General
MUBFS: Mak’s World-renown Tropical Biology gem
The Makerere University Biological Field Station (MUBFS) is located in the tranquil Kibale Forest at the peripherals of Kibale National Park (KNP). Established in 1970 as Kibale Forest Project-KFP by Dr. Thomas Struhsaker, a renown primatologist and scholar from Duke University, USA, the project was handed over to Makerere University for its long-time survival by Dr. Struhsaker, shortly before his departure in 1987.
The Makerere University Biological Field Station (MUBFS) is located in the tranquil Kibale Forest at the peripherals of Kibale National Park (KNP). Established in 1970 as Kibale Forest Project-KFP by Dr. Thomas Struhsaker, a renown primatologist and scholar from Duke University, USA, the project was handed over to Makerere University for its long-time survival by Dr. Struhsaker, shortly before his departure in 1987.
Today, MUBFS, which falls under the Makerere University Institute of Environment and Natural Resources (MUIENR) is a year-round field research station accommodating up to 85 researchers and trainees and upholding the objectives of Research, Education and Conservation which KFP set out to achieve. MUBFS has two main study sites – Kanyawara and Ngogo, with Kanyawara housing the station’s main facilities.
On Thursday 29th July 2010, the Makerere University Management visited MUBFS’ Kanyawara site, and could not help but marvel at the high-quality research being conducted at this world renown field station. The on-going research projects conducted by local and international scholars include:
- Ecological & Behavioral Studies of Various Animal Species in KNP.
- Studies of Forest Regeneration in Logged & Formerly Encroached Areas.
- Long-term Ecological Monitoring of Kibale National Park Eco-Systems.
- Socio-Economic & Ecological Studies Including Crop Raiding By Park Wildlife.
Dr. Jeremiah Lwanga, Acting Deputy Director MUBFS, appreciated the Management team for visiting 
MUBFS and proceeded to give them a guided tour of the station, which included: A state-of-the-art Tropical Biology Laboratory; Eco-friendly water supply and waste disposal systems; Lodging facilities for over 85 visitors and 20 staff and Forest Ecology research labs.
“I always say to my students that Uganda is my favorite course destination and MUBFS is my favorite field station” remarked Dr Clive Nuttman of Cambridge University and the Tropical Biology Association-TBA, UK, which has conducted field training for over 400 students at MUBFS since 1994. “The team here at MUBFS ensures that our courses are extremely well facilitated, which really does make life easy for me as a course coordinator to run programs here. MUBFS has one of the best Tropical Biology research labs in the world” he further added.
To date, over 260 research papers and book chapters have been published from research conducted at MUBFS. Each year, Professors Collin and Lauren Chapman from McGill University, Canada publish a compilation of the research done at MUBFS. All these annual compilations as well as books written by MUBFS researchers make up the rich Library collection at the Field Station.
MUBFS has indeed played host to a number of long-term research projects such as the Kibale Chimpanzee Project, which has been conducted by Harvard University Professor Richard Wrangham since 1987. Prof. Wrangham has been instrumental in supervising students at MUBFS as well as Harvard, who conduct their research at the Field Station every year. As a result some of MUBFS' former students have gone on to start their own projects. The Kibale EcoHealth Project-KEP is one example started up by Tony L. Goldberg (PhD)
Similarly, Patrick Omeja (PhD) is currently managing the Fish and Monkey project started up by Professors Collin and Lauren Chapman from McGill University. This project monitors the performance of Blue lips, a fish species indigenous to the forest river systems in KNP. They are the best bio-indicators of the oxygen content in the water hence a good measure of the effects of human activities on the ecology of the catchment areas surrounding KNP. The Monkey phase monitors the levels of stress experienced by primates as a result food availability or lack thereof, which is also a good indicator of human encroachment on their habitats. The stress levels are monitored by measuring the variations of some components in monkey excretions collected from the forest by the research teams.
At the study site in Ngogo, 10Kms Southeast of Kanyawara, Professors David Watts, Yale University and John Mitani, University of Michigan, have published several papers as a result of their research since 1995. The research studies an extraordinarily large group of 140 chimpanzees for activities like: kinship and male social behaviour, hunting and meat eating and territoriality and lethal aggression.
