Computing & IS

Winsenga wins $50,000 Microsoft Imagine Cup Grant

Published

11 years ago

December 5, 2012

Mak Editor

Standing L-R: The Winning trio of Aaron Tushabe, Josiah Kavuma and Joshua Okello (Team Cipher256) with their mentors Seated L-R: Dr. Davis Musinguzi and Joseph Kaizzi.

For three youngsters, designing an application named WinSenga that performs ultrasounds on pregnant women and detect problems such as ectopic pregnancies or abnormal fetal heart beats has earned them great local and international recognition. The trio of Aaron Tushabe, Joshua Okello and Josiah Kavuma (Team Cipher256) have won the Microsoft Imagine Cup Grant of $50,000 (about sh125m). According to Microsoft, this grant will help the students transform their projects into social enterprises or nonprofits that will address a specific social issue.

Imagine Cup and the grants are part of Microsoft’s YouthSpark program, which is the company’s commitment to reach 300 million youths in the next three years through technology, training, and experiences that empower them to imagine and realize their full potential. Among the applicants for this grant, 13 teams were initially selected as finalists having received the highest marks based on a combination of criteria: impact & viability, team quality & motivation, solution design & motivation and problem definition.

The trio (all students at the College of Computing and Information Sciences) were mentored by Joseph Kaizzi, Davis Musinguzi and supported by the Microsoft Innovation Centre-Uganda. They received the award during the Social Innovation Summit held on December 4th in Silicon Valley, USA. Apart from the cash prize, they will also receive software, cloud computing services, solution provider support, premium Microsoft BizSpark account benefits and access to local resources such as Microsoft Innovation Centers. Microsoft will also connect grant recipients with its network of investors, NGO partners and business partners and will work with the grant recipients to tailor individual support as needed depending on the progress each team has made so far with its project.

“We are grateful to Microsoft for giving these youth an opportunity to innovate and help the mothers around the world. This grant shows that the youth have the power to change our lives and we shall continue to partner with organizations that are willing to explore their potential,” said Maria Muzaaki, the College communication officer.

WinSenga Pitches at DEMO Africa 2012 in Nairobi: Josiah Kavuma (Centre) with part of the Microsoft Team @ Demo Africa 2012 in Nairobi — Vincent Delle-Microsoft EA (Left) and Amintas-Microsoft Imagine Cup (Right).

During this year’s Imagine Cup final held in Australia, only two teams from Africa made it to the top 20 competitors. Team Cipher256 became the first team from East and Southern Africa (excluding South Africa) to make it to the second round at the Worldwide Finals becoming the only Sub-Saharan African team to make it to that round in the history of the Imagine Cup. In the end, WinSenga was ranked in the top 10 overall.

Basing on their innovativeness and will to help solve one of the world’s biggest problems (maternal health), the team was selected to showcase their innovation at the ITU Telecom World 2012 in Dubai, courtesy of Uganda Communication Commission (UCC). The event was held in Dubai from October 14-18th, 2012. It brought together major stakeholders in the world’s ICT sector to connect and exchange knowledge, showcase technology, talent and investment opportunities.

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Computing & IS

Free Course: Introduction to Data Science

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1 week ago

April 17, 2024

Mak Editor

Dr. Nakibuule Rose from CoCIS (Right) talks to the delegates about the E-health system-Mobile data collector during their tour of Mak-RIF projects. Visit by 27th CSPOC Delegates to Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa on 5th January 2024.

Makerere University in partnership with the Cisco Networking Academy is offering this free course on a self-paced/independent study basis for the period Apr 15, 2024 – Apr 26, 2024.

Learnathon2024_#GICT_Introduction to Data Science: This introductory course takes you inside the world of data science. You will learn the basics of data science, data analytics, and data engineering to understand how machine learning is shaping the future of business, healthcare, education, and more. Data science professionals who can provide actionable insights for data-driven decisions are in high demand all over the world.

https://skillsforall.com/course/introduction-data-science?courseLang=en-US&instance_id=124a7432-4564-4605-aa62-b7ad5721807c

Computing & IS

Cisco NetAcad Olympics 2024

Published

2 months ago

March 4, 2024

Mak Editor

Block A of the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS), Makerere University, with foliage in the foreground, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The Centre for Innovations & Professional Skills Development, College of Computing & IS at Makerere University is announcing the Middle East & Africa NetAcad Olympics 2024 FREE Training Clinic. The opportunity is here to raise the next generation of Network Professionals. All youth are invited to be part of this competition and experience a change in their lives. Participants will be exposed to either Network foundations CCNA 1 (Introduction to Networks), Cybersecurity Ops (How you can protect networks and yourself online today), and/or Network Security (protect and secure of the underlying networking infrastructure).

Dates: 1^st – 31^st March 2024

Opportunity begins here.

Cisco NetAcad is offering the following trainings :

Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA) 1
Network Security
CyberOps (Cyber Security) Associate

REGISTER using the link below:
https://forms.gle/SVTZBhHJz75t7ZUbA

ADDITIONAL info. available via WhatsApp link below:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/EijTAyNcUZs5HbwITLTT7W

Cisco-Netacad-Olypmpics-2024 Download

Computing & IS

CoCIS CIPSD Call For Applications: March, May, July & September 2024 Short Courses Intakes

Published

3 months ago

February 7, 2024

Mark Wamai

The Principal CoCIS, Prof. Tonny Oyana (Right) joined by the Head CIPSD-Ms. Barbara Nalubega (Left) presents a certificate to one of the over 300 graduands who pursued education under the auspices of the Makerere-Amity and e-VBAB Project during the award ceremony held on 14th April 2023 at CoCIS, Makerere University.

