Justus Twesigye (Uganda)
Justus Twesigye is a lecturer in the Social Work and Social Administration Department at Makerere University. His research interests are developmental social work, mental health, and social entrepreneurship. His UMAPS project explores social work’s contribution to sustainable development in Uganda.
Can you describe your UMAPS research project?
My research project explores how social workers, who don’t often get training in entrepreneurship, can and should involve both themselves and others in social entrepreneurship.
What were you doing for work (or in life) before your UMAPS fellowship?
I am a lecturer in the Social Work and Social Administration Department at Makerere University.
What do you miss from your country?
The weather is different, warmer! We also have more social interactions because most services are delivered directly rather than virtually. There is much more human contact in receiving services!
What’s your first impression of Ann Arbor and U-M?
It is a beautiful city with fantastic infrastructure.
What is the one thing you hope to do while in the US?
To establish a continued collaboration with my U-M host, members of the African Studies Center community, and with other UMAPS alumni.
Who are you working with at U-M?
My host is Professor Trina Shanks from U-M Social Work. I had opportunities to present my research at the School of Social Work, including as a panelist at the event marking the International Social Work Day on March 21, 2022.
Firminus Mugumya (Uganda)
Firminus Mugumya is a senior lecturer in the Department of Social Work at Makerere University, Uganda. His teaching and research interests are in community-led development and social change. His research focuses on opportunities to sustainably address the enduring challenges of school enrolment and retention in Uganda through an engaged scholarship approach. He is also interested in inclusive development, more specifically how communities can organize at grassroots-level to address micro and macro-level problems that undermine social development.
Can you describe your UMAPS research project?
My research project explores the opportunities for building and sustainable university-community collaborations to address grassroots problems. An initial focus of the research is on the problem of poor school enrollment and retention in marginalized communities in Uganda. I used a mixed methods approach to map the strengths that communities can draw on to realize the goal of universal school enrollment and retention.
What were you doing for work (or in life) before your UMAPS fellowship?
I am a lecturer in the Department of Social Work at Makerere University, where I regularly teach Community Social Work. I am also involved in the supervision of master's and doctoral students in Social Work.
What do you miss from your country?
My family and warm weather!
What’s your first impression of Ann Arbor and U-M?
Ann Arbor is relatively quiet and homely. U-M has very strongly structured service systems with very predictable and reliable service outcomes
What is the one thing you hope to do while in the US?
Utilize my time to grow my research networks, and find opportunities for collaboration.
Who are you working with at U-M?
I am fortunate to be hosted by Professor James Ellis from the School of Social Work.
Laston Manja (Malawi)
Laston Manja is a lecturer in economics at the University of Malawi, with a primary research interest in developmental economics.
Can you describe your UMAPS research project?
My research focuses on issues of access to finance, which remains a key challenge in the context of developing economies. In particular, my study seeks to unravel key challenges that impede individuals' and households' ability to save. I hope to identify effective mechanisms to improve savings within the context of developing economies, such as that of Malawi.
What were you doing for work (or in life) before your UMAPS fellowship?
I completed my master’s degree in 2018 and then left academia for a few years to work at the World Bank. In 2020 I returned to academia to take up a position as lectured at the University of Malawi.
What do you miss from your country?
Malawi is known to be "The warm heart of Africa". I definitely miss the social interaction with even a stranger on the bus! Social interactions are much more restrained in the US.
What’s your first impression of Ann Arbor and U-M?
Ann Arbor is brutally cold! Of course, I got here in the middle of a snowstorm, so what did I expect? Nonetheless, Ann Arbor is a very beautiful quiet city, and U-M is world-class with amazing infrastructure and super-helpful faculty
What is the one thing you hope to do while in the US?
Attend a Maverick City Music concert!
Who are you working with at U-M?
My mentor at U-M is Professor Dean Yang, from the Ford School of Public Policy and the Department of Economics. Dean has introduced me to various resources in the Department of Economics and development economics network and has set me up for regular seminars which have provided me with wonderful opportunities to engage with researchers who share my interests. I look forward to presenting my research in the UMAPS colloquium series later in April.