“MUBFS has done a lot for public education in terms of generating information that is necessary for making decisions on efforts aimed at forest environment conservation” remarked Dr. Lwanga as he made his speech.
The local communities have also benefited from teams that have visited MUBFS “We have the American Friends of Kasiisi Primary School-AFROKAPS, who have helped build classrooms, staff houses, toilets and lots of other infrastructure.
“Another offshoot has been the Kanyanchu Tourism Center-KTC in Kamwenge District, which was built as a result of a need to cater for tourism activities, fanned up by information about chimpanzees and forest ecology. This information, which helped shape the formation of KTC was generated by the various research publications from MUBFS” added Dr. Lwanga. MUBFS has also helped form other Non-Governmental Organizations like the Kibale Association for Rural and Economic Development-KAFRED.
“We want Makerere University to stand to its true stature as a National University by having its presence felt throughout the country. From our observations and comments by the visiting Professors, MUBFS is indeed the best Tropical Biology research center in the world” remarked the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba. “We would like to thank the MUBFS Management for the warm reception and great job done so far” he continued. The Vice-Chancellor concluded his remarks by pledging the University Management’s commitment and support to MUBFS’ welfare and future plans respectively.
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Dr. Jeremiah S. Lwanga's remarks
mwamai@admin.mak.ac.ug, Public Relations Office
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged its newly admitted PhD students to go beyond pursuing academic qualifications and become independent scholars capable of generating knowledge, solving societal problems and contributing to Africa’s transformation.
The call was made by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, during the orientation of the 2026/2027 PhD cohort at Makerere University’s Main Hall in the Main Building on 10th August 2026.
Prof. Ssali told the new scholars that a PhD marks a fundamental shift from previous levels of education, requiring students to take greater responsibility for their academic progress rather than depending entirely on lecturers and supervisors.
“You will have to push yourself and also push your supervisor to move with you,” Prof. Ssali said, urging the students to take ownership of their doctoral journey.
She acknowledged that many PhD students have to balance their studies with employment, family responsibilities and community leadership, making doctoral training demanding. However, she urged them to remain focused on completing their programmes within the prescribed three, four or five years.
Prof. Ssali said Makerere expects its doctoral training to produce scholars who can create knowledge, challenge existing ideas and develop solutions to societal problems.
She encouraged the students to embrace ambiguity and become comfortable questioning what they already know, noting that doctoral education requires scholars to identify important questions, investigate them and generate answers that advance knowledge.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor also urged the students to develop interdisciplinary collaborations and scholarly networks rather than confining their research to their individual disciplines.
She said the success of doctoral education should not be measured merely by the number of dissertations completed or papers published, but by the extent to which research contributes to society.
With Africa facing complex challenges, including climate change, disease, population growth and development pressures, Prof. Ssali said PhD scholars have a responsibility to generate evidence that can influence policy, strengthen institutions and advance innovation.
She challenged each scholar to continually ask what problem their research addresses, what solution it advances and whether that solution can create sustainable value.
The Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, said the new cohort was joining Makerere at a time when the University is implementing reforms aimed at strengthening graduate education and improving completion rates.
Prof. Kikooma revealed that Makerere received close to 12,000 applications across its master’s, postgraduate and PhD programmes but admitted about 6,000 students.
He said graduate education has been placed at the centre of the University’s efforts to strengthen research capacity and prepare scholars to contribute to knowledge production and innovation.
Under the reforms, PhD students will undertake compulsory cross-cutting courses designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for doctoral research. They will also be required to undertake teaching in either their second or third year under the guidance of their supervisors.
In addition to completing their theses, students will be required to produce at least two publications before graduation, a requirement intended to prepare them to become the next generation of researchers, innovators, inventors and creators.
Makerere has also introduced a digital system to monitor the progress of every PhD student each semester. The system is intended to enable students, supervisors and university officials to identify challenges early and intervene in real time.
Prof. Kikooma urged the scholars to write regularly, think critically, maintain open and constructive relationships with their supervisors and protect their academic integrity and professional reputation.
He also encouraged them to build scholarly networks and remain resilient, noting that rejected papers, disappointing data and unexpected challenges are normal aspects of doctoral training.
The Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, Prof. Robert Wamala, challenged the scholars to ensure that the knowledge they produce is trustworthy, responsible and ethically sound.
Prof. Wamala emphasized the importance of respecting the dignity, rights, safety and autonomy of research participants, particularly where studies involve individuals, communities and personal information.
He highlighted informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, justice and accountability as critical principles of ethical research and urged students to maintain transparency throughout the research process, from developing research questions and collecting data to analyzing and reporting findings.
Prof. Wamala also cautioned the students on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research.
He said although AI can assist researchers with activities such as language improvement, it does not remove the researcher’s responsibility for the final product.
Researchers, he said, must verify AI-generated information and remain accountable for inaccurate statements, misleading interpretations and incorrect references.
He further urged students involved in international and other research collaborations to establish clear agreements on roles, authorship, data ownership, access and intellectual property before commencing their research.
The Deputy University Librarian, Dr. Kizito Ongaya, meanwhile, urged the new scholars to make full use of Makerere’s library and information resources throughout their doctoral journey.
Dr. Ongaya said the University operates a hybrid library system combining physical and electronic resources, with more than 200,000 books, 45 e-journal databases and over 16,000 archival materials available to researchers.
He encouraged the students to participate in library training to learn how to access and effectively use electronic resources and to explore specialized libraries and information centers across the University’s colleges.
These include resources covering natural sciences, agriculture, veterinary medicine, health sciences, education and humanities, as well as museums, botanical gardens, specialized collections and other research facilities.
The newly admitted doctoral students were also addressed by Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre, Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba, the Deputy University Bursar and members of Makerere University Convocation.
Makerere University has once again cemented its place as a regional leader in academic excellence after successfully hosting the East African Universities Debate Championships (EAUDC) 2026, welcoming the continent’s brightest young minds for a week of intellectual competition, cultural exchange, and leadership development.
Held from 26th July to 1st August 2026, the championship brought together more than 200 student debaters, adjudicators and delegates from 25 universities across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and other invited institutions, transforming the Ivory Tower into East Africa’s premier arena for ideas, innovation and public discourse.
The week-long tournament featured rigorous British Parliamentary debate rounds, public speaking competitions, adjudication workshops and networking sessions designed to sharpen critical thinking, leadership and persuasive communication. Participants debated contemporary issues ranging from governance and economic transformation to technology, public health, climate change and Africa’s future.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Vice Chancellor welcomed delegates to Makerere University, emphasizing the institution’s enduring commitment to nurturing graduates who are not only academically accomplished but also capable of leading meaningful conversations that shape society. The championship reflected Makerere’s vision of producing graduates who are innovative, analytical and prepared to address regional and global challenges.
Beyond competition, EAUDC 2026 became a celebration of East African unity. Delegates experienced Uganda’s rich cultural heritage through social events, campus tours and cultural showcases that fostered friendships beyond national borders. The interactions reinforced the championship’s belief that dialogue remains one of the strongest foundations for regional integration and peaceful cooperation.
The tournament concluded with an electrifying Grand Finale witnessed by students, alumni, university leaders, invited guests and debate enthusiasts. The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports Hon. Eng. Cuthbert Abigaba represented the Speaker of Parliament as the Guest of Honour. In his remarks he congratulated Makerere University on the successful event and encouraged debate among students.
Prof Sarah Ssali the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs at Makerere University pledged continuous support from the administration towards Makerere Debate Union. Teams demonstrated exceptional research, analytical reasoning and eloquence before a distinguished panel of international adjudicators, bringing to a close one of the most competitive editions of the championship.
The successful hosting of EAUDC 2026 marks another milestone in Makerere University‘s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for debating and public speaking. The event builds on the university’s long-standing tradition of producing outstanding debaters while providing students with opportunities to engage with peers from across the region in meaningful intellectual exchange.
As the championship drew to a close, participants departed Kampala with new friendships, stronger networks and renewed inspiration to continue using debate as a tool for leadership, democratic participation and social transformation.
With the East African chapter successfully concluded, attention now turns to the Pan-African Universities Debating Championship (PAUDC) 2026, where Makerere University will once again represent East Africa on the continental stage.
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