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First Makerere Workshop on Social Systems & Computation

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15 years ago

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Summary Top researchers from Northwestern University (Chicago), University of British Columbia (Vancouver) and Makerere (Kampala) are teaming up to offer a workshop on cutting-edge methods for computational modeling of social systems, algorithm design, and machine learning. The sessions will take place between December 3rd and 10th, and there is no cost for attendance; however, registration is mandatory.

Summary Top researchers from Northwestern University (Chicago), University of British Columbia (Vancouver) and Makerere (Kampala) are teaming up to offer a workshop on cutting-edge methods for computational modeling of social systems, algorithm design, and machine learning. The sessions will take place between December 3rd and 10th, and there is no cost for attendance; however, registration is mandatory.

Attendance is limited to academic staff working at a Ugandan university; students doing research in related areas may also be given special permission to attend if space permits. Participants will have the opportunity to publish papers in official, reviewed workshop proceedings at a later date. A certificate of completion will be provided to participants who attend at least two thirds of workshop sessions.

Overview Traditionally, computer science has viewed data as coming from either an adversarial source or from nature itself, giving rise to worst-case and average-case design and analysis of optimization algorithms. In recent years with the advent of modern technologies like the Internet, it has become increasingly apparent that neither of these assumptions reflects reality. Data is neither adversarial nor average, but rather inputs to algorithms are constructed by a diverse set of self-interested agents in an economy, all aiming to maximize their own happiness. Thus the raw data is often not available to an algorithm designer, but must be solicited from the agents–that is, the designer faces an economic constraint. The primary goal of this workshop is to explore the implications of this observation. We will study the performance of algorithms in the presence of utility-maximizing agents and ask whether alternate designs might create incentives for agents to act more optimally. Simultaneously, we will look at other more traditional optimization problems such as approximation and learning and techniques to solve them, pointing out that these may often be leveraged to solve issues in the economic setting.

Related Research Areas Computer Science Theory; Artificial Intelligence; Economics; Business

Format The workshop will consist of six 3-hour lectures, plus meal/breakout sessions for informal research discussion. Spaces are strictly limited, and attendees must pre-register. We will aim to select topics and session times that are best for our participants. To register, and to indicate your preferences for topics and dates, please complete the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WWGMKZG.

List of Candidate Topics The workshop will consist of up to six of the following twelve topics.

Introduction to Game Theory
Game theory is the mathematical study of interaction among independent, self-interested agents. It has been applied to disciplines as diverse as economics, political science, biology, psychology, linguistics—and computer science. This tutorial will introduce what has become the dominant branch of game theory, called noncooperative game theory, and will specifically describe normal-form games, a canonical representation in this discipline. The tutorial will be motivated by the question: "In a strategic interaction, what joint outcomes make sense?"

Voting Theory
Voting (or "Social Choice") theory adopts a“designer perspective” to multiagent systems, asking what rules should be put in place by the authority (the “designer”) orchestrating a set of agents. Specifically, how should a central authority pool the preferences of different agents so as to best reflect the wishes of the population as a whole? (Contrast this with Game Theory, whichadopts what might be called the “agent perspective”: its focus is on making statements about how agents should or would act in a given situation.) This tutorial will describe famous voting rules, show problems with them, and explain Arrow's famous impossibility result.

Mechanism Design and Auctions
Social choice theory is nonstrategic: it takes the preferences of agents as given, and investigates ways in which they can be aggregated. But of course those preferences are usually not known. Instead, agents must be asked to declare them, which they may do dishonestly. Since as a designer you wish to find an optimal outcome with respect to the agents’ true preferences (e.g., electing a leader that truly reflects the agents’ preferences), optimizing with respect to the declared preferences will not in general achieve the objective. This tutorial will introduce Mechanism Design, the study of identifying socially desirable protocols for making decisions in such settings. It will describe the core principles behind this theory, and explain the famous "Vickrey-Clarke-Groves" mechanism, an ingenious technique for selecting globally-utility-maximizing outcomes even among selfish agents. It will also describe Auction Theory, the most famous application of mechanism design. Auctions are mechanisms that decide who should receive a scarce resource, and that impose payments upon some or all participants, based on agents' "bids".

Constraint Satisfaction Problem Solving
This hands-on tutorial will teach participants about solving Constraint Satisfaction Problems using search and constraint propagation techniques. This is a representation language from artificial intelligence, used to describe problems in scheduling, circuit verification, DNA structure prediction, vehicle routing, and many other practical problems. The tutorial will consider the problem of solving Sudoku puzzles as a running example. By the end of the session, participants will have written software (in Python) capable of solving any Sudoku puzzle in less than a second.

