Between 16th and 18th April 2010, National Council for Higher Education held the Fourth Higher Institutions Annual Exhibition at the Lugogo Show Grounds, under the theme “Higher Education and Outreach Services for Communities” from which Makerere emerged winner in the University category with twenty six participating universities. This is the university’s third straight win.

Between 16th and 18th April 2010, National Council for Higher Education held the Fourth Higher Institutions Annual Exhibition at the Lugogo Show Grounds, under the theme “Higher Education and Outreach Services for Communities” from which Makerere emerged winner in the University category with twenty six participating universities. This is the university’s third straight win.

With the 112 stalls of institutions displaying a variety of innovations such as large technological machinery like the plastic granulator from Mbarara University of Science and Technology and a huge cake, almost the size of the Exhibition Hall, from YMCA, sent chills to most of the Makerere University team members.

However, Makerere still stole the show taking more than twenty stalls with top of the range exhibitions that wowed the crowd. The turn up was big. Not just of the visitors but also of the exhibitors.

Uganda Christian University took the second runner up award and Uganda Martyrs University took the first runner up award. Other universities that participated were Kyambogo University, Makerere University Business School, Muteesa I University, St. Lawrence University, Kabale University, Gulu University, Kampala University and Kampala International University (KIU), among others. Tertiary Institutions and various companies also participated in the exhibition and had YMCA taking the winner’s award for the Tertiary institutions and Bank of Uganda taking the winner’s award for the companies. In all, fifty five institutions participated in the exhibition.

The fourth edition of the annual exhibition was officially opened by Minister of State for Higher Education, Hon Mwesigwa Rukutana, who was happy to note that higher education is now a marketable commodity going by the masses of the people who thronged the venue. He thus felt it befitting of universities and tertiary institutions as centers of innovation to sell related services to the public.

The National Council for Higher Education Organising team, headed by their Executive Director Prof. A.B.K. Kasozi, Ph. D. (Calif), was very impressed with the way the exhibition turned out. As organizers, they were pleased that the number of exhibitors had increased; there was a wider variety in what was being exhibited than last year, especially in the fields of food science and ICT. They were also excited to note that the number of senior exhibitors was higher than that of last year and there was good cooperation especially between the team from Makerere University.

Makerere University was applauded for a number of outstanding innovations, especially in the field of security systems, where the Faculty of Computing and Informatics Technology showcased a cell phone based remote Vehicle control system intended to reduce the rate of car theft in Uganda by controlling the functionalities of the motor vehicle remotely using cellular phone technology. The assessors were also very impressed with the Faculty of Technology’s smart inter-locking blocks.

“Institutions create knowledge for development and this exhibition has achieved this, as it has shown enthusiasm and is relevant to the community. I am very impressed with the innovative quality that you have displayed”. Prof. Kasozi added.

The participants from Makere University were Public Relations Office, Academic Registrar’s Department, School of Graduate Studies, School of Education, Planning and Development unit, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Agriculture, The Department of Food Science and Technology, The Institute of Statistics and Applies Economics (ISAE), Makerere University Library’s Outreach Services, Makerere Institute of Research (MISR), Makerere Institute of Environment and Natural Resources, Faculty of Technology, Music, Dance and Drama Department, School of Industrial and Fine Art and Faculty of Computing and Informatics Technology.