoordinated to effectively implement the required transformative interventions. Approaches that enhance institutional coordination, promote agricultural research and strengthen extension service provision would aid in revamping agricultural performance.