Bayesian methods and Probabilisitic Inference
Bayesian methods are commonly used for recognising patterns and making predictions in the fields of medicine, economics, finance and engineering, powering all manner of applications from fingerprint recognition to spam filters to robotic self-driving cars. This session will show how principles of probability can be used when making inferences from large datasets, covering issues such as prior knowledge and hyperpriors, the construction of "belief networks", and nonparametric methods such as Gaussian processes. Several applications will be demonstrated.

Computer Vision

It is useful to be able to automatically answer questions about an image, such as "is this the face of person X?", "how many cars are there on this street?" or "is there anything unusual about this x-ray?". This session will look at some of the current state of the art in computer vision techniques, including methods for representing the information in an image (feature extraction), and to recognise objects in an image given such a representation. We will particularly spend some time looking at approaches which have been found to work well empirically on object recognition, such as generalised Hough transforms, boosted cascades of Haar wavelet classifiers, and visual bag-of-words methods. Locally relevant applications in crop disease diagnosis, parasite detection in blood samples and traffic monitoring will be demonstrated as illustrating examples.

Learning Causal Structure from Data
Until a few decades ago, it was thought to be impossible to learn causes and effects from purely observational data without doing experiments. Sometimes, however, it is impossible to do experiments (e.g. in some branches of genetics), or experiments may be costly or unethical (e.g. situations in climate change or medicine), so the emergence of computational methods for distinguishing causes, effects and confounding variables is likely to have wide implications. Some principles are now understood for learning the causal structure between different variables, and this session will explain the most successful current approaches, their possibilities and their limitations.

Internet Search and Monetization
The internet is one of the most fundamental and important applications of computer science. Central to its existence are search engines which enable us to find content on the web. This module focuses on the algorithms like PageRank that these search engines use to help us find webpages. It also studies how these engines make money through advertising.

Social Networks
Social networks describe the structure of interpersonal relationships and have many alarmingly predictable properties. While most people have just a few friends, most social networks have at least a few very popular people. Furthermore, most people are closely linked to every other person so that a message (or an idea or a disease) can spread rapidly throughout the network. Finally, social networks tend to be fairly clustered — i.e., if two people share a common friend it is quite likely that they are also friends. This module will discuss the typical structures of social networks, models that explain these structures, and the impact of these structures on activities in the social network such as message routing or the adoption of new technologies.

Two-Sided Matching Markets
Many markets involve two “sides'' that wish to be matched to one another. For example, a marriage market matches women to men; a job market matches workers to employers. In such settings, people on each side have strict preferences over the options on the other side of the market. Hence, a woman Julie may like David best, John second best, and Christopher third. David on the other hand may prefer Mary to Julie. In such settings, what matches might we expect to form? Can these matches be computed by a centralized algorithm, a match-maker for example, and what are the corresponding incentives of the participants? These questions are of fundamental importance as such centralized algorithms are in use in many important markets. In many countries, medical students are matched to hospitals using such algorithms, or school children to schools.

Approximation Algorithms
In the field of algorithms, many tasks turn out to be computationally difficult. That is, the time to complete the task is fundamentally large compared to the size of the problem. For example, consider the problem of finding the optimal way to visit 10 cities, visiting each exactly once. To minimize travel time, one could test all possible travel schedules, but for 10 cities there are already 3.5M of them! Unfortunately, there is not a significantly quicker way to find the optimal solution. However, one can find an approximately optimal solution quickly. That is, with just a few things to check, one can design a schedule that takes at most 50% more time than the optimal one. In this module we showcase a few general techniques for computing approximate solutions to hard problems, including the use of randomization and linear programming.

Graph Theory
A graph is a combinatorial object consisting of nodes and edges, and is a extremely valuable abstraction of many practical problems. For example, nodes might represent jobs and edges might connect pairs of jobs that can not be performed simultaneously. Alternatively, nodes might represent electronic components on a circuit board and edges the wiring that connects them. Many questions that arise in such domains can be cast as an optimization question in the corresponding graph. The number of workers required to complete all jobs in fixed time frame in the first example is at its heart a graph coloring problem. Asking whether one can lay out the circuit board so no two wires cross becomes the problem of determining which graphs have planar representations. This course defines graphs, shows how to solve a few fundamental graph problems, and applies them to practical settings.

Speaker Bios

Nicole Immorlica  is an assistant professor in the Economics Group of Northwestern University's EECS department in Chicago, IL, USA. She joined Northwestern in Fall 2008 after postdoctoral positions at Microsoft Research in Seattle, Washington, USA and Centruum voor Wiskunde en Informatica (CWI) in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. She received her Ph.D. from MIT in Boston, MA, USA, in 2005 under the joint supervision of Erik Demaine and David Karger. Her main research area is algorithmic game theory where she investigates economic and social implications of modern technologies including social networks, advertising auctions, and online auction design.

