Prof. Doris Muhwezi Kakuru

Kabale University is honored to host Professor Doris Muhwezi Kakuru, an accomplished scholar from the University of Victoria, Canada, as part of the prestigious Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP). This 90-day collaborative initiative, co-led by Professor Kakuru and Professor Mesharch Katusiimeh (Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences, Kabale University), focuses on strengthening graduate research capacity and fostering international academic partnerships.

Academic Credentials & Expertise

• PhD in Social Sciences (Wageningen University, Netherlands, 2006)

• MPhil in Social Anthropology (University of Bergen, Norway, 2000)

• BA in Sociology (Makerere University, Uganda, 1996)

• Diploma in Education (Kyambogo University, Uganda, 1992)

Research Focus:
Professor Kakuru is a leading expert in:

• Gender, child rights, and adolescent sexual health in Africa

• Violence against children and marginalized youth

• Community-based participatory research

• Education policy and social justice

Key Contributions at Kabale University

As a Carnegie Fellow, Professor Kakuru will:

1. Lead graduate training workshops to enhance research skills, academic writing, and grant proposal development for postgraduate students.

2. Conduct collaborative research with Kabale faculty, including a scoping review to identify joint research priorities.

3. Mentor early-career scholars in publishing and decolonizing research methodologies.

4. Facilitate knowledge exchange between the University of Victoria and Kabale University to build sustainable academic networks.

Notable Achievements

• Royal Society of Canada Member (2023–2030) for her contributions to child and youth studies.

• Award-winning publications on adolescent motherhood, gender-based violence, and education in Girlhood Studies, International Journal of Child Rights, and Women’s Studies International Forum.

• Principal Investigator of major grants (e.g., SSHRC-funded Centering Marginal Voices project amplifying young mothers’ rights in Uganda).

• Editor-in-Chief, International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies.

Global Impact

Professor Kakuru’s work bridges academia and policy, with collaborations across Africa (Makerere University, African Population and Health Research Centre) and Canada (University of Ottawa, Royal Roads University). Her research informs UNICEF, UNESCO, and grassroots NGOs on child protection and gender equity.

Fellowship Sponsor: Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP), funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.