Kabale University’s Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences Selected as 2025 Fulbright Scholar

The Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Kabale University, Associate Professor Mesharch Katusiimeh, has been selected as one of the ten Ugandans awarded the prestigious 2025 Fulbright/Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowships.

Professor Katusiimeh was selected under the Fulbright African Research Scholar Program (ARSP), also known as the Visiting Scholar Program. He will be based at the School of Public Affairs and Administration, Rutgers University, Newark, New Jersey, where he will spend a few months engaging in advanced research, academic exchange, and professional collaboration.

His winning proposal is rooted in the belief that universities in East Africa must play a more proactive role in the fight against corruption. He observes that institutions of higher learning are currently inactive players in anti-corruption efforts, despite being spaces where the youth potential generational change agents are nurtured.

He notes that current university curricula across East Africa lack sufficient focus on governance-related issues, such as anti-corruption, civic education, accountability, transparency, and open government. Through his Fulbright experience, Professor Katusiimeh aims to explore how universities in the United States integrate these themes into academic programs. By studying U.S. university curricula, engaging with scholars and practitioners, and participating in community-based initiatives, he seeks to return better equipped to champion curriculum development, research, and outreach initiatives on anti-corruption in Uganda and beyond.

About the Fulbright Program

Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange initiative, designed to foster mutual understanding between the people of the United States and those of other countries. It operates in over 160 countries and has supported more than 400,000 scholars, researchers, professionals, and students.

In Uganda, the Fulbright program is administered by the U.S. Over the years, it has produced notable alumni, including academic leaders like Professor Joy Kwesiga Vice Chancellor Kabale University; Former Vice Chancellors Makerere University the Late Prof Livingstone Luboobi and the Late Professor Senteza Kajubi.

The selection of Professor Katusiimeh adds to Uganda’s growing list of distinguished Fulbright alumni and further reinforces Kabale University’s growing reputation in research, international collaborations and academic excellence.