Kevin Leyton-Brown is an associate professor in computer science at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. He received a B.Sc. from McMaster University (1998), and an M.Sc. and PhD from Stanford University (2001; 2003). Much of his work is at the intersection of computer science and microeconomics, addressing computational problems in economic contexts and incentive issues in multiagent systems. He also studies the application of machine learning to the automated design and analysis of algorithms for solving hard computational problems.

John Quinn is a Senior Lecturer in Computer Science at Makerere University. He received a BA in Computer Science from the University of Cambridge (2000) and a PhD from the University of Edinburgh (2007). He coordinates the Machine Learning Group at Makerere, and his research interests are in pattern recognition and computer vision particularly applied to developing world problems.

Denis Wamala

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From Mastercard Foundation Scholar to Changemaker: Dr. Ekwaro Ronald’s Vision for Eye Health in Uganda

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11 hours ago

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December 1, 2025

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Dr. Ekwaro attending a capacity building workshop to enhance his skills at Mengo Hospital. Impact Stories: Dr Ekwaro Ronald, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumnus, Optometrist, committed to enhancing eye health in Uganda. He plans to establish the country's first Myopia Control Centre, dedicated to safeguarding the eye health of young people in Uganda and neighbouring nations, November 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, November 2025, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Dr Ekwaro Ronald, a Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Alumni at Makerere University, is committed to enhancing eye health in Uganda. He plans to establish the country’s first Myopia Control Centre, dedicated to safeguarding the eye health of young people in Uganda and neighbouring nations. This goal is within reach, given his experience and commitment. At present, he is gaining valuable experience in the Optometry Department at Mengo Hospital, one of Uganda’s largest private hospitals. His dedication and efforts were recognised last year when he received the hospital’s best optometrist award.

His Early Life

Ronald was born on May 5, 1997, in the Oyam District of Northern Uganda. He is the youngest of eight siblings, comprising six boys and two girls. Tragically, Ronald’s father, a primary school teacher, passed away just two months after his birth. This loss placed Ronald and his seven siblings under the care of their mother, a single parent and smallholder farmer, who became the sole provider for the family.

Early Education

Ronald took a unique path in his education, starting school at the age of seven at Alutkot Primary School in his neighbourhood. With his elder brother’s encouragement and support, he completed Primary Five. He then moved on to Masindi Army Day Primary School for Primary Six, where he was supported and lived with his other elder brother, who served in the army at the time. For Primary Seven, Ronald returned to his village home and completed his primary leaving examinations at Loro Primary School. Despite the challenge of walking approximately 2 kilometres to attend school, he demonstrated determination and resilience in his pursuit of education.

Dr. Ekwaro during his free time, it is all not work without play for him. Impact Stories: Dr Ekwaro Ronald, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumnus, Optometrist, committed to enhancing eye health in Uganda. He plans to establish the country's first Myopia Control Centre, dedicated to safeguarding the eye health of young people in Uganda and neighbouring nations, November 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, November 2025, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Ekwaro during his free time, it is all not work without play for him.

Secondary Education

Despite the challenges he faced and the frequent changes of educational institutions, he completed Primary Seven with a first-grade distinction. One of his elder brothers, a primary school teacher, provided financial support for his continued education. Consequently, Ronald was enrolled as a boarding student at Blessed Comboni Secondary School in Kiryandongo District. However, due to financial constraints stemming from his brother’s limited income, he transferred to Masindi Army Secondary School in his second year. This transition occurred under the Universal Secondary Education (USE) programme, an initiative of the Ugandan government that offers free secondary education to young individuals from communities facing social and economic barriers.

While attending Blessed Comboni Secondary school, he lived with his elder brother in a military barracks, which exposed him to military life from an early age. This experience of living in an army environment significantly shaped his fearless and resilient character, enabling him to navigate the challenges of growing up without a father.

In 2014, he performed excellently in his Form Four final examinations, earning a first-grade qualification. Afterwards, he received support for his A-Level studies through BRAC-Uganda in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. He then joined Seeta High School Green Campus in Mukono, where he studied Physics, Chemistry, and Biology (PCB).

Joining Makerere University

In 2017, after excelling in his final A-Level exams, he once again became a Mastercard Foundation Scholar at Makerere University through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Optometry, a four-year eye healthcare programme at the College of Health Sciences.

Dr. Ekwaro during his student days at College of Health Sciences at Makerere University. Impact Stories: Dr Ekwaro Ronald, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumnus, Optometrist, committed to enhancing eye health in Uganda. He plans to establish the country's first Myopia Control Centre, dedicated to safeguarding the eye health of young people in Uganda and neighbouring nations, November 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, November 2025, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Ekwaro during his student days at College of Health Sciences at Makerere University.

