An investigation of career experiences of Ugandan alumni from Turkey

The career experiences of returnee graduates play a significant role in the economy of a country. This work aims to explore the career experiences of Ugandan students who graduated from higher education institutions in Turkey. This research aim is operationalized into dimensions namely; past experiences of students in Turkey and their career development experiences in Uganda. For this purpose, the study deployed a qualitative research methodology. Seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with Ugandan returnees' alumni; who had benefited from a scholarship program and graduated at least two years ago and also belong to different demographic, economic, and educational statuses. Participants for this current study were recruited using purposeful sampling strategies. It is found that social-cultural factors represent significant impediments to excellent learning experiences while in Turkey. Also, the higher the level of education the better the career development experience of Ugandans returning from Turkey; since the Ph.D. returnees are easily absorbed into the academic cluster. Therefore, it is recommended that more academic windows should be open for more Ugandan post-graduate students in Turkey.