THE ROLE OF RELIGIOUSLY AFFILIATED UNIVERSITIES IN THE PROVISION OF HIGHER EDUCATION IN UGANDA: A CASE STUDY OF UGANDA CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY (UCU)
MUGABI, HENRY (2008)
MUGABI, HENRY
2008
Hallintotiede - Administrative Science
Kauppa- ja hallintotieteiden tiedekunta - Faculty of Economics and Administration
This publication is copyrighted. You may download, display and print it for Your own personal use. Commercial use is prohibited.
Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2008-06-06
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-18868
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-18868
Tiivistelmä
Since the inception of formal education provision in Uganda in the late 19th century, there has been a close relationship between religion and education. Many primary and secondary schools owe their existence to religious organizations that were initially concerned with proselytizing and training of religious leadership. However, in the last two decades, religious organizations have established nonprofit private universities that provide training to not only theologians but also other professionals in secular disciplines.
Notwithstanding their increasing growth in numbers and student enrolments, religiously affiliated universities remain less understood largely due to meager scholarly works. Research on religiously affiliated universities has been done especially in the U.S.A and Europe but little research exists in Uganda therefore, this study examines the role of these institutions in the provision of higher education in Uganda in order to make a scholarly contribution.
Data were collected from a single university using interviews, document analysis, and observations, and were analyzed and interpreted using the available literature on nonprofit organizations and private higher education. Findings from the study indicate that not only do religiously affiliated universities perform multiple rather than singularly defined roles, they also share some similarities with secular universities notwithstanding differences in their curricula. Findings also indicate that although Uganda Christian University and possibly other religiously affiliated universities emerged under excess demand conditions, complement public supply of higher education, and often function like demand-absorbing institutions; their primary goal is to facilitate the expansion of their founders’ social influences rather than to provide higher education for altruistic motives.
Key words: Roles, religiously affiliated universities, private higher education,
nonprofit organizations and excess demand
Notwithstanding their increasing growth in numbers and student enrolments, religiously affiliated universities remain less understood largely due to meager scholarly works. Research on religiously affiliated universities has been done especially in the U.S.A and Europe but little research exists in Uganda therefore, this study examines the role of these institutions in the provision of higher education in Uganda in order to make a scholarly contribution.
Data were collected from a single university using interviews, document analysis, and observations, and were analyzed and interpreted using the available literature on nonprofit organizations and private higher education. Findings from the study indicate that not only do religiously affiliated universities perform multiple rather than singularly defined roles, they also share some similarities with secular universities notwithstanding differences in their curricula. Findings also indicate that although Uganda Christian University and possibly other religiously affiliated universities emerged under excess demand conditions, complement public supply of higher education, and often function like demand-absorbing institutions; their primary goal is to facilitate the expansion of their founders’ social influences rather than to provide higher education for altruistic motives.
Key words: Roles, religiously affiliated universities, private higher education,
nonprofit organizations and excess demand