“I chose Optometry because of my passion for optics and physics. At Seeta High School Green Campus, I was the only student to score an A in Physics in the 2016 Form Six final examinations. I wanted to combine my knowledge of Physics and Biology to help improve people’s vision,” Ronald explains.

While pursuing his studies at Makerere University, Ronald’s life transformed for the better, largely due to the robust support from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program. The support provided him with the opportunity to support his family while continuing his education. Notably, he utilised a portion of his monthly stipend to help his elder sister with her tuition for her final semester of nursing school, exemplifying the impact of his journey on his life and his family’s lives.

Ronald took proactive steps to kickstart his career as an Optometrist even before graduating. While studying at the University, he sought out various learning experiences and volunteer opportunities in eye care facilities to enhance his practical skills. His volunteer work at Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital and Lapaire significantly enriched his curriculum vitae and provided invaluable hands-on experience in the field.

“I did not wait for graduation to pursue my career aspirations as an optometrist. From the beginning of my academic programme, I actively sought opportunities and volunteered at Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospital and Lapaire. These experiences greatly enriched my curriculum vitae. I encourage fellow students at the university to begin exploring opportunities while still enrolled, as gaining relevant experience is vital for meeting the expectations of prospective employers upon graduation.” Ronald advises.

Life After Makerere University

Upon graduating from Makerere University in 2022, Ronald navigated the job market with remarkable ease, thanks to the strategic internships and volunteer positions he pursued during his studies. His proactive networking efforts paid off when he received an invitation to apply for a position at Mengo Hospital. Just two days before graduation, he was among three candidates shortlisted for interviews. This allowed him to celebrate his graduation with a sense of accomplishment, knowing he had already secured a job. He began his new role at the hospital shortly after graduation, marking the start of an exciting new chapter in his career.

Dr. Ekwaro during his graduation at Makerere University in January 2022. Impact Stories: Dr Ekwaro Ronald, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumnus, Optometrist, committed to enhancing eye health in Uganda. He plans to establish the country's first Myopia Control Centre, dedicated to safeguarding the eye health of young people in Uganda and neighbouring nations, November 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, November 2025, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Ekwaro during his graduation at Makerere University in January 2022.

His Professional Life as an Optometrist at Mengo Hospital

Over the past three years at Mengo Hospital, Ronald has demonstrated professionalism, a sentiment echoed by his colleagues. His unwavering commitment to prioritising patients’ interests has not only earned him the 2024 Best Optometrist award at the Eye Department but also emphasised the positive impact of his work. Beyond his clinical duties, Ronald has developed a strong research interest. He is currently in the advanced stages of securing a grant from the World Council of Optometrists to study the progression of myopia (commonly known as short-sightedness) in children. He is optimistic that the findings will significantly aid advocacy efforts for myopia intervention strategies, ultimately helping to ease the challenges this condition poses for children in Uganda.

Dr. Ekwaro examining one of his patients at Mengo Hospital. Impact Stories: Dr Ekwaro Ronald, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumnus, Optometrist, committed to enhancing eye health in Uganda. He plans to establish the country's first Myopia Control Centre, dedicated to safeguarding the eye health of young people in Uganda and neighbouring nations, November 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, November 2025, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Ekwaro examining one of his patients at Mengo Hospital.

His Impact on the Community

With his siblings’ support, he successfully built a house for his mother in Oyam district, demonstrating his commitment to his family. He is also contributing to the tuition expenses of one of his nephews currently attending university, emphasising his dedication to education and the next generation. In 2024, he took part in a Mengo Hospital outreach team that screened and provided post-surgical care for over 100 patients who received free cataract surgeries, made possible by the generous support of Christian Blind Mission. The surgeries were performed at PAG Mission Hospital in Lira. Through his efforts, he mobilised numerous community members to take advantage of this initiative, leading to many people having their sight restored and enhancing the overall well-being of his community.

Dr. Ekwaro examining a patient at Mengo Hospital's eye Department. Impact Stories: Dr Ekwaro Ronald, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumnus, Optometrist, committed to enhancing eye health in Uganda. He plans to establish the country's first Myopia Control Centre, dedicated to safeguarding the eye health of young people in Uganda and neighbouring nations, November 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, November 2025, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Ekwaro examining a patient at Mengo Hospital’s eye Department.

Looking into the Future

Ronald is on a mission to establish the first Myopia Control Centre in Uganda, aiming to make a significant impact on children’s eye health in the region. Currently, he is pursuing a Pediatric Optometry Fellowship at the Indian Academy of Optometry, where he is gaining valuable knowledge and expertise in myopia control. This training will empower him to lead a specialised centre dedicated to reducing the progression of myopia among children in Uganda. The centre will implement evidence-based interventions, including orthokeratology lenses and low-dose atropine eye drops, to effectively manage myopia.

