Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) have for several years now campaigned that ICT holds the promise to improve conditions in developing countries in a variety of manners. However, most of the actual results may not be astonishing. Why did existing knowledge about the correlations between ICT and the economy and society fail to develop ICT to support development? Is the mainstream model of conceptualizing and implementing ICT4D applicable in the African context? What are the alternatives to dominant approaches?
Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) have for several years now campaigned that ICT holds the promise to improve conditions in developing countries in a variety of manners. However, most of the actual results may not be astonishing. Why did existing knowledge about the correlations between ICT and the economy and society fail to develop ICT to support development? Is the mainstream model of conceptualizing and implementing ICT4D applicable in the African context? What are the alternatives to dominant approaches?
In organizing this workshop therefore, The Faculty of Computing and Informatics Technology, Makerere University (CIT) and the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Technical Commission 9 hoped to answer some of the questions raised above. Additionally through inviting and supporting several authors and texts from Africa and beyond, they hoped to highlight the importance of gaining a broader view on ICT4D by including substantially the actual settings of ICT implementation and use in Africa.
In his brief Dr. Gianluca Miscione, International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) noted that it was almost rare to find ICT efforts as endogenous production of developing countries. He also touched the driving force behind organizing a workshop of this nature, noting that the world hears about ICT in Africa more often than it hears about ICT from African voices. He hoped that this platform would enable the sharing of ideas and experiences between presenters and especially highlight discontinuities between African context and ICT4D mainstream paradigm.
Dr. Jude Lubega, Workshop Chair and Deputy Dean, CIT welcomed the IFIP and participants to Kampala, noting that the workshop’s timeliness, especially as Uganda is in the midst of her struggle to achieve the Millennium Development Goals through embracing ICT as a tool for enhancing development in service provision. He anticipated that the eighteen papers to be shared; with two from keynote speakers, would enable participants to intimately learn from each other and adopt what works best for Africa.
With its theme as “ICT and Development Research Voices from Africa,” Dr Lubega opined that the workshop was indeed the right direction for Africa towards achieving her Millennium Development Goals. Before inviting Professor Venansius Baryamureeba, to make his remarks, Dr Lubega thanked the Organizing Committee IFIP 2010 for all their input and trusted that the workshop will leave a roadmap for Africa.
The Guest of Honor, Acting Vice Chancellor and Dean, CIT Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba appreciated the global constitution of the participants noting that this would indeed lend credence to the workshop’s aim of making heard the ICT and Development research voices from Africa. He encouraged participants to engage all stakeholders in development so that proceedings from the workshop would be put to good use.
Professor Baryamureeba challenged participants to focus on how their research would: help benefit the key age groups of Women, Youth and the Elderly; contribute towards technological development with a bias of supporting small-scale industries; and help in improving corporate governance. He thanked the Organizing team and participants for their research efforts especially as the papers to be presented addressed a cross-section of development issues.
The results for the 2025/2026 special entry examination for the Diploma in Performing Arts held on Saturday 17th May, 2025. Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the Examination and have been recommended to the university’s Admissions Committee for consideration.
The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released full results for the Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations for the Academic Year 2025/2026 held on Saturday 14th December, 2024.
The Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the examination and have been recommended by the Pre-Entry & Mature Age Committee to the University’s Admissions Board for Consideration.
The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) has in collaboration with Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors.
Participants were academic staff from two colleges namely, College of Engineering, Art and Design (CEDAT) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).
The three-day training that took place at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building ended on Friday 20thJune 2025.
In his closing remarks to the participants, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “This is the first cohort we are working together with the Center for Teaching and Learning to put together continuous professional development Program so that we are able to enforce the new teaching and learning policy.”
He said that before lecturers are allocated students for supervision, they must first go through this form of formal teaching and learning training to equip them thoroughly with certification required of supervision of graduate students.
“We are coming up with process to ensure that the certificates earned by participants allow you to supervise graduate students. This is the direction of the university and we must ensure that such trainings are concluded and completed successfully by all participants”, Prof. Kikooma.
Prof. Julius Kikooma – Director of Graduate Training
“We can only have you certified upon completing all the exercises in the training process. This is when you will be eligible to receive the work load for supervision”, He added.
“This training of Supervisors is going to be continuous so that all academic staff in colleges and schools are equipped. This first cohort is going to be our building block to the future trainings in the colleges.”
With such capacity building trainings, Prof. Kikooma said that the university is on the right path to achieving its targets in the new strategic plan of increasing the number of graduate students while progressively reducing the under graduate students.
He further hinted that, “We are in the process of writing a curriculum on this, which will be presented for approval before it is rolled out.”
He echoed all participants to share the knowledge they have acquired adding, “Share all you have learnt, do not keep it. Be open minded, have proper communication channels and the sky will be the limit for you.”
Dr. Robinah N. Kulabako, The Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CEDAT welcomed the training adding, “This training is very pertinent. I have had the opportunity to supervise Masters and PhD students for over 15 years and I must say that the need to be subjected to this training cannot be over emphasized because there is need to learn, unlearn and relearn many aspects involved in the supervision process.”
She added, “We are moving towards knowledge-based supervision rather than experience-based supervision. This means we must be informed and equipped to be able to advise, guide and mentor to be able to lead a successful supervision journey for both supervisor and supervisee.”
Dr. Andrew Gilbert Were – a lecturer at CEDAT and a participant said, “It is important that all supervisors of graduate students receive this certification from Makerere University through a systematic training process that enables them to attain diverse skills to facilitate learning of graduate students from diverse cultures and with unique set of circumstances.”
“This training is long overdue. In fact, it was an oversight that we could be allowed to supervise students without undergoing supervisors’ training.”
Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, The Director Centre for Teaching and Learning support- CEES said, “The training this time round has had a mix of early career professionals including Lecturers, Supervisors and Professors share experiences. We have learnt a lot more from experienced supervisors who have shared practices on how they have done supervision over the years.”
“The knowledge and experience-based approaches have made this collaboration very active, interactive and learner centered which has resulted into a collaborative learning from the interdisciplinarity of staff from CEDAT and CAES. The issue now is to continue with professional development across all levels.” She added.
The Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors. This activity was supported by the iCARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.