General
North Dakota State University to boost Mak E-Learning
A team from North Dakota State University (NDSU) earlier today, Friday, 22nd January 2010 paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba in his office.
A team from North Dakota State University (NDSU) earlier today, Friday, 22nd January 2010 paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba in his office.
Accompanied by Prof. John Kabasa , Dean, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (VETMED), the team consisted Dr. Margaret Khaitsa , Associate Prof. Veterinary & Microbiological Sciences, NDSU, Lisa Nordick, Assistant Dean & Director, Distance & Continuing Education (DCE), NDSU, Jerry L. Olson, Assistant Director, DCE, NDSU, Connie Jadrny, Marketing & Public Relations Coordinator, DCE, NDSU and Lyn DeLorme, Instructional Designer, DCE, NDSU. Also present were Associate Prof. Francis Ejobi, Coordinator Makerere-NDSU Programme and Dr. Samuel Majalija, Department of Veterinary Parasitology and Microbiology, VETMED.
The courtesy call was part of the team’s visit to Uganda, aimed at working out a framework for developing 
online instruction materials for delivery of joint academic programmes between Makerere and NDSU. This partnership has in the past led to the two universities being nominated as the lead institutions of the Africa-US Integrated Disease Management network (AFRUS-IDM), with a number of collaborators from East & Central Africa (ECA) and North America. The vision of AFRUS-IDM is to be a leading higher education consortium for excellence in integrated disease management and socio-economic development in Africa. Some of the initiatives of AFRUS-IDM already underway include a course in International Animal Production, Disease Surveillance & Public Health, conducted jointly by Makerere and NDSU.
On his part, Prof. Baryamureeba pledged Makerere University’s full support towards all the efforts aimed at developing online instruction material for VETMED, noting that this would not only improve the content’s accessibility but also harness efforts to implement Makerere’s ten-year strategic plan, to shift from teacher centered instruction to learner centered pedagogy in order to produce graduates with problem solving skills and reflective ability.
The team thereafter took part in the Academic Procession of the 60th Graduation Ceremony, whereupon the Vice Chancellor acknowledged their presence and contributions of NDSU towards Makerere as he addressed the congregation.
Organised by the Makerere Debating Union – a student-led initiative, the Inter-college Debate Tournament was held on 11th and 12th April 2025 with a vision to leave no student behind by nurturing a community of confident, articulate, and visionary leaders who will drive positive change in society. The tournament was held in three preliminary rounds, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale.
The first round covered democracy and youth participation in politics, while the second round covered inequality and wealth distribution, and the third, the ban on export of raw materials. The semi-final round debated apprenticeship for blue-collar jobs, while the grand finale debated national budget allocations for healthcare and education. In the spirit of inclusivity, all colleges, including the Jinja Campus participated in the tournament.
Commenting on the choice of topics, the organisers noted Makerere University as a bastion of academic excellence has a profound responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our nation. These leaders, they added, ought to be equipped with 21st century skills of self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving so as to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving world.
On the whole, Makerere Inter-college Debates were conceived as a strategic initiative to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The Debating Union aims to empower the future leaders by providing a platform for students to engage in respectful discourse, articulate their thoughts, as well as develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the Debates serve as a platform for not only honing the intellectual prowess of students but also cultivating leadership skills, teamwork, and communication abilities that are essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It is envisaged that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of students, by exposing them to debates on topical issues that can shape the mindsets of transformative leaders our nation needs.
After a thrilling two days of debate, Daphine Kemigisha and Jibril Ssekandi from the School of Law (SoL) emerged as winners of the Makerere University Inter-college Debate Tournament 2025, while Olara Emmanuel George from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) was the Public Speech Champion, and Namujuzi Martha Mociita from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) was the Poetry Champion.
The 2025 Tournament was organized by Mayanja Owen and Nkalubo Oprah – 91st Guild Representative Councils (GRCs) of the Debate Union, Akatwijuka Arthur – Chairperson Debate Union, and Debate Union Representatives from colleges. The Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) partnered with the Debate Union to deliver the 2025 edition.
Addressing students at the award ceremony, UNNGOF’s Mr. Derrick Baluuku encouraged the youth to step out of their comfort zones and think of solutions to inspire change in their communities.
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