Additionally, it will serve as a vital resource for identifying and addressing other childhood eye disorders that can hinder academic performance, such as squints, amblyopia (lazy eye), heterophorias, accommodative disorders, and convergence insufficiency. Through these efforts, Ronald envisions a brighter future for children’s vision and learning in Uganda.

Dr. Ekwaro at his currrent station, Mengo Hospital. Impact Stories: Dr Ekwaro Ronald, Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumnus, Optometrist, committed to enhancing eye health in Uganda. He plans to establish the country's first Myopia Control Centre, dedicated to safeguarding the eye health of young people in Uganda and neighbouring nations, November 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, November 2025, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Dr. Ekwaro at his currrent station, Mengo Hospital.

Message to Fellow Young People

Ronald encourages other young people to establish clear developmental goals and set specific timeframes for each one. He emphasises the importance of discipline and focus, urging them to stay committed and continuously strive for progress.

Words of Gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University

“I would like to express my profound gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University and the entire Mastercard Foundation team for their pivotal role in transforming my life and providing opportunities that were previously unimaginable. Your support not only facilitated my education but also reinstated my hope, dignity, and sense of purpose in my journey. As someone who faced barriers to opportunity, the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has served as a significant turning point, shaping my future and empowering me to become the individual I am today.” Ronald remarks.

Ronald emphasises that through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, he gained access to quality education, mentorship, leadership training, and a community that believes in the power of young people to change the world. The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program enabled him to devote himself fully to his studies and to support his family during critical moments, demonstrating both academic focus and a strong sense of responsibility.

“I am especially grateful for the values the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program instilled in us: service, humility, leadership, and the responsibility to uplift our communities. These values continue to guide my professional journey and my commitment to improving eye health in Uganda.” Ronald pointed out.

The writer is the Principal Communication & Public Relations Officer for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University

Bernard Buteera

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Makerere University Hosts Ambassador Judyth Nsababera for Strategic Dialogue Advancing Uganda–China Engagement

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5 days ago

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November 26, 2025

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Members of Top Management and Amb. Judyth Nsababera pose for a group photo at the Main Building Staircase on 26th November 2025. Makerere University, in a Top Management meeting chaired by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Acting Vice Chancellor, hosted an important engagement with Uganda’s Consul General to China, Amb. Judyth Nsababera, 26th November 2025, Main Building, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University, in a Top Management meeting chaired by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Acting Vice Chancellor, hosted an important engagement with Uganda’s Consul General to China, Amb. Judyth Nsababera. The meeting brought together university leaders, innovators, students, and heads of departments and Units. Discussions centred on innovation, commercialisation, branding, and international collaboration, particularly with China, while also showcasing Makerere’s growing role as a national and continental engine for research, entrepreneurship, and transformative ideas.

This dialogue came at a symbolic moment as Makerere recently concluded its centenary celebrations, positioning the institution not just as a historical leader in higher education but as a forward-looking university ready to shape Africa’s place in global knowledge, trade, and innovation ecosystems.

Showcasing Innovation and Student Enterprise

The engagement highlighted the work of the University Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which champions student-led innovations, particularly from the Makerere Coffee Club. The Coffee Club, a student-led innovation focused on value addition to coffee, served their products during the top management meeting, demonstrating how academic training is being translated into real, market-ready solutions.

Students from the Makerere coffee club during the meeting. Makerere University, in a Top Management meeting chaired by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Acting Vice Chancellor, hosted an important engagement with Uganda’s Consul General to China, Amb. Judyth Nsababera, 26th November 2025, Main Building, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Students from the Makerere coffee club during the meeting.

Prof. Sarah Ssali emphasized the importance of ensuring that innovation does not remain confined to laboratories or “junk” backrooms, but progresses into structured systems that support commercialization, intellectual property (IP) protection, and market penetration.

The presence of officers from the University Intellectual Property Office reinforced the need for stronger collaboration to safeguard student innovations and maximize their economic potential.

The university’s investment in barista training and coffee branding was cited as a model of practical, inclusive innovation, with training open not only to students but also to wider communities. This was further strengthened by the role of the Uganda Coffee Development Authority (UCDA), which donated a professional coffee machine to support student training and practical exposure within the Makerere Coffee Club, reinforcing the importance of national institutions in strengthening the coffee value chain.

