Uganda: Museveni Urges Educators to Resist Attack On African Identity

President Museveni has urged educators and academicians to lead the resistance against the attack on African identity.

He said things like bleaching the natural skin or donning long hair of dead foreign people aiming to look like white people is a sign of mental slavery and inferiority complex.

Museveni said this at the first National Symposium on National Transformation, hosted this year by Makerere University Council. With theme, 'The role of universities in responding to Africa's problems and development needs', the symposium took place at the Food Science and Technology Conference hall, Makerere University, on March 30.

"The education system at university must put confidence back into the African people. Previously, the blacker the person was, the more beautiful she was considered to be. But now because of the colonial thinking, blackness is frowned on. You find someone going to get acids to rub off the African colour. You won't believe it! .... That inferiority complex which has been put into the Africans is very dangerous," Museveni said.

In a speech read by Vice President Jessica Alupo, Museveni also urged all educators to emphasise to their learners the crucial importance of large markets in bringing about transformation and development. He explained how Adam Smith disputed the bullionisy philosophers who thought the source of wealth was gold and silver.

He noted that Spain and Portugal who went to South America, killed the natives there and stole all their gold and silver ended up being the poorest nations of Europe. Smith taught about the centrality of division of labour, specialization, private initiative and efficient production and manufacturing.

THIRD-GENERATION UNIVERSITY

Keynote speaker Prof Vincent Anigbogu, director, Institute for National Transformation International, said a value-based education is important for nurturing the necessary integrity for bringing about social transformation.

Anigbogu noted that many of Africa's universities are still at the first- generation or second-generation phase with just a few transiting into the third- generation phase. A third-generation university is one that is identified by its social impact on its surroundings.

Explaining how the social-impact university operates and relates, he gave an example of how Cambridge University transformed the Cambridgeshire county around it, hence the new concept of 'Cambridge phenomenon'. University structures and systems have to be reformed and academicians be incentivized (through evaluation and promotion) to transition to the social-impact university, the university of the 21st century.

"There can be a 'Kampala phenomenon', and that must be the story of the second century of Makerere University; from a big name to a big impact."

IT'S DOABLE, WITH DETERMINATION AND RUGGEDNESS

"The phenomenon of Kiira Motors should be the rule, not the exception. Who is the next Kiira Motors? Faculty members, I challenge you; you are the key! ... It's doable; it can be done. But it requires ruggedness and determination, not comfort zone."

There must be commitment to addressing of local issues, allowing learners to participate and contribute to their own learning, promoting critical thinking, learning for facing the future, encouraging multidisciplinary learning and research, promoting an entrepreneurial spirit, and government making deliberate and heavy investment in higher education.

Anigbogu emphasized that we need to harness both the pure sciences and the social sciences, because the former do not answer all questions. He also called for respect of leadership skills.

jmusinguzi@observer.ug

Uganda: Museveni Urges Educators to Resist Attack On African Identity

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