A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin has today February 28, 2022, visited the College of Education and External Studies to establish areas of collaboration for the two institutions.
The team, led by Professor Maggie Hawkins a curriculum instruction specialist, met with the Principal and staff of the Department of Adult and Community Education with intent to identify community engagements the two organizations can participate in. Other members of the research team included Dr. Mariana Castrol, the Deputy Director of the Centre for Educational Research at Wisconsin University and Mr Gordon West a PhD student, whose area of focus is how digital and global content stories shape education in primary school children.
Professor Anthony Mugagga, the College Principal, welcomed the team and discussed possible avenues of collaboration, some of which include early childhood learning, teaching of special needs children and Peace Education in Uganda.
Professor Maggie Hawkins the founder of the Global Story Bridges an organization that connects primary school children globally through effective digital communication, shared with staff about the impact the project has on the children of Arua and Mukono where the project is being implemented.
Prof Hawkins called for affirmative action in addressing education for special needs students. She raised concern over the big number of disabled children in Kasese District, and called the college to address the issue of these children.
Prof Hawkins has been doing research with different faculty of CESS for the last 15 years. “We want young people around the world to have global engagements to make global citizens, global story bridges digitally empower these people to make videos about their identity, culture, norms and beliefs which are uploaded on our website where young people react and communicate about them,” she added.
Dr. Mariana Castrol said they look forward to supporting international students joining the institution through a number of projects including development of video games to boost interaction amongst students and how they can facilitate their learning, facilitating research projects right from writing, proof reading, editing and budgeting for faculty members at the College of Education and External studies (CEES).
Dr. Okot Alex, the Dean School of Distance and Lifelong Learning presented on how his departments have worked with communities in skilling and empowering young girls to keep in school through vocational training and menstrual hygiene training. The team of CEES researchers train women and girls on how to make reusable sanitary towels.
Professor Mugagga thanked the University of Wisconsin and Global story bridges for the collaboration opportunity calling out for co-supervising strategies for graduate students at CEES and university of Wisconsin to foster “Crossbreeding” in ideas and knowledge world over.
Dr. Willy Ngaka, the Head of Department Adult and community Education, who has been participating in the Global StoryBridges called on staff to embrace the opportunity of collaboration and join research.
