Look Back – International Summer School in Uganda on Survey Methodology and Data Management
The 2nd International Summer School in Uganda (ISSU-2) on Survey Methodology and Data Management took place in Masaka from 03 to 14 October 2022. The ISSU-2 was funded by the VW Foundation and jointly organized by GESIS – Leibniz Institute for the Social Sciences, Germany, and Muteesa I Royal University, Uganda. It was coordinated by Norman Mukasa, Aisha Jjagwe, and Vincent Ssekitoleko of Muteesa I Royal University, and GESIS staff members Loretta Langendörfer and Marlene Mauk. Funded under the “Knowledge for Tomorrow” scheme, the summer school aims at capacity building and exchange for survey methodology and data management in East Africa. It also wants to develop local competences for data generation and effective data management for the social sciences and related disciplines such as education and health in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. These competencies include study design, data analysis, and data archiving for secondary use and replication. Survey data do not only enable scientists to investigate social phenomena, but also provide an important source of information for the state, business, and civil society. Furthermore, the Summer School provides a platform for researchers and practitioners from East Africa and Germany to share data and research ideas as well as to initiate North-South and South-South collaboration projects.
The ISSU-2 brought together 60 researchers from multidisciplinary fields, representing 35 institutions from Canada, Germany, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, USA, and Zimbabwe. Participants received training from both local and internationally renowned lecturers.
The summer school started with two parallel courses: 'Introduction to Survey Design', led by Sonila Dardha (Meta) and Andrew Adrian Mukiibi (Nnabagereka Development Foundation), focused on large surveys of public opinion among the general population. 'Research Data Management' was facilitated by Mahadia Tunga (Tanzania Data Lab), Somoe Mkwachu (Tanzania Data Lab), and David Amwonya (Kyambogo University). It enabled participants to ensure that their research data is reusable and can be shared securely with others – both for the purpose of research replication and for reuse in new contexts.
The eventful first week ended with a panel discussion on the theme “The role of Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) in framing research for the sustainability of research data management and survey methods training”. A keynote presentation was given by Steven Ssebbale, the Assistant Executive Secretary of UNCST and subsequently discussed by Juliet Kyayesiimira (Managing Director, Network for Education and Multidisciplinary Research Africa) and Peter Kibe (African Population and Health Research Center). The week closed with a social networking evening and an optional weekend trip to Ssese Islands in Lake Victoria.
In the second week, the course 'Cross-Cultural Survey Research', led by Christof Wolf (President of GESIS), Henning Silber (GESIS) and Robert Ssentamu (Wilsken Agencies Ltd) provided an overview of data sources and other resources for cross-cultural survey research. Wolf also gave an evening talk on the role of Gesis in promoting research, capacity building, and data management. This was followed by Jude Lubega (Vice Chancellor, Nkumba University), who highlighted how e-learning adequately responded to shocks created by COVID-19 in the education sector.
The second course of week two, 'Introduction to Data Analysis Using R', was also very popular. Facilitated by Evelyne Brie (Western University) and Albert Abunyang (UNDP), the course focused on methods of graphically based data analysis, as R is particularly suited for this purpose.
The numerous networking opportunities included a student flash conference, where participants got the chance to share their current research projects. Another highlight was an eye-opening evening talk by Tonny Ayina (National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda, NUDIPU), who stressed the importance of inclusiveness in data collection and processing, especially when it comes to people with disabilities.
Participants were appreciative of the skills gained at the ISSU-2, particularly in terms of the value addition to their current and future research endeavors. They also appreciated the opportunities for networking, interdisciplinarity and intercultural exchange. A craving for more similar training opportunities in Africa was expressed.
The Vice Chancellor of Muteesa I Royal University, Vincent Kakembo, officially opened and closed the ISSU2. In his closing remarks, he emphasized that the practical skills acquired during the Summer School should be used to generate meaningful research outputs responsive to the national development goals. “The quest for knowledge driven economies demands for more PhDs. It is therefore a blessing that most ISSU-2 participants are pursuing PhD studies. Knowledge and skills acquired at the highest level are directly transferrable”, he enunciated.
For more information on the project, visit www.gesis.org/issu.
