General
CAES takes lead in NORHED Projects Launch
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, CAES, took lead in launching its NORHED project at Makerere University in a highly interactive ceremony at the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-Engineering on Wednesday 15th January 2014.
The event was attended by representatives from the collaborating universities including the University of Juba, University of Addis Ababa and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. The project entitled, ‘Regional Capacity Building for Sustainable Natural Resource Management and Agricultural Productivity under Climate Change,’ competitively won a NORAD grant of approximately 8 billion shillings to implement an array of capacity development activities for period of five years.
The project was launched by the Minister of State for Higher Education, Hon. Dr. John C. Muyingo, who was represented by the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu. The Vice Chancellor was grateful for the support from the Norwegian Government, which he said will be put to proper use.
“Makerere based on her technical capacity and competencies will train academic staff at master’s level from partner institutions particularly for the University of Juba staff in desired fields. It will also lead in the training of academic staff at PhD level who will largely be registered at Makerere University but co-supervised through a modified sandwich model with Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Makerere will also coordinate sites for joint research for all the four partner institutions. We therefore look forward to conducting joint research with Masters, PhD and post-doctoral students from the four partnering institutions in the areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation; sustainable natural resource use and management; agricultural productivity and food security,” he emphasized.
The representative of the Vice Chancellor of Juba, Mr. Bojoi Moses Tomor pointed out that there is need to improve the completion rates of Masters students at Makerere University to lessen the current clogging, while the President of the Addis Ababa pledged to support the project to ensure that maximum benefits are realized. Also in attendance were the Ambassadors of Norway and Ethiopia as well as a representative of the Embassy of South Sudan. The Norwegian Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther emphasized that, “The overarching goal of the NORHED program is sustainable economic, social and environmental development in low and middle income countries.” He urged the NORHED funded projects to undertake research and innovations that that impact the communitie.
The Project Principal Investigator at CAES, Prof. Samuel Kyamanywa (Pictured Right), revealed that the funds had already been secured. “NORHED has sent us the first disbursement of funds and we are ready to start carrying out the project activities. Makerere University will lead other institutions on aspects of natural resource management, agriculture and climate change to deliver a range of outputs crucial to the development of Uganda, Ethiopia and South Sudan.”
The Principal of CAES, Prof. Bernard Bashaasha represented by the Deputy Principal, Dr. Goretti Nabanoga, emphasized that CAES will ensure that the project runs efficiently to deliver expected outcomes.
The inception meeting also had an interactive session, during which participants discussed key issues that might affect the smooth running of the programme including; lengthy procurement procedures, low completion rates of students, differences in exchange rates, choice of research sites in light of the insecurity in Southern Sudan, difficulty in recruitment of students, and imbalances in per diem. In the discussions that followed, Dr. Yazidhi Bamutaze of CAES proposed that the partner universities will continue sharing best practices and devising workable solutions without compromising the NORHED offer.
The Norwegain Government has historically supported projects at Makerere University through various programs over the years including NORAD, NOMA, NUFU and now NORHED. In 2013, Makerere University scoped 12 of the 46 available funded projects on the continent – the largest number won by any University that competed in the call. Of the 12, Makerere University will provide leadership to nine projects. Prof. Hannington Oryem Origa of NIDIC (Right) explained that the project will also focus on improved linkages amongst partners on a non-discriminatory basis. The Principal Investigators of other NORHED funded projects at Makerere shared highlights of planned outcomes and outputs in their projects including:
- Strengthening Media in Post-Conflict Societies through Education and Research: Bridging Gaps, Building Futures in Uganda, South Sudan, Nepal and Norway. Principal Investigator – Dr. William Tayeebwa.
- Improving Weather Information Management in East Africa for effective service provision through the application of suitable ICTs. Principal Investigator – Dr. Julianne Sansa Otim.
- Building capacity for REDD+ in East Africa for improved ecosystem health and for sustainable livelihoods in Eastern Africa (UGA-13/0019). Principal Investigator – Prof. John R.S Tabuti.
- Building and Reflecting on Interdisciplinary PhD Studies for Higher Education Transformation – Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR). Principal Investigator – Prof. Mamdam represented by Adam Branch
- Leapfrogging 1st Generation Distance Education into 4th and 5th Generation Distance Education: A Strategy for Enhancing ICT Pedagogical Integration and Increasing Access to Education in Africa. Principal Investigator – Dr. Paul Muyinda Birevu.
- Borderland Dynamics in East Africa : A network program for capacity building within Departments of Social Anthropology in East African Universities. Principal Investigator –Dr. Eria Olowo
- Capacity building in Zoonotic diseases Management using Integrated Ecosystems health and gender-focused approach (CAPAZOMANITECO) at the human-livestock –wildlife interface in the Eastern and Southern Africa. Principal Investigator –Dr. Kanche
By Marion Alina, Public Relations Office
Makerere University has officially launched its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities.
