Professor Mamdani Mahmood is back in the news again. It’s not good news this time though as he is having his dreams of changing the research culture at the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) shattered by Prof. Ddumba.
Following the advert Early last April that was calling for professors below the age of 55 to apply for the Top leadership position at MISR, Prof Mamdani gathered himself up and applied.
Together with other applicants, he was standing higher chances of being appointed according to the Appointments Committee led by Mr. Bruce Balaba. However to his shock, Prof Ddumba rejected his appointment.
Some of the issues the VC based on to get on Mamdani’s nerves includes the fact that Prof Mamdani is above the age limit set for possible candidates to be appointed thus against the university rules to select him. The VC also noted that being in charge of the PhD Programme at MISR, it makes Prof Mahmood ineligible for this position. The Appointments Committee that had shortlisted Mamdani was thereby left in a state of quagmire since it couldn’t decide on the next step to take.
In a defensive statement, Prof Mamdani said that the rules stipulate out the age limit for the professors not for the administrative position that was advertised. He also added that Prof Ddumba is a sharp thorn in MISR’s flesh as he brought about the current crisis with his plans of dissolving the PhD Programme at the institute as well as separating research from training of researchers.
As of now, the position for the Director of MISR remains vacant till the Appointments board holds the next meeting to decide on the fate of applicants.
