In its effort to instigate and/or enhance networking and partnerships, MUK has adopted various policies, structures, programmes and practices, which, as the discussions in Sections 6.1 and 6.2 above reveal, can be divided into three broad categories: administrative, academic, and organisational approaches (Vidal et al., 2002). This section briefly discusses and summarises the three approaches and their constituent strategies (see Table 19).
The administrative strategies refer to the institutional efforts that seek to institutionalise the TM through administrative parts of the university—for instance, through institutional
policies, executive leadership, decision-making processes, resource allocation and administrative unit(s) to promote the TM. The administrative strategies that have been adopted at MUK include, but are not limited to, the adoption of the TM as a core function of the university, and the creation of an administrative unit—MUPSF—to initiate and/or support partnerships and networks for the exchange of knowledge between the university and the public and private sectors. The other administrative strategies utilised by the university are the allocation of financial and human resources (e.g., budgets and centre coordinators) to support and coordinate TM activities, particularly field attachment and field-based learning, and the representation of selected external communities in the top decision-making organs of the university.
The academic approach denotes the academic policies, actions and practices that the university has adopted to recognise the importance of partnerships and networks, formalise the contributions of the external communities to teaching and research, broaden the focus of teaching and research and reward the involvement of the academic staff and students in community-related activities. In this regard, the main academic strategies are the integration of field attachment into all undergraduate programmes, the inclusion of some external communities in the implementation of field attachment and the inclusion of the contributions of the academic staff to innovation and community service among the criteria for the appointment and promotion of the academic staff to senior academic positions.
The organisational approach refers to the structural arrangement of the university—that is, the existence of organisational structures that initiate and/or enhance linkage between the university—and/or its academic units—and the external communities. One example of organisational strategies adopted at MUK to institutionalise the TM is the existence of multidisciplinary research and education centres—for example, MISR and CHDC—
that conduct research, offer education, organise public dialogues and inform public policy.
Another example is the recent establishment of specialised centres—for example, FTBIC, TDTC, HURIPEC, CLCS and CLL—that facilitate knowledge transfer and innovation, support continuing education and facilitate social engagement.
The administrative, academic and organisational strategies highlighted above, and summarised in Table 19, represent a range of policies, programmes, practices and organisational arrangements at MUK that help to remove barriers to, and/or to enhance, partnerships between the university and the external communities.
Table 19. Approaches for Institutionalisation of the TM at MUK
Approach Strategy Description
Administrative Adoption of the TM as a strategic goal and
function of the university Partnerships and networking recognised as a core function of the university
Participation of the external communities in decision-making processes at the university
Certain external communities represented on the University Council, University Senate, and the MUPSF board Creation of an administrative unit to initiate
and support partnerships with the public and private sectors
Makerere University Private Sector Forum
Creation of an intellectual property management policy to promote (a) innovative thinking among the staff and students of the university and (b) the commercialisation of research results/
inventions
The policy seeks to stimulate and support innovativeness, knowledge transfer, and the development of economic activity out of the research products of the university
A policy on the appointment and promotion of the academic staff that rewards innovation and service to the community
The policy rewards the academic staff for their innovations and service to the external communities
Allocation of financial and human resources
to support and coordinate the TM Budgets for field attachment and, at times, field-based learning exist
Staff responsible for coordinating certain TM activities exist
Academic Integrating the TM into the undergraduate
curricula Creation of guidelines for field attachment;
Field attachment made compulsory for all undergraduate students; and
Students receive academic credits on completion of field attachment Involving the external communities in the
learning activities of students The guidelines for field attachment allot field attachment responsibilities to the external communities
Inclusion of the TM among the requirements for the appointment and promotion of the academic staff
The university’s policy on the appointment and promotion of the academic staff recognises the contributions of the academic staff to innovations and to the communities
Organisational Establishment of specialised centres to facilitate knowledge transfer and innovation, continuing education, and social engagement
FTBIC: Created to promote innovative research, provide practical solutions, and support the development of food and food- related enterprises
TDTC: Mandated to develop, apply, and transfer innovative research and technology to promote development
HURIPEC: Created to promote teaching, research and activism for human rights and peace issues
NSIC: Trains and mentors fresh graduates to enable them to develop software skills and solutions
CLCS: Provides CE and consultancy services
CLL: Offers short, non-credit bearing extramural courses
Multidisciplinary research and education centres that conduct research, provide teaching, and inform public policy
MISR: A multidisciplinary research and teaching institute that offers postgraduate education, conducts multidisciplinary research, and organises public dialogues CHDC: A multidisciplinary research and education centre that focuses on children and women’s health needs
Source: Author (based on classifications by Vidal et al., 2002).