The meeting highlighted the establishment of a Coffee Museum at the University, led by the School of Food Science, Nutrition and Bioengineering. The Museum will be the first of its kind in Uganda.  Amb. Judyth Nsababero highlighted the fact that it would serve as an intellectual, cultural, and societal tool for preserving and elevating Uganda’s coffee heritage on the world stage. Beyond preservation, the museum was framed as a strategic branding platform that would connect Uganda’s coffee narrative to global audiences and align it with China’s fast-growing coffee consumption culture, positioning it as both a knowledge centre and a symbol of national identity.

Education, Language, and Capacity Building

The strategic engagement also underscored the need to strengthen the Chinese language teaching capacity at Makerere University.

Strong emphasis was placed on Chinese language acquisition as a tool for trade, diplomacy, and innovation. Prof. Mugaga Muwanga stressed that while Uganda remains focused on local languages, there is an urgent need to empower lecturers to become Chinese-trained educationists who can cascade this knowledge across the education system. Strong emphasis was placed on Chinese language acquisition as a tool for trade, diplomacy, and innovation. Prof. Mugaga Muwanga, Principal, CEES, Makerere University, underscored this need, stating:

“The language Chinese is becoming key in world trade. As educationists, we are still focused on teaching Ugandan languages. We need to be empowered to train Chinese-trained educationists. This value chain has to start with capacity building of the lecturers, who will teach the future teachers to roll out the language across various levels of education.”

His remarks reinforced the urgency of investing in structured capacity building for lecturers as the foundation for sustainable introduction of Chinese language education across Uganda’s learning system.

Amb. Judyth Nsababera giving her remarks during the meeting. Makerere University, in a Top Management meeting chaired by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Acting Vice Chancellor, hosted an important engagement with Uganda’s Consul General to China, Amb. Judyth Nsababera, 26th November 2025, Main Building, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Amb. Judyth Nsababera giving her remarks during the meeting.

The Ambassador committed to supporting scholarships and training opportunities for staff and academicians, particularly at CEES, to build capacity in Chinese language and culture. This initiative will equip beneficiaries with the skills needed to teach Chinese and strengthen meaningful international engagement in key fields such as law, medicine, business, and technology.

Dr. Zahara Nampewo highlighted growing interest by Chinese students in studying law at Makerere University, opening opportunities for reciprocal exchange and joint legal training. The Ambassador also proposed training Ugandan lawyers to better understand the Chinese legal system to strengthen negotiation and international business competence.

Broader Strategic Partnerships

Ambassador Judyth Nsababera highlighted several strategic partnership opportunities aimed at strengthening Makerere University’s global engagement and innovation capacity. These include collaboration with UNDP, which is already supporting commercialisation, skilling, and capacity building, including benchmarking Ugandan enterprises with Chinese packaging companies to enhance product competitiveness and scale production.

She also referenced Yunnan University (China’s coffee province) as a critical academic partner, citing its pioneering coffee degree programme, integrated innovation model, and student-led branding system as a benchmark Makerere could learn from and engage with in developing its own coffee ecosystem and museum.

Additionally, the Ambassador pointed to Koti Coffee (China’s fastest-growing coffee chain) as a potential industry partner, noting its rapid expansion and influence in the global coffee market as an entry point for promoting Ugandan coffee and strengthening market linkages. She further encouraged exploration of collaboration with corporate entities such as Huawei, particularly in areas of student mobility, technological advancement, and academia-industry integration.

Together, these proposed partnerships represent strategic avenues for academic exchange, innovation transfer, market access, and international positioning, laying the groundwork for sustainable and mutually beneficial engagement between Makerere University and global institutions.

Strategic Engagement as a Pathway to Sustainable Partnerships

Prof. Sarah Ssali gifts Amb. Judyth a Makerere Souvenir. Makerere University, in a Top Management meeting chaired by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Acting Vice Chancellor, hosted an important engagement with Uganda’s Consul General to China, Amb. Judyth Nsababera, 26th November 2025, Main Building, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Sarah Ssali gifts Amb. Judyth a Makerere Souvenir.

The engagement between Makerere University and Ambassador Judyth Nsababera marked a defining moment in advancing strategic dialogue and relationship-building as a foundation for future Uganda–China academic and innovation cooperation. It reinforced the need for structured branding systems, scalable production, commercialisation pathways, language capacity building, and strong university-industry linkages.

As Makerere continues to evolve as a national engine of innovation, research, and thought leadership, this visit provided a clear roadmap for how the institution can assert its rightful place within China’s expanding academic, technological, and economic ecosystem, transforming Uganda’s heritage, creativity, and intellectual capital into global influence.

Caroline Kainomugisha is the Alumni and Partnerships Communications Officer, Advancement Office, Makerere University.

