Abstract
This paper stresses the importance of entrepreneurial university towards improving sustainable job creation and improvement in Uganda. The dilemmas the country is facing ranges from excessive poverty, graduate unemployment; over dependence on overseas items and technology; as well as low economic growth and development. These dilemmas are partly triggered by using improper education system especially at the university level. Many people argue that university education in Uganda is principally for its very own sake – to impart knowledge and a love of getting to know with greater paper qualifications. University training is for academic superiority disconnected from day-to-day realities, a closed environment in which information and intellect is the sanctuary of the self-selecting, privileged few – no grasp of what is vital for ordinary people. Yet the fact of university schooling is about helping humans grow in their lives by supporting them to live better life. This paper hence contends that change of universities in Uganda, from ivory tower to entrepreneurial universities, will prepare the students with the conduct, states of mind and attitudes with which to be self-reliant and contribute to job creation and advancement. The paper starts by highlighting the concept of university as an ivory tower. The objectives and framework for designing entrepreneurial university is presented next. The paper suggests that university programmes at all levels of instruction ought to be made significant to the community so as to supply the youth with the required entrepreneurial aptitude.
Highlights
Universities in Uganda have embraced the teaching of entrepreneurship either as a standalone programme or a course unit along with other courses
There are persistent issues facing the country starting from high rate of impoverishment, youth and graduate unemployment; overdependence on foreign product and technology; and low economic growth and development partially caused by the education system at the university level
University education system in Uganda still focuses on the standard teaching and research that hardly address the issues of the community
Summary
Universities in Uganda have embraced the teaching of entrepreneurship either as a standalone programme or a course unit along with other courses. The reason behind this development is to build entrepreneurial spirit in the students so that they may become more of job creators and less of job seekers. There are persistent issues facing the country starting from high rate of impoverishment, youth and graduate unemployment; overdependence on foreign product and technology; and low economic growth and development partially caused by the education system at the university level. Universities must transform to uncover new ways to catalyse job creation among the university graduates as a primary driver for sustainable economic growth and employment. The contribution of this paper is its emphasis upon transformation of universities in Uganda from the ‘ivory tower ‘syndrome to entrepreneurial universities
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