The scholars of Humanities and Social Sciences do the kind of work that machines cannot do. Engineers, Technologists, Computer scientists also cannot do the kind of work that students of Humanities and Social Sciences are trained to do. Humanities and Social Sciences in broadness learn a lot about Philosophy, Literature, History, Human Condition and Criminology, Gerontology, Law, Political Science, Psychology, Human Development among others respectively. These interrelated fields require a lot of interaction with people; to understand how humans work and their interactions. The knowledge learned is also applied in other different fields and scopes. Some of these fields are in technologies, innovative spaces and other numerous scientific related fields.
Technology requires the use of machines however on their own machines are purposeless because they require people to operate them whether physically or digitally. Furthermore, people do not work independently but need to co-exist and work together to produce the great innovations that we watch and/or be part of today. For machines to work sustainably in advancing technology requires a special and skilled people who have to be trained with the ability to figure out the way of thinking and the mind-set of people and this requires knowledge of human nature. Humanities and Social Sciences is as equally important as advancing the growing needs of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in the 21st Century. The study is evolving with the changing global needs today.
The opportunities in this field are very dynamic requiring communication skills, the ability to think and question, to analyze, research and evaluate, to negotiate, debate with a high intellect to stay calm under pressure. The Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences all over the globe have nurtured great leaders and the most admirable in these times is the former USA President Barack Hussein Obama who studied Bachelor of Arts in Political Science majoring in International Relations and English Literature and his wife Michelle Obama who majored in Sociology and minored in African-American Studies graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1985. Other practitioners to mention a few are serving in the fields of legal practice & Litigation paralegal and criminal Investigation. Please note that Criminal Investigators work closely with experts in Computer Security and Forensics and other related science fields to curb crime and other findings in this era of intense research. This brings to light the fact that there must exist a marriage between disciplines to realize a holistic transformation today and in the future. The School of Humanities and Social Sciences continues to nurture psychologists, sociologists, managers of government affairs and others with emphasis on research activities and new approaches to the study. For instance mass communication and its refined processes have become the driver of fast and informed decision making on an individual, institutional, national, regional, continental and global levels. The messages of Mass Communication are without a doubt driving critical decisions and the discipline has become so central that world leaders’ decisions are backboned on this among other equally important aspects. World institutions are led by leaders who are skilled, knowledgeable and highly qualified to address the issues of humanity among which institutions are; the United Nations, the United Nations Children’s Fund, World Food Programme, World Health Organization, the African Union and many other public and private institutions and/or organizations.
At UTAMU, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences continues to nurture such great leaders in various capacities because of the rich and holistic academic experiences that deepen students’ knowledge about contemporary issues. Some of the programmes offered include; Monitoring and Evaluation, Public Administration and Management, Institutional Governance and Leadership, Mass Communication and Journalism, Project Planning and Management and so much more.
To offer the promise of ushering great leaders who will transform the ever changing world dynamics, the School of Humanities and Social Sciences is under the able leadership of the Dean, Associate Professor Michael Okoche. The Associate Professor is committed to training and mentoring students that will be part of the world transformation processes of the 21st Century where every institution and nation is advocating for all-inclusiveness to wholly embrace the digital space.
Associate Professor Michael Okoche holds a Ph.D in Business Leadership, Masters in International Management, Masters in Management Studies, a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Administration and Management. He is highly knowledgeable in the Humanities and Social Sciences. He is a researcher and consultant with experience in different organizations and countries. For more about Associate Professor Michael Okoche and the school of Humanities and Social Sciences https://www.utamu.ac.ug/academics/shss
It will be a pleasure to see more global citizens apply to this school at UTAMU because scientists in the various other fields need the contribution of humanities and social sciences much more today than before as Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum stated “We must develop a comprehensive and globally shared view of how technology is affecting our lives and reshaping our economic, social, cultural and environments. There has never been a time of greater promise, greater peril.”
“FOR AN OPEN MIND”
