The EAST-SPARK Team
The EAST-SPARK consortium involves 8 higher education institutions from Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Tanzania and Zimbabwe as well as the University of Vienna in Austria. A common feature is that all representatives of these universities have been involved in the same online training programme on doctoral supervision, either in the role of consultants or as active participants. These representatives were also distinguished by their active participation in a workshop at the University of Stellenbosch, where the University of Vienna was also represented. The topic of doctoral training is highly relevant at all participating universities and it is expected that a successful project will significantly change the way doctoral supervision is conducted in the East African universities.
In addition, we assume that the geographical proximity will facilitate the continuation of cooperation after the project, so that, for example, supervision courses can be offered not only at the home institution of the project partners, but also have a broader impact in the region. The framework conditions are also similar. We are therefore also seeking to cooperate with regional institutions such as the Inter-University-Council East Africa (IUCEA), which can provide an institutional framework that favours sustainability.
Dr. Caroline Ayuya Muaka, (Ph.D, MA, BA Education)
Daystar University, Kenya
Dr. Caroline Ayuya Muaka, Ph.D., is a distinguished academic, researcher and author with over 15 years of experience in university teaching, research, leadership and administration. Her expertise spans teaching clinical psychology, innovation in higher education, mental health practice, postgraduate supervision, and eLearning development. Currently, she serves as a Senior Lecturer and the Director of Open, Distance and eLearning at Daystar University, where she has significantly enhanced the university’s digital and online education footprint by establishing the Daystar University accredited e-campus and online programs, organizing international eLearning conferences, and implementing new learning management systems. She is the Patron Daystar i -hub and recently has led a team in the development of the first ever Daystar University Entrepreneurship and Commercialization of Research and Innovation Masterplan 2024-2028. She has participated in the training course for African doctoral supervisors run by CREST at Stellenbosch University.
Caroline Kagwiria Kinuu Kimathi, PhD
USIU-Africa
Caroline Kagwiria Kinuu Kimathi (PhD) is an assistant professor at the Department of Languages, Literature, at USIU-Africa. She was trained at Nairobi University (MA in Linguistics in 2013) and obtained her PhD in Applied Linguistics in 2017 at Laikipia University in Nyahururu, Kenya. She has done a course on Doctoral Supervisors at African Universities (CREST) and collaborative on-line interactive learning (COIL).
Professor Fanuel Lampiao, PhD
Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Malawi
Professor Fanuel Lampiao is a Professor of Reproductive Physiology at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS). He is the current Dean of Postgraduate Studies and Research. His research interests are on the influence of herbal extracts on various diseases which has culminated in the authorship of several scientific manuscripts, book chapters, as well as over 50 international and national conference presentations. He is the recipient of various national and international awards, grants and scholarships. Besides his contribution to the dissemination of research findings, he has successfully supervised various postgraduate students at MSc and PhD level, acted as examiner and moderator to a number of national and international universities, serves on the editorial board of leading publications and regularly performs reviews for international funding agencies and journals.
Bianca Lindorfer, PhD
University of Vienna, Austria
Bianca Lindorfer is Deputy Head of the Centre for Doctoral Studies and Career Development at the University of Vienna. With more than 15 years of experience in higher education, she focuses in particular on the career development of early career researchers and the development of doctoral education at the University of Vienna. Bianca holds a PhD in Early Modern History, which she obtained at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.
Brighton E Maburutse, PhD
Midlands State University, Zimbabwe
Dr Brighton Maburutse holds a PhD in Agriculture, a Master of Science in Animal Science, and a Bachelor of Sciences in Agriculture. Since 2018, he is a Senior Lecturer at Midlands State University, teaching Animal Science courses as well as supervising research projects for Bachelors and Masters students. His research focuses on communal livestock production systems with a particular interest in improving communal livestock productivity through sensitisation of farmers on doing farming as a business. Birghton has attended the training course for African doctoral supervisors run by CREST at Stellenbosch University.