Caroline Kainomugisha
Caroline Kainomugisha

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Makerere Students share experiences, connections and inspiration at inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference in Turkey

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6 days ago

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November 25, 2025

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Some of the Makerere University students pose for a group photo during the inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference in Turkey. From Left to Right: Naomi Ayebale, Sandrah Naikambo, Kirabo Joel, Hope Nyamwiza (Sign Language Interpreter), Helena Nuwagaba, Harriet Tyobo Yake, Harunah Damba, and Michael Emong. Six students from Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa travelled to Turkey to join 69 peers from other prestigious universities for the inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference on Conscious Leadership and Global Solidarity organised by the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities, in collaboration with paNhari and Sabancı University, and supported by the Mastercard Foundation, 17th to 18th November 2025. 

On 16 November 2025, six students from Makerere University travelled to Turkey to join 69 peers from other prestigious universities for the inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference on Conscious Leadership and Global Solidarity. The two-day conference was organised by the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities, in collaboration with paNhari and Sabancı University, and supported by the Mastercard Foundation.

Students pose for a photo at Entebbe International Airport on their way to Istanbul, Turkey, to participate in the inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference. Left to Right: Tete Mupenge (a student from Ashesi University), Anthony Byansi, Harriet Tyobo Yake, Naomi Ayebale, Kirabo Joel, Harunah Damba, Sandrah Naikambo, Helena Nuwagaba, Michael Emong (Sign Language Interpreter), Hope Nyamwiza (Sign Language Interpreter), and Rinah Marion Namwase. Six students from Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa travelled to Turkey to join 69 peers from other prestigious universities for the inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference on Conscious Leadership and Global Solidarity organised by the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities, in collaboration with paNhari and Sabancı University, and supported by the Mastercard Foundation, 17th to 18th November 2025. 
Students pose for a photo at Entebbe International Airport on their way to Istanbul, Turkey, to participate in the inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference. Left to Right: Tete Mupenge (a student from Ashesi University), Anthony Byansi, Harriet Tyobo Yake, Naomi Ayebale, Kirabo Joel, Harunah Damba, Sandrah Naikambo, Helena Nuwagaba, Michael Emong (Sign Language Interpreter), Hope Nyamwiza (Sign Language Interpreter), and Rinah Marion Namwase.

During the Conference, held between 17 and 18 November, students participated in a variety of activities, including panel discussions, presentations, and the drafting of the For Youth, By Youth Movement Charter and the Talloires Declaration, the first of its kind to be drafted entirely by students. For many of the students, this experience was the beginning of their journey of global impact and a rare platform to openly share their experiences, ideas and aspirations.

Student reflections after the conference

Naomi Ayebale, a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology student at Makerere University, who took part in the panel discussion “Struggles for Justice and Peace in Our World,” shared: “Attending this event felt like stepping into a space where every voice truly mattered. It was a reminder that no single, beautifully crafted story can ever capture what all our stories hold when woven together. Everyone came with their own truth, their own lens, and their own hope, and somehow it all fit.

“Being part of this movement fills me with a sense of joy, not just because of the cause itself, but because I get to stand alongside people who are not only demanding change but actively working to build it,” she said. “It’s energizing, but it also comes with a deep sense of responsibility. For me, being part of the For Youth, By Youth movement isn’t about how long I’ve lived; it’s about the experiences I carry and the problems I’ve witnessed firsthand. Those experiences have taught me not only what needs to change, but also how meaningful that change can be.”

Naomi Ayebale, with a microphone in hand, sharing her reflections during the panel discussion “Struggles for Justice and Peace in Our World.” She shared a time when standing up for what was right felt uncomfortable or costly, and discussed ways young people can contribute meaningfully to the pursuit of justice and peace in their communities. Six students from Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa travelled to Turkey to join 69 peers from other prestigious universities for the inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference on Conscious Leadership and Global Solidarity organised by the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities, in collaboration with paNhari and Sabancı University, and supported by the Mastercard Foundation, 17th to 18th November 2025. 
Naomi Ayebale, with a microphone in hand, sharing her reflections during the panel discussion “Struggles for Justice and Peace in Our World.” She shared a time when standing up for what was right felt uncomfortable or costly, and discussed ways young people can contribute meaningfully to the pursuit of justice and peace in their communities.

Tyobo Harriet Yake, a final-year student at Makerere University pursuing a BSc in Biomedical Engineering and one of the inaugural cohort participants of the For Youth, By Youth movement, remarked: “For me, it was amazing and exciting to meet young people from different countries who share similar beliefs and ambitions,’ she said. “Conversations like these created a safe space where victims of injustice could share their stories openly. It inspired me to return to my community and continue doing whatever I can, however small, to make life better for those facing similar circumstances.

