“This programme which is delivered by the Distance Education mode was conceived by UNESCO, and is funded by the World Bank,” remarked Mr. Wabwire. “This programme was in response to Human Resource gaps identified by UNESCO in the area of Education Sector Planning.” He added.
The programme which is run in six Anglophone countries namely; Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Ghana, Ethiopia and Malawi lasts nine months. The six modules covered by participants (one more than last year) include: Context and Approaches to planning in Education; Education Statistics; Education Sector Diagnosis; Analyzing policy choices in Education; Simulation Models; Monitoring and Evaluation; and a capstone course. The capstone course requires participants to critically analyze a subsector of Education in their country, by identifying its weaknesses and strong points. Participants are then required to prescribe solutions based on their findings. The capstone course carries more weight than other modules of the course.
The participants also have an electronic platform on which they share ideas across all six countries. In addition, all participants converge for an annual conference in a member country so as to share experiences and sharpen their approaches to simulations and models. Last year’s conference was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The IIEP also held a workshop with over 31 Ugandan Government officials from 16th – 18th March 2010, aimed at developing guidelines for emergency preparedness and conflict mitigation for the education sector.
In his address, the Chief Guest and Academic Registrar Mr. Alfred Masikye Namoah commended the participants for their dedication to the demanding course. In response to the participants’ request to upgrade the course to a Diploma, the Academic Registrar challenged EAIHESD to come up with a curriculum, which can then be considered by the necessary University academic committees.
“The University in its ten-year strategic plan emphasizes partnerships, and this partnership with UNESCO is indeed a realization of the University objectives” said Mr. Namoah. He applauded Mr. Wabwire and Dr. Neema-Abooki Peter, Director EAIHESD for their proactive approaches and pledged the University’s future support to the course.
Makerere University School of Public Health, through the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, is accepting applications for a two-week online short course on Introduction to Decision Modelling for Economic Evaluation.
The course will introduce participants to the principles and practical application of decision modelling in economic evaluation, covering Markov modelling, evidence synthesis, model development, validation, sensitivity analysis and interpretation of results to inform policy and resource allocation.
Convened by Dr. Elizabeth Ekirapa, Associate Professor of Health Economics at MakSPH, the course will feature Dr. Joseph Babigumira, Managing Consultant at GHE Consulting, as Guest Lecturer.
The training targets health professionals, researchers, policymakers, students and other individuals interested in applying decision modelling to economic evaluation.
Dates: 9–20 November 2026 Time: 3:00–6:00 PM EAT Mode: Online via Zoom Fees: UGX 800,000 (Ugandans) | USD 270 (non-Ugandans) Application Deadline: 1 November 2026
Makerere University and Xiangtan University are set to update their close to 20-year academic partnership, with a new focus on launching a joint Master’s degree program in Chemical Engineering and expanding student and staff exchange initiatives.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a recent visit by a delegation from Xiangtan University to Makerere University headed by Professor Dingyu Ou, in the company of Mr. Tang Fei and Professor Gilbert Gumshabe, the Chinese and Ugandan Directors of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University respectively.
While addressing the delegation, Professor Nawangwe highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify academic offerings and contribute to national development through training in Chemical Engineering. Through this new initiative, the University will better prepare graduates for the petrochemical industry and support the country’s industrial growth.
The meeting in session.
The Vice Chancellor appreciated that the proposed collaboration aims to address Uganda’s growing need for industrial expertise, particularly as the country develops its petroleum sector. The two universities here are working toward a 1+2 training model, which will enable Makerere students to gain practical experience and access advanced laboratory facilities at Xiangtan University.
Professor Nawangwe further reiterated that “our relationship with the people of China, not just for Makerere but also for a big part of Uganda, has been opened wider by the establishment of the Confucius Institute, considering that many other collaborations like one being discussed now have come through this collaboration.”
The head of the Xiangtan delegation, Professor Dingyu Ou, expressed appreciation for the meeting, and acknowledged the history between the institutions. “As mentioned, we have a very long relationship and a very stable friendship between our two universities.”
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (L) presents an assortment of Makerere Souvenirs to Prof. Dingyu Ou (R).
Professor Ou extended appreciation for the support provided to the Confucius Institute at Makerere, the care shown to his colleagues, and looked forward to the successful start of the Chemical Engineering collaboration.
Assuring the delegation of Makerere’s readiness for the collaboration, Ms. Hawa Ndagire Kajumba the Lead, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, Makerere University Advancement Office, aligned with the Vice Chancellor’s emphasis of University goal to have both theory and practice imparted to the students.
She said “the curriculum of the university and Uganda as a whole is moving towards competence-based education training to ensure students are equipped to demonstrate those skills in the actual field, particularly regarding petroleum exploration.”
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (L) presents an assortment of Makerere Souvenirs to Prof. Zhuoqiong Xia (R).
Ms. Ndagire Kajumba also emphasised a shift in strategy for the partnership office, saying, “we are moving away from just signing MOUs that collect dust, and moving towards those that are more collaborative to benefit our faculty and students, just like this one.”
Professor Gilbert Kumushabe aligned his remarks with those of the Vice Chancellor and Ms. Ndagire Kajumba, and described the method used at Xiangtan University as “actually competence-based teaching.”
Based on his recent visit, Prof. Gumoshabe shared that students in China are divided into groups with dedicated teachers to perform practical, hands-on work beyond the theoretical lecturers. He expressed gladness that the same was being adopted for the Ugandan context.
Both institutions are now working to finalise the specific agreements for the joint degree and exchange programs. Beyond academic training, the collaboration will advance cultural and professional exchange.
Makerere University School of Public Health invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for three positions under the Wellcome Trust-supported NETOMA study, which examines the coexistence of health worker shortages and unemployment among qualified health professionals in Africa.
Available Positions
Research Officer To coordinate longitudinal research, data management, quality assurance, and statistical analysis across study sites. Full details and application: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/careers/?view_job=21465
Policy Scientist To undertake health workforce policy research, evidence synthesis, qualitative analysis and knowledge translation. Full details and application: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/careers/?view_job=21468
Research Assistants To support participant recruitment, field data collection, research documentation, and analysis. Full details and application: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/careers/?view_job=21470
Application deadline: Friday, 16 October 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EAT .