Angela Meyer, PhD
University of Vienna, Austria
Angela Meyer has a background in Social Sciences. She holds a PhD in Political Sciences from Sciences-Po Paris and the University of Vienna which she completed in a cotutelle agreement. Her thesis focused on regional cooperation in Central Africa. Angela works at the University of Vienna’s Research Service and Career Development department in the EU and International Team. Prior to joining the University in 2019, she worked with a research institute in Vienna as project coordinator, PI and Postdoc in several international projects with partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America. She also served as a consultant, evaluator and external expert with the EU Commission, ISS Africa and other contracting authorities, focusing on international research cooperation as well as regional cooperation in Africa.
Dr. Tukae Mbegalo, Msc. (Econometrics), BA(Statistics)
Mzumbe University, Tanzania
Dr. Tukae Mbegalo is a lecturer and Head of department of Mathematics & Statistics Studies at Mzumbe University. Dr. Mbegalo holds a PhD in Quantitative Economics from Georg August University-Göttingen, Germany, a MSc in Econometrics from Manchester University, UK, and a BA in Statistics from the University of Dar es Salaam. He has more that 17 years of experience in university teaching, research and leadership. Dr. Mbegalo has been a UNICEF research fellow under auspices of cash transfer project in Tanzania. He has particpated in the training course for African doctoral supervisors run by CREST at Stellenbosch University.
Emmanuel Mutungi, PhD, MAFA, BAFA, Cert. Art Management.
Kyambogo University, Uganda
Emmanuel Mutungi is a professional artist with over 25 years of progressive experience in managing art programs, institutions and teaching at University. He has researched and coordinated community development projects in a wide range of thematic areas including Refugees, Millennium Development Goals, (MDGs), Health promotion, Children, Good governance, Poverty reduction, and gendered design. Emmanuel Mutungi designed the Uganda’s family of bank notes that won the best global bank note design by IBNS. Emmanuel has particpated in the training course for African doctoral supervisors run by CREST at Stellenbosch University.
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Fredrick Nyamwala
Moi University, Kenya
Prof. Fredrick Nyamwala is an associate professor of Pure Mathematics and Chair of Mathematics, Moi University, Kenya. He has a PhD in Pure Mathematics (Uni. of Osnabrueck, Germany), MSc and Bachelors (Maseno University). He has widely published and supervised many doctoral students. He has held a number of administrative positions in various universities including programme coordinator and Chair of department. He is a member of professional bodies like ILAS, KDSA, DAAD Alumni, RGMIA, and he coordinates a number of funded projects including World Bank projects (ACEII-PTRE), DAAD (In-Country/In-Region Scholarships), TWAS (Mathematics Projects) among others. He has made conferences presentations and organized capacity-building workshops. Fredrick has particpated in the training course for African doctoral supervisors run by CREST at Stellenbosch University.
Ass. Prof. Linda A. Nyondo- Mipando
Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Malawi
Linda Nyondo-Mipanda is Associate Professor of Health Systems and Policy at the Department of Health Systems and Policy, School of Global and Public Health, at KUHeS. She is a health systems specialist and a nurse/midwife by profession with research interests in optimizing delivery and uptake of services including quality management and Implementation Science. Her areas of focus are HIV and AIDS across different populations and maternal and newborn health. Linda has particiated in the training course for African doctoral supervisors run by CREST at Stellenbosch University.
Stephen Ojiambo Wandera, PhD
Makerere University, Uganda
Stephen Ojiambo Wandera is a Senior Lecturer and Former Chair of the Department of Population Studies, School of Statistics and Planning at Makerere University (2019-2022). He is a doctoral graduate of the second cohort of the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA). He was a post-doctoral fellow of ICAP at Columbia University of New York, USA, and the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa (2016-2017). He is an alumnus of the Doctoral Supervision training by the DAAD and Stellenbosch University. He was an eTutor of the same training where he supported Prof. Jan Botha in 2018.
Dr. Lucas Zinner
University of Vienna, Austria
Lucas Zinner is the Head of Research Services and Career Development at University of Vienna,. Lucas has over 25 years of experience of working in research and is involved in higher education policy, in particular in the doctoral debate. Lucas was member of the advisory board for the online training course for African doctoral supervisors run by CREST, Stellenbosch University.
Partner Organisations
