Exchange report - incoming teachers
Solnedgång vid Siloso Beach, Sentosa på min avskeds picnick
Home university: Makerere University
Study programme: Occupational Therapy
Exchange programme: Linnaeus-Palme
Semester: Spring semester 2010/2011
Duration: 32
Name: Julius Kamwesiga
Email address: jtkamwes@gmail.com

Accommendation

The accommodation was arranged through the International teacher exchange coordinator at KI. I was accommodated at University Accommodation Centre AB (UAC)  at Roslagstullsbacken 43.  The Administrator of the UAC got in touch with me and sent the information concerning the available accommodation. I wrote back confirming the dates of my arrival and departure and also wrote accepting to stay in the identified accommodation.

I don't know of the other alternative cheap accommodation in Stockholm.

Jagargatan is better than Roslagstullsbacken 43 in it terms of access to a pendaltarg which goes direct to Huddinge. I was very worried of the Bed bags that I heard about in Jagargatan Centre. I think the administrator of the centre should try to clear them otherwise its a very big problem once you experience it.

Language and Culture

The language used in the Course I taught on was English and fortunately English is an official language for Uganda. However many of my Swedish friends preferred using Swedish language. I had little understanding of Swedish language but since most of the people I interacted with and students all new English, it was easy for me to get along very well.

Leisure time

I had my leisure time mainly over the weekends. I mainly  visited my Swedish colleagues, big shopping centres like Ikea, Skaholmen and City centre. I also attended the Swedish cerebration of fire one of the evenings. 
I was so busy that I did not have lot leisure time. Pre-arranged social activities my my fevourate because my taste is different. I found that as a foreigner in Stockholm, spending some time at Kultuhuset in city centre.

Miscellaneous

I experienced meeting people of high status at KI and I felt great to be part of the exchange as a way of enhancing collaboration in Education and Research. My overall opinion of the teacher Exchange is that its a very inspiring activity and gives teachers different cultural exposure and opportunities for future personal and institutional development and networking.

The exchange programme gives us the opportunity to check ourselves in the training of students because we compare notes. And  its of great importance as young researcher to meet other senior researchers and mentors who set a good learning challenge. 

Other activities

Other activities apart from teaching on a H/CBR course were among others attending Research Seminars for Doctoral students in the Division of Occupational Therapy KI, attending supervision sessions with my supervisors,  attending the PHD courses "Basic medical Statistics at KI solna two full days,  the rest of the course work was online, meeting and discussing with my Occupational Science Course leader.  I also visited a nursing home for elderly in the North of Stockholm.

 

I think it was a very good experience that will strengthen future collaboration in both education and research.

Preparation

I had adequate preparation from Uganda because I knew what I was going to teach. However, one must have to be computer literate and prepare adequately to be understood by students from different cultural backgrounds. I prepared early enough by booking flight early in time and making sure that I get in touch with the International coordinator at KI. In Uganda we have to submit Visa application not less than two weeks before the schedulled safari.
 

Reflections

 

I attended PhD courses at KI and it was my first time to attend computer/internet based course in Basic Medical statistics. It was a very good challenging experience where I was very busy teaching on the H/CBR course as well as meeting deadlines to my PhD studies.


I also attended PhD seminars for the first time where I had to read some research papers of other students and critic them. 


I also presented my own research project  to a group of Doctoral students and Professors where they did  critic it.

Our H/CBR students presented very good seminars compering H/CBR from China, Malawi, Mexico and India. It was very interesting seminar for both teachers and Students.



Teaching

Teaching in Sweden is more learner centred than the one we have in Uganda. Students search for information themselves and present in seminars more than we have in Uganda. The advantage with the Swedish education is that the students can easily access the information through the internet as opposed to students in Uganda who mainly rely on very old text books. Teaching in Uganda is therefore more teacher centred since the teacher can have more access to information than students. However, that situation is gradually changing with more students gaining access to internet.  The teaching methods I used while at Ki were; group work, students seminers, modified lectures and field visits.
 
Students at KI are more acquainted with literature search compared to our students in Uganda.

Teaching hours

I had mainly four teaching sessions each week but as a coordinator of H/CBR, I participated in most discussions in class room. The course had main 3 students' seminars and I participated in the two because the last one is held at the completion of the course on the fifth week. All in all a total of about 28 hours were covered in both teaching and seminars. As a PhD  student at KI, I had a lot of activities that include among others attending to my prescribed PhD courses and supervision by my professors/Supervisors.