The role of the university and institutional support for climate change education interventions at two African Universities

Abstract

This paper presents findings on the role of the university and institutional support for climate change education interventions at two universities in East Africa. The findings were part of a larger study on opportunities and challenges for climate change education at universities in the African context: A comparative case study of Makerere University in Uganda and University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. A comparative multiple case study design was adopted collecting qualitative data from 58 lecturers, researchers, administrators and students on climate change related programmes at the two universities. Data was collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Analysis was done using thematic analysis based on Braun and Clarke’s (Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 1–41, 2006) approach with the help of MAXDA software. Findings from the cross-case analysis revealed similarities and differences in perspectives and multiple realities of participants at both universities regarding the role of the university and institutional support for climate change education in the African context. The findings shed light on the context and nature of climate change education interventions and how these are supported at both universities. The study contributes to empirical literature on the role of higher education in addressing climate change and the institutional support to the interventions in the African context.