The launch brought together senior government officials, university leadership, and development planners, including the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, and a representative from the National Planning Authority (NPA), alongside the University Vice Chancellor.
A Vision Anchored in National Transformation
Speaking at the launch, the Vice Chancellor underscored the University’s ambition to significantly expand graduate training and strengthen its contribution to national development. He noted that the institution is targeting a return to pre-COVID enrolment levels and a substantial increase in postgraduate numbers by 2030, with a focus on producing highly skilled graduates, innovators, and researchers.
He emphasized that the Strategic Plan positions the University as a key driver of Uganda’s transformation through knowledge generation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aligned with national priorities.
“The staffing distribution is shown here. Under the approved establishment, we intended to have 419 Professors, but we currently have only 75. We planned for 473 Associate Professors, but currently have only 144. This clearly demonstrates that we still have considerable room for growth in strengthening our academic staff profile,” the VC said.
The VC appreciated researchers and research centres, that continue to attract substantial research funding. He highlighted the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) and the Makerere University Walter Reed Project which attracted approximately US$70 million in international research funding into Uganda.
“When you combine the grants won by all our researchers through competitive international funding, the total exceeds US$200 million,” he said.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the University Council, Dr. Lorna Magara, described the Strategic Plan as more than an institutional roadmap, calling it “a public covenant with the people of Uganda.”
She noted that the Plan marks “the launch of Makerere University’s next chapter,” adding that decisions taken over the next five years will shape not only the future of the institution, but also Uganda’s development trajectory through graduates, research, innovations, and leadership.
Dr. Magara emphasized Makerere’s unique national role as Uganda’s premier public university, entrusted with public resources and public confidence.
“Every investment made in Makerere must produce measurable value for the people of Uganda,” she said, underscoring the need for accountability, integrity, and impact.
Ambitious Targets for Transformation
The Council Chairperson and the Vice chancellor outlined bold performance targets under the Strategic Plan, including doubling postgraduate enrolment, increasing STEM enrolment from 30% to 55%, improving PhD completion rates from 10% to 35%, and more than doubling peer-reviewed research output, alongside a significant rise in patents and innovations.
Dr. Magara stressed that these targets are not aspirations alone but binding commitments against which institutional performance will be measured.
“Ambition is precisely what this moment demands. A strategic plan is not measured by the elegance of its language, but by the lives it transforms,” she said.
Call for Stronger Governance and Legal Reform
Dr. Magara also highlighted the need for reform of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262, noting that the current legal framework has not kept pace with the evolving realities of university governance and innovation.
She called on Government and Parliament to support a timely review of the Act to enable universities to better optimise knowledge systems, productive assets, and innovation capacity in support of national development.
Government Endorsement and Strategic Alignment
Hon. Henry Musasizi commended the University for developing a forward-looking Strategic Plan aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which serves as the foundation for the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
He explained that Uganda’s ambition to grow its economy from about USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion requires accelerated growth driven by productivity gains, innovation, and strong human capital development.
“Universities are central actors in national transformation. They are engines of knowledge creation, innovation, and human capital development,” he said.
The Minister stressed that government priorities include strengthening research, promoting industrialization, and ensuring that knowledge generated in universities is translated into practical solutions that support economic growth. He further highlighted the importance of accountability, efficiency, and value for money in public investments in higher education.
Universities as Drivers of the Tenfold Growth Strategy
In his presentation, the Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, Samuel Kasule, emphasized that the Strategic Plan is firmly anchored in Uganda’s comprehensive development framework under Vision 2040 and NDP IV.
He noted that the Tenfold Growth Strategy seeks to accelerate Uganda’s economic growth into double-digit territory, enabling the country to achieve structural transformation and reach upper middle-income status.
Kasule underscored that universities play a critical role in this transformation through labour productivity, research, and innovation. He pointed out that priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, minerals, oil and gas, and ICT depend heavily on skilled graduates and strong research ecosystems.
He also highlighted the importance of competency-based education, alignment of academic programmes with national human resource needs, and strengthening postgraduate training and research outputs.
A Shared Commitment to Transformation
Across all speeches, a strong message emerged: universities are central to Uganda’s development agenda and must evolve into research-intensive institutions that directly contribute to economic transformation.
The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was widely commended for its focus on innovation, industry collaboration, digital transformation, and the commercialization of research outputs.
Government leaders reaffirmed continued support for higher education institutions through research funding, innovation ecosystems, and strengthened university–industry partnerships.
Conclusion
The launch of the Strategic Plan 2030 signals a renewed commitment to positioning the University as a key partner in Uganda’s development journey. With strong alignment to national priorities, the Plan is expected to accelerate research, innovation, and skills development necessary for achieving Uganda’s long-term economic ambitions. The Strategic Plan may be accessed at: https://mak.ac.ug/about/strategic-plan
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