General
CAES takes lead in NORHED Projects Launch
The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, CAES, took lead in launching its NORHED project at Makerere University in a highly interactive ceremony at the School of Food Technology, Nutrition and Bio-Engineering on Wednesday 15th January 2014.
The event was attended by representatives from the collaborating universities including the University of Juba, University of Addis Ababa and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. The project entitled, ‘Regional Capacity Building for Sustainable Natural Resource Management and Agricultural Productivity under Climate Change,’ competitively won a NORAD grant of approximately 8 billion shillings to implement an array of capacity development activities for period of five years.
The project was launched by the Minister of State for Higher Education, Hon. Dr. John C. Muyingo, who was represented by the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu. The Vice Chancellor was grateful for the support from the Norwegian Government, which he said will be put to proper use.
“Makerere based on her technical capacity and competencies will train academic staff at master’s level from partner institutions particularly for the University of Juba staff in desired fields. It will also lead in the training of academic staff at PhD level who will largely be registered at Makerere University but co-supervised through a modified sandwich model with Norwegian University of Life Sciences. Makerere will also coordinate sites for joint research for all the four partner institutions. We therefore look forward to conducting joint research with Masters, PhD and post-doctoral students from the four partnering institutions in the areas of climate change adaptation and mitigation; sustainable natural resource use and management; agricultural productivity and food security,” he emphasized.
The representative of the Vice Chancellor of Juba, Mr. Bojoi Moses Tomor pointed out that there is need to improve the completion rates of Masters students at Makerere University to lessen the current clogging, while the President of the Addis Ababa pledged to support the project to ensure that maximum benefits are realized. Also in attendance were the Ambassadors of Norway and Ethiopia as well as a representative of the Embassy of South Sudan. The Norwegian Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Thorbjørn Gaustadsæther emphasized that, “The overarching goal of the NORHED program is sustainable economic, social and environmental development in low and middle income countries.” He urged the NORHED funded projects to undertake research and innovations that that impact the communitie.
The Project Principal Investigator at CAES, Prof. Samuel Kyamanywa (Pictured Right), revealed that the funds had already been secured. “NORHED has sent us the first disbursement of funds and we are ready to start carrying out the project activities. Makerere University will lead other institutions on aspects of natural resource management, agriculture and climate change to deliver a range of outputs crucial to the development of Uganda, Ethiopia and South Sudan.”
The Principal of CAES, Prof. Bernard Bashaasha represented by the Deputy Principal, Dr. Goretti Nabanoga, emphasized that CAES will ensure that the project runs efficiently to deliver expected outcomes.
The inception meeting also had an interactive session, during which participants discussed key issues that might affect the smooth running of the programme including; lengthy procurement procedures, low completion rates of students, differences in exchange rates, choice of research sites in light of the insecurity in Southern Sudan, difficulty in recruitment of students, and imbalances in per diem. In the discussions that followed, Dr. Yazidhi Bamutaze of CAES proposed that the partner universities will continue sharing best practices and devising workable solutions without compromising the NORHED offer.
The Norwegain Government has historically supported projects at Makerere University through various programs over the years including NORAD, NOMA, NUFU and now NORHED. In 2013, Makerere University scoped 12 of the 46 available funded projects on the continent – the largest number won by any University that competed in the call. Of the 12, Makerere University will provide leadership to nine projects. Prof. Hannington Oryem Origa of NIDIC (Right) explained that the project will also focus on improved linkages amongst partners on a non-discriminatory basis. The Principal Investigators of other NORHED funded projects at Makerere shared highlights of planned outcomes and outputs in their projects including:
- Strengthening Media in Post-Conflict Societies through Education and Research: Bridging Gaps, Building Futures in Uganda, South Sudan, Nepal and Norway. Principal Investigator – Dr. William Tayeebwa.
- Improving Weather Information Management in East Africa for effective service provision through the application of suitable ICTs. Principal Investigator – Dr. Julianne Sansa Otim.
- Building capacity for REDD+ in East Africa for improved ecosystem health and for sustainable livelihoods in Eastern Africa (UGA-13/0019). Principal Investigator – Prof. John R.S Tabuti.
- Building and Reflecting on Interdisciplinary PhD Studies for Higher Education Transformation – Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR). Principal Investigator – Prof. Mamdam represented by Adam Branch
- Leapfrogging 1st Generation Distance Education into 4th and 5th Generation Distance Education: A Strategy for Enhancing ICT Pedagogical Integration and Increasing Access to Education in Africa. Principal Investigator – Dr. Paul Muyinda Birevu.
