Strengthening Doctoral Supervision Capacity through International Collaboration

9-10 September 2026 | Speke Resort, Munyonyo, Uganda

Makerere University, in collaboration with the University of Bergen (Norway), conducted a two-day PhD Supervision Training under the NORPART-funded HePEd (Improving Health Professional Education and Capacity in Experimental Epidemiology) Project. The training brought together 30 participants and facilitators from Makerere University's College of Health Sciences, School of Public Health, and College of Education and External Studies. The training aimed to strengthen supervisory capacity, enhance feedback practices, and promote reflective, ethical, and student-centred approaches to doctoral supervision.

The training was facilitated by a multidisciplinary team from Makerere University and the University of Bergen. The facilitators included Prof. Sarah Kiguli, Dr. Ian Munabi, and Dr. Roy Mubuuke from Makerere University, together with Prof. Kenan Dikilitas, Ms. Tatiana Ershova, and Mr. Aleksander Popov from the University of Bergen. Drawing on their expertise in doctoral education, supervision, medical education, and academic development, the facilitators guided participants through interactive sessions, case discussions, reflective exercises, and practical approaches to effective PhD supervision.

Key Training Highlights

The training explored the distinctive nature of doctoral supervision and the transition from Master's-level supervision to doctoral mentorship. Participants discussed how doctoral supervision extends beyond guiding research projects to supporting the development of independent scholars capable of generating original contributions to knowledge. Discussions highlighted the need to balance guidance and mentorship while fostering critical thinking, autonomy, and scholarly identity.

A major focus was placed on building effective supervisor-student relationships, with emphasis on trust, transparency, mutual respect, clear expectations, and open communication. Participants reflected on how their own experiences as supervisors and supervisees influence their supervisory approaches and considered practical strategies for fostering productive learning relationships.

The programme dedicated considerable attention to feedback literacy and reflective practice, emphasizing the importance of timely, constructive, and actionable feedback. Participants examined strategies for establishing meaningful feedback dialogues, closing feedback loops, and enabling students to engage actively with feedback to improve their research and academic development.

Through interactive case discussions, participants explored common supervisory challenges, including authorship disputes, plagiarism, ethical conduct in research, conflicting advice from multiple supervisors, and balancing support with student independence. The discussions reinforced the importance of transparency, academic integrity, and adherence to established ethical standards in supervision and research.

Sessions on co-supervision examined both effective and ineffective supervisory team practices. Participants shared experiences from their own contexts and identified factors that contribute to successful co-supervision, including role clarity, communication, mutual respect, coordinated feedback, and shared responsibility. The discussions highlighted the importance of collaborative supervision meetings and coherent guidance to minimise confusion and delays for doctoral students.

The training also explored formative and summative assessment in doctoral education, focusing on how continuous feedback and assessment practices can support student learning, independence, research competence, and academic identity development. Participants reflected on strategies for aligning formative assessment activities with doctoral milestones and final thesis examination requirements.

A key feature of the programme was the opportunity for participants to reflect on their supervisory identity. Through guided exercises, participants examined who they are as supervisors, who they aspire to become, what responsibilities they hold towards doctoral students, and the supervisory practices they seek to avoid. Empathy, responsiveness, mentorship, transparency, professionalism, and timely feedback emerged as defining attributes of effective supervision.

Impact

The training strengthened participants' knowledge, confidence, and skills in doctoral supervision while promoting a shared understanding of good supervisory practice across disciplines. Participants reported increased awareness of effective feedback strategies, ethical supervision, relationship-building, and collaborative approaches to co-supervision.

Importantly, the training encouraged participants to identify practical actions for improving their supervisory practice, including establishing clearer expectations and timelines, strengthening communication with co-supervisors, conducting joint supervision meetings, improving feedback processes, and supporting students' professional growth more intentionally. The reflective and participatory approach created opportunities for peer learning and enabled participants to critically examine their own supervisory behaviours and assumptions.

By advancing supervisory capacity and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, the training is expected to contribute to enhanced doctoral student experiences, improved research quality, stronger completion rates, and the development of future researchers and academic leaders at Makerere University.

Conclusion

The PhD Supervision Training successfully achieved its objective of strengthening doctoral supervision capacity through collaborative learning, reflection, and practical engagement. Participants gained valuable insights into effective supervision, feedback, co-supervision, assessment, ethics, and academic mentorship. The training reinforced the importance of dialogue, trust, professionalism, and continuous learning in doctoral education and underscored the critical role of supervisors as mentors, facilitators, and change agents in nurturing the next generation of scholars. Participants further recommended expanding similar training opportunities across the College of Health Sciences and the School of Public Health to strengthen postgraduate education and research excellence.