“I felt a strong sense of unity, and the words of the famous song ‘Different colors, one people’ truly came to life. I loved trying foods I couldn’t even pronounce but absolutely enjoyed. It was a full package of rich experiences in just a few days” she added.

“As I move forward, I’m reminded of John F. Kennedy’s quote ‘leadership and learning are inseparable.’ A leader learns through listening to the loud and silent voices of the community. It’s this conscious leadership that sparks transformation and fuels collective growth. This is the leadership I embrace in this journey” Harriet concluded.

Sandrah Naikambo, a third-year student pursuing a Bachelor of Information Systems and Technology, shared her reflections:

“From my experience at the conference and the movement in general, I learned that change isn’t just spoken about—it’s built. I witnessed young people who weren’t waiting for permission but using their own lived experiences to create real solutions. In that space, every voice mattered and every story had room to breathe. I walked away feeling seen, inspired, and connected with a purpose bigger than myself. This experience showed me that the youth are not the future, they are the present!”

Namwase Rinah Marion, a final year student at Makerere University pursuing a Bachelor of Social Work and Social Administration, and a former Guild Minister for Students with Disabilities in the 89th Guild remarked:

“It was exciting to meet young leaders from across the world who had ambitions towards change in their respective communities and universities,” she said. “The international conference did not only expose me to fellow determined leaders but also inspired me to push hard for success as I got to know there is nothing without us. We are the leaders of tomorrow, and the program entrusted us; so, we are the change makers of today and tomorrow. Young leaders for a better world.”

Left to Right: Rinah Marion Namwase, Harunah Damba, Harriet Tyobo Yake, Michael Emong, Hope Nyamwiza (Sign Language Interpreter), Tete Mupenge (a student from Ashesi University) and Kirabo Joel. Six students from Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa travelled to Turkey to join 69 peers from other prestigious universities for the inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference on Conscious Leadership and Global Solidarity organised by the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities, in collaboration with paNhari and Sabancı University, and supported by the Mastercard Foundation, 17th to 18th November 2025. 
Left to Right: Rinah Marion Namwase, Harunah Damba, Harriet Tyobo Yake, Michael Emong, Hope Nyamwiza (Sign Language Interpreter), Tete Mupenge (a student from Ashesi University) and Kirabo Joel.

The For Youth, By Youth movement was born from the vision of 36 Next Generation Leaders from 18 countries, including Makerere’s Harunah Damba and Patrovas Okidi, who, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, worked together to stitch the threads that would later give rise to the movement. They organized local community and campus events, engaging directly with young people, communities, and universities to identify the issues that mattered most to them.

In recognition of the university’s support and as a gesture to strengthen ties with university leadership, Harunah and Patrovas presented a plaque to Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, honouring Makerere University’s support for the Next Generation Leaders Program in December 2023.

Harunah Damba (Left) and Patrovas Okidi (Right) present a plaque to Professor Barnabas Nawangwe (Centre) in December 2023, in appreciation of Makerere University’s support for the Next Generation Leaders Program. Six students from Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa travelled to Turkey to join 69 peers from other prestigious universities for the inaugural For Youth, By Youth Conference on Conscious Leadership and Global Solidarity organised by the Talloires Network of Engaged Universities, in collaboration with paNhari and Sabancı University, and supported by the Mastercard Foundation, 17th to 18th November 2025. 
Harunah Damba (Left) and Patrovas Okidi (Right) present a plaque to Professor Barnabas Nawangwe (Centre) in December 2023, in appreciation of Makerere University’s support for the Next Generation Leaders Program.

Reflecting on their experience, Harunah, now a Makerere University alumnus, said: “It was such an honour for me to be part of the inaugural For Youth, By Youth conference. Seeing the fruits of our hard work finally come to life is something that sits very close to my heart. I can’t think of any work that would be more rewarding, more encouraging, or more inspiring than this.”

Patrovas, a Master of Science in Bioinformatics student at Makerere University, said: “The For Youth, By Youth movement is a testament of what young people can do when organised, from its birth to the very first international conference, it has been led by youth and for the youth who are guided by values of respect, humility, kindness, impact, solidarity, hope, levity, collaboration, and inclusivity. The conference echoed one clear message I would love to pass on to everyone out there, our movement is a values-based civic infrastructure of engaged universities and a nimble network of virtual spaces. To solve multiple intersecting crises, education must evolve into regenerative, living systems rooted in community. Universities should represent all members of society, and be able to speak truth to power, and to centre empathy as the heart of learning and belonging. Youth must be co-creators in solving global challenges, while universities steward safe spaces for critical discourse and shared learning.”

He added “Echoing the voice of Lorlene Hoyt and others: For Youth, By Youth… it’s not a program — it’s a movement. Look out 2045, we’re just getting started. – this is our sense of belonging.”

Mak Editor

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