Makerere University College of Computing & Information Sciences ‘Centre for Innovations and Professional Skills Development (CIPSD) is a highly regarded unit in Makerere University and plays a significant role in providing individuals with practical computer knowledge and skills to support a 21st century knowledge-based economy. The centre strategically offers training that is responsive to the needs of the society which is achieved through tailoring courses towards what the industry demands. The Centre has been at the forefront to assist government and other organizations to build human capacity with various ICT skills. The Centre has the capacity to enroll 5,000 students per annum because it has large-sized computer laboratories with a 500-seater capacity.

CIPSD’s mission is two-fold:1) to offer ICT professional skills development and incubation of new ideas, as well as, nurture new technology-based businesses; and 2) to augment theoretical computing knowledge among individuals and ground them with relevant professional ICT skills for industries.

Courses Offered

Certificate in Computer Applications (CCA) @ UGX 200,000 for 5 weeks
This is an introductory course that teaches one how to use a computer and the basic applications used in an office, business, or computing environment.
New intake commenced on 5^th Feb 2024. Time: 9:00am to 11:00 am daily for 5 weeks
Cisco Certified Networking Associate CCNA) @ UGX 700,000 for 6 months
Designed for people who have no previous computer networking experience, schoolleavers, graduates and mature entrants retraining for a second career. The course provides knowledge and skills related to network fundamentals, LAN switching technologies etc.
PC Repair & Software Maintenance@ UGX 700,000 for 8 weeks
This course provides an excellent introduction to IT and an interactive exposure to personal computers, hardware& operating systems as well as advanced concepts
Cisco Certified Networking Professional (CCNP) @ UGX 1,000,000 for 6 months
The current CCNP curriculum is divided into two skill sets :
Advanced routing & Core networking
This course is the advanced level required of Network Engineers
Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate /Microsoft Azure (Fundamentals and Administration) @ UGX 700,000 for 2 months per module
This course is for professionals who examine and investigate company needs and then plan, design, install, configure, maintain, and troubleshoot Microsoft Windows Server solutions, SQL Database server systems etc. (Consists of 5 modules)
ORACLE Database 19C @ UGX 800,000 for 3 months
Administration Workshop Course Overview
In this oracle certification you will learn about Oracle database administrator practical experience in administering, monitoring, tuning and troubleshooting an Oracle database.
Through a blend of hands-on labs and interactive lectures you will learn how to create database storage structures appropriate for the business applications supported by your database.
Certificate in Graphics & Image Editing @ UGX 600,000 for 2 months
Learn the design software programs that every pro needs to know: Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Discover techniques for creating digital images, illustrations, and layouts, addressing fundamental concepts in color, typography, and composition.
Dynamic Website Development @ UGX 600,000 for 2 months
Get the skills and hands-on practice you need to succeed in the complex and challenging world of web development.
Cyber Security Ops Associate @ UGX 700,000 for 2 months
Students learn about the protection of computer systems and networks from the theft of or damage to their hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide.
Certificate in Video Editing & Motion Graphics @ UGX 500,000 for 2 months
In this certificate you will learn how to edit and tell a story using Adobe Premiere Pro, use After Effects to create motion graphics and titles and use Adobe’s Dynamic Linking to make the most efficient workflow possible.
IC3 Digital literacy/ICDL @ UGX 1,400,000 UGX for 2 months
(Internet Core Competency Certification) Digital Literacy certification is a global benchmark for basic computer literacy, operating systems, hardware, software, and networks.
Ethical Hacking @ UGX 700,000 for 6 weeks
Many depend on ethical hackers to identify weaknesses in their networks, endpoints, devices, or applications. The hacker informs their client as to when they will be attacking the system, as well as the scope of the attack. An ethical hacker operates within the confines of their agreement with their client.
Who is best suited for a career in Ethical Hacking? Ethical hackers are generally experts in programming, cybersecurity, security analysis, and networking infrastructure. Ethical hackers tend to be out-of-the-box thinkers
Artificial Intelligence (Machine Learning & Deep learning) with PYTHON@ UGX 700,000 for 6 weeks
This is a hands-on coding course that focuses on Labs and projects& It entails:
- Implementing a linear regression model using Python and NumPy.
- Building a decision tree classifier for a given dataset using scikit-learn.
- Developing a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to classify images using TensorFlow or Keras.
- Training a Recurrent Neural Network (RNN) on a given text dataset to generate new text.
- Implementing a reinforcement learning algorithm to train an agent to play a game. Etc
Programming/Coding in PYTHON @ UGX 600,000 for 2 months
This course will provide an introduction to programming using Python for highly motivated students with little or no prior experience in programming automated devices. The course will focus on planning and organizing programs, as well as the grammar of the Python programming language
Data Analysis & Visualization Using PYTHON @ UGX 700,000 for 4 Weeks
Python is a great language for doing data analysis, primarily because of the fantastic ecosystem of data-centric Python packages. Pandas is one of those packages, and makes importing and analyzing data much easier.
The course delves into: Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA)
3D Computer Animation
3D Computer Animation is a practice-led course that explores both the theory and practice of digital 3D animation in film, television, games and interactive applications.
For the Beginners’ Stage UGX 500,000, For the Intermediate Stage UGX 650,000 & For The Advanced Stage UGX 650,000 (7 Months Total Duration & 1 Month Of Internship At Crossroads Multimedia Ltd)
Computer Skills Bootcamps and Master Classes.
We also organise special bootcamps and master classes in January, March, June, August, October, and December. These hands-on practial sessions are meant to help participants brush up their Computer skills.