Open and distance learning (ODL) as a strategic tool for improving employability and entrepreneurship in new frontier markets: the case of Uganda

In light of efforts to make higher education (HE) more accessible in African countries, Open and Distance Learning (ODL) has emerged as one of the most promising solutions. A key area of application is duo-mode HE delivery which is designed to overcome the deficiencies of traditional single-mode, campus-based delivery. Successful application has however been generally limited by, among others, inadequate foundational infrastructure, weak demonstration of equivalency with traditional qualifications and low supporting research. Trends in Foreign Direct Investment inflows and growing participation in the global economy by African countries further necessitate ODL that offers the international qualifications increasingly sought by employers. The current study is based on the following research question: How can ODL be more effectively integrated into HE programs of duo-mode delivery to improve employability and entrepreneurship in African new frontier markets? It relies on an inductive, qualitative case study that feeds on evidence from focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with relevant senior staff at the case HE institution in Uganda. The findings indicate a need for a stronger linkage between duo-mode delivery and direct employability and entrepreneurship using dynamic capabilities. Prominent among such capabilities are adaptive resilience, choice of foundational courses, engagement with international partnerships and anticipation of future changes. We extend organisational capabilities theory, especially from a dynamic capabilities perspective

Energy resource centres (ERCs) as vehicles for extracting higher benefits from solar power in rural and suburban areas of developing countries (the case of Uganda)

The study addresses the question of how Energy Resource Centres (ERCs) in developing countries can be designed and deployed as vehicles to support more productive and higher value use of solar power. It deploys a mixed method approach that produces both qualitative in-depth insights and a generalisable quantitative aspect. ERCs emerge as an innovative configuration that can significantly support efforts to attain higher value use of solar power, especially in rural and suburban locations. The high confidence expressed in their usefulness by both end users and firms offers an opportunity to develop and apply them multidimensionally. They offer a space for locally-embedded innovation and sustainable application to challenges of development and tackling poverty. The high response to offers to use them for training for both firms and end users suggests further they could also open new opportunities to apply open, online and distance learning alternatives to traditional face to face models. This can in turn have broader learning impact in other areas of strategic engagement in rural communities

Unlocking the Potential of Public Libraries in Supporting Distance Learning

This paper examines the place of public libraries in supporting distance learners in Makerere University, exploring the factors which affect utilisation of their services. The study adopted a survey design with 300 B.Ed. students, collecting data through focus group discussions, structured questionnaires and individual interviews

Assuring the Quality of Teaching at Makerere University in Uganda: Practices and Experiences of Academics and Students

Quality is an ethos in academia and assuring it is top of the agenda at many universities. Since the 1990s, substantial research has been conducted on the quality assurance systems of developed countries with advanced higher education systems. However, literature on quality assurance systems in the context of Sub-Saharan Africa is limited. The study examined the practices and experiences of stakeholders at the student-academic interface in assuring the quality of teaching at Makerere University. A case study design was employed and respondents included academics and final-year students. Data was collected through documents review, interviews and focus group discussions. Thematic analysis and content analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings demonstrate that the university employs five practices to assure the quality of teaching, namely, recognition of teaching, student evaluation of teaching, pedagogical training, monitoring and supervision of teaching, competence-based deployment and interfacing. The findings further show that stakeholders had varying experiences of teaching quality assurance practices

The progress of AAV-mediated gene therapy in neuromuscular disorders

INTRODUCTION: The well-defined genetic causes and monogenetic nature of many neuromuscular disorders, including Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), present gene therapy as a prominent therapeutic approach. The novel variants of adeno-associated virus (AAV) can achieve satisfactory transduction efficiency of exogenous genes through the central nervous system and body-wide in skeletal muscle. AREAS COVERED: In this review, we summarize the strategies of AAV gene therapy that are currently under preclinical and clinical evaluation for the treatment of degenerative neuromuscular disorders, with a focus on diseases such as DMD and SMA. In addition to gene replacement strategy, we provide an overview of other approaches such as AAV-mediated RNA therapy and gene editing in the treatment of muscular dystrophies. EXPERT OPINION: AAV gene therapy has achieved striking therapeutic efficacy in clinical trials in infants with SMA. Promising results have also come from the preclinical studies in small and large animal models of DMD and several clinical trials are now on the way. This strategy shows great potential as a therapy for various neuromuscular disorders. Further studies are still required to confirm its long-term safety and improve the efficacy

Il dialogo interreligioso e la questione della verità

In this article, I approach the question of truth in the interreligious dialogue. The contribution is divided into three sections. In the first, I clarify what I mean by “dialogue” and by “interreligious dialogue” from a philosophical point of view. In the second, I address some problems relating to religious disagreement and reflect on what allows the question of truth to be maintained within the interreligious dialogue. In the third, I argue that, given certain conditions, an apologetic attitude is not only possible but necessary within the interreligious dialogue. The general thesis that I intend to support is that the question of truth is crucial to interreligious dialogue