ENEMIES OF PROGRESS: PERSPECTIVES ON BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE UNIVERSITY-COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TOWARDS CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION AT NDEJJE UNIVERSITY, UGANDA

Authors

  • Nelson Mandela School of Education, Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, Moi University, Kenya
  • Benjamin Wambuwa Kyalo School of Education, Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, Moi University, Kenya
  • David Ssekamatte School of Business and Management, Department of Management, Uganda Management Institute, Uganda

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i2.5823

Keywords:

university-community engagement, university third mission, barriers, climate change, Uganda

Abstract

Climate change remains a crucial threat to sustainable development, particularly in African contexts that are at more risk of its effects and more vulnerable to its impacts. While Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in Uganda have made some commendable steps in structuring missions and frameworks for enhancing climate change action, such structures remain scattered in several documents, making it difficult to track, conceptualize, and effectively implement through universities’ third mission of community engagement. This paper provides an understanding of barriers to effective university community engagement towards climate change action and effective mainstreaming of climate change in engagement programs. The findings in this paper are based on data generated through document analysis, interviews and focus group discussions with university staff, students and community leaders at and around Ndejje University in Luwero district, Uganda. Data was analysed using Braun and Clarke’s (2006) thematic analysis approach with the help of MAXQDA software. The researchers observe various challenges that the implementing units at the case university face. These included institutional constraints, resource-related barriers, COVID-19 and its impacts, myths and misconceptions about climate change. These challenges highlighted the gaps that still exist in many African universities’ efforts towards community engagement that need immediate attention. Indeed, these university community engagement barriers decelerate university community engagement efforts towards climate change action in the Ndejje community. It is hoped that these findings may be useful for university management, stakeholders, and other policymakers in finding practical and relevant solutions to these established contextualised challenges leading to the effective delivery of community engagement programs and climate change mitigation and adaptation programs.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Nelson Mandela, School of Education, Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, Moi University, Kenya

    Mandela Nelson is a PhD student in Educational Research and Evaluation at the Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, School of Education, Moi University, Kenya, under The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD; German: Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) scholarship and the South African-German Centre for Excellence in Education Research Methodologies and Management (CERM-ESA). He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education at Kyambogo University and a Master of Education in research at Moi University, Kenya. His research interests are climate change education, sustainability, higher education engagement and school-community engagement towards contemporary community challenges.

  • Benjamin Wambuwa Kyalo, School of Education, Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies, Moi University, Kenya

    Prof. Benjamin Wambua Kyalo is an Associate Professor, Specialist and Consultant of educational research, evaluation and policy at the School of Education-Technology Education at the Open University of Kenya. He is also a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Educational Management & Policy Studies, School of Education, Moi University, Kenya. He holds a PhD in Educational Research and Evaluation. He is a multi-skilled and versatile leader and an academic with extensive experience and expertise in research, evaluation and education policy.

  • David Ssekamatte, School of Business and Management, Department of Management, Uganda Management Institute, Uganda

    Dr. David Ssekamatte is a Lecturer in Monitoring and Evaluation at the Department of Management, Uganda Management Institute, Kampala, Uganda. He is also the champion and Coordinator of climate change and Sustainability Management at the Uganda Management Institute. He was a NAFSA (Association of International Educators) fellow (2019-2020) and Senior NAFSA fellow (2021-2022), providing intellectual groundwork and developing resources on climate change sustainability and international higher education. He is a Postdoctoral fellow under the FAR-LeaF Programme at the University of Pretoria, in South Africa, funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY). His research interests are climate change and sustainability education, Higher Education in the African context, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning. He holds a PhD in Education and Social Sciences from the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Germany, and a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Lucknow, India.

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Published

2025-02-19

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Vol. 12 No. 2 (2025)

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