- Borderland Dynamics in East Africa : A network program for capacity building within Departments of Social Anthropology in East African Universities. Principal Investigator –Dr. Eria Olowo
- Capacity building in Zoonotic diseases Management using Integrated Ecosystems health and gender-focused approach (CAPAZOMANITECO) at the human-livestock –wildlife interface in the Eastern and Southern Africa. Principal Investigator –Dr. Kanche
By Marion Alina, Public Relations Office
Business & Management
PIM Centre Holds 9th Steering Committee Meeting, Set to Benefit from World Bank Support
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence at Makerere University today, October 10th, 2025, held its 9th Steering Committee Meeting to review progress made in the first quarter of the financial year and plan for the months ahead.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Getrude Basiima, who represented Mr. Hannington Ashaba, Director Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Ms. Basiima commended the Centre for its continued commitment to strengthening public investment management capacity across government institutions.
In her remarks, Ms. Basiima applauded the Centre for successfully hosting the Public Investment Management Conference held in August at Makerere University. The conference attracted key policymakers, development partners, and academics who deliberated on how to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and impact of public investments in Uganda.
She further shared exciting news that the Government of Uganda has secured funding from the World Bank to support the public investment management function. The PIM Centre, she announced, will be among the key beneficiaries of these funds — receiving support for the construction and acquisition of a permanent home to enhance its institutional sustainability and training capacity.
Reviewing the Centre’s quarterly performance, Ms. Basiima congratulated the team for successfully conducting three specialized trainings in the first quarter, reaching officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. These trainings continue to strengthen the technical competencies required for effective project preparation, appraisal, and implementation in line with Uganda’s National Development Plan.
She encouraged the Centre to integrate climate change considerations into its future training programmes, noting that sustainable public investment must now account for environmental resilience and climate adaptation.
The centre team presented the proposed structure/ organogram, the financial performance of 2024/2025, research areas for 2025/2026 and the strategic plan for 2025 – 2030.
The Steering Committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the PIM Centre’s vision of becoming a regional leader in building capacity for efficient, transparent, and sustainable public investment management.
A significant development unfolded at Makerere University during a strategic, hour-long meeting in the vice chancellor’s boardroom on 7th October 2025, marking a deepening bond with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The primary goal was to move beyond existing collaborations and formalize a new Double Doctorate (PhD) program. Prof. Sarah Saali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, set the tone by emphasizing that institutional partnerships are crucial to Makerere University, which she proudly called the leading research and most collaborative university in the world.
The discussion promptly formed the core structure of the program: a four-year PhD (or three if the master’s was research-based), with supervision duties split 50-50% between the two institutions. A key feature is the mobility requirement, stipulating that PhD candidates would spend a total of six months in the Netherlands, potentially divided into two three-month periods. Crucially, the University of Groningen confirmed there would be no teaching requirement during this stay, allowing students full access to focus on their research. A major financial hurdle was overcome with the adoption of a fee-waiver policy; Makerere would waive tuition for incoming Groningen candidates, and Groningen would reciprocate for Makerere‘s students, significantly boosting the program’s financial viability.
However, the critical issue of the stipend remained. Dr. Anita Veltmaat explained that to meet the required living standard of approximately €1,875 per month in Groningen, the incoming candidate must secure a partial external scholarship of around €250 per month. The positive news is that if the candidate secures this minimum scholarship, the University of Groningen is prepared to top up the amount to the full living standard for the six months the student spends in the Netherlands. It was noted that this initial financial hurdle might be simplified for Makerere students, as many are already staff members receiving a salary, which could help cover the required €250.
The path forward was clear: it was to complete the agreement template guided by the setup committee from both institutions. The plan culminated in scheduling an online follow-up meeting for Tuesday, November 11th, to review the first revision of the agreement, capping a highly constructive discussion that solidified the two universities’ shared future in graduate education.
Makerere University was represented by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics Affairs; Dr. Ruth Nsibirano, Head of the Department of Gender Studies; Dr. Patricia Ndugga, School of Statistics; Dr. Stella Achen and Dr. Joseph Watuleke, School of Distance and Lifelong Learning; Agatha Ainemukama, School of Engineering; Racheal Nuwagaba, School of Psychology; Awel Uwihanganye, Martine Rugamba, and Hawa Ndagire from the Advancement Office; and Muhammad Kiggundu from the Institute of Gender and Development Studies.
The University of Groningen was represented by Dr. Dinie Bouwman, Senior Policy Advisor, Internationalization and Quality Assurance; Dr. Anita Veltmaat, Faculty of Social Behavior and Social Sciences, Department of International Studies, involved in mentorship programs for women; and Dr. Alette Arendshorst, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, working on graduation/collaboration for students/staff.
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