Knowledge of Millennium Development Goals among University Faculty in Uganda and Kenya

Abstract

This article examines the level of knowledge of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) among university faculty. The assessment is based on data from 197 academic unit or faculty heads randomly selected from universities in Uganda and Kenya. Frequency distributions and logistic regression were used for analysis. Slightly more than one in three (36.1%) faculty heads were knowledgeable about issues related to MDGs—awareness of goals, correct number of goals, year of establishment of goals and deadline for achieving them. Univariate logistic analysis of knowledge of issues related to these goals on the basis of the characteristics of universities and faculty heads showed hardly any significant variations with these variables. The results point to a general, shallow knowledge base with regard to aspects related to the goals among the university faculty. Thus, to enhance the contribution of universities towards fostering knowledge of MDGs among students, such an understanding must first be established among the university faculty, particularly the teaching staff.