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Tullow-CFK Model Milestone Achievement

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To contribute to Africa's sustainable development, Tullow Oil made a generous Grant to The Council for Frontiers of Knowledge (The CFK) to support students to pursue Masters Courses at Makerere University. The Scholarships were awarded to qualifying Ugandan Students to read for a two year Masters Course that commenced in the fourth quarter of 2011 at Makerere University in Civil Engineering, Chemistry, Environment and Natural Resources.

Specifically, the following activities were carried out using Tullow Oil’s generous funding: two year educational fees paid to zero balance, monthly stipends (two years), laptops and accessories, Tullow-CFK wireless internet (serving whole CEDAT Old Building), World-class Reference Library (CFK CEDAT Old Building Offices), ENVI Technology Software and Hardware (at CFK Office, serving Makerere University and beyond), higher degrees presentation room and high technology facilities, full funding to Tullow-CFK Session at the November 2012 CFK International Conference at Commonwealth Speke Resort and Conference Centre, Munyonyo in Uganda, sponsored students to present their research work at national and international conferences, offered international training and equipping to Makerere University students with very specialised software and technology packages including: SEISAN Earthquake Analysis Software, CRISIS2007 and ENVI software in Dublin, Ireland. Please note that acquisition of SEISAN Software is available on The CFK website, while ENVI technology is installed at The CFK Offices, at West Wing, CEDAT Old Building, Makerere University.

International trips to Dublin, Ireland:  June 2012 and May 2013: Tullow sponsored students were funded from A-Z by Tullow Oil. The Dublin trips provided a valuable discussion venue for students with their Tullow mentors along with their Makerere University academic advisors. Tullow-CFK Sponsored Students clearly benefited by discussing their specific research projects, identifying objectives, and discussing limitations. Students also saw first-hand how the different sectors of the industry have to partner in order to achieve a successful commercial outcome. Similarly, they and their academic advisors from Makerere University learned more about the technical and logistic details of the challenges faced by Tullow Oil in the Albertine Graben. Prof. Chris Bean and Prof. Stephen Daly from University College Dublin also visited the group and met with the Makerere Professors and students. Ideas were spontaneously exchanged from both sides, and this definitely strengthened the overall education of the students as well as enhancing connectivity levels of Makerere Scientists. In a bid to fill up very wide technology gaps, with full funding from Tullow Oil, Tullow Oil-CFK Masters funded students were trained in January 2013, in Dublin, Ireland at the Tullow Oil Dublin Office by Prof. Lars Ottem'oller; one of the developers of the SEISAN seismic analysis software. To access the Software, please visit: http://thecfkglobal.org/seisan-software.php     

Tullow Oil’s two year funding/partnership with The Council for the Frontiers of Knowledge (The CFK), made it possible for ALL the FIVE Tullow Masters supported scholars graduating, with distinctions from Makerere University, Uganda.

The students were robustly selected and the results of the stringent selection process of The CFK Scholarship Committee, international science and technology mentorship by the relevant CFK Directors and Tullow Dublin technologists, and of course, the SUPERIOR programme coordination with the standardised transparency and integrity by The CFK, were plainly evident in the exceptionally excellent performance both in coursework and research. All the five students had their CGPA’s far above 4.0, with two of the five obtaining the MAXIMUM CGPA of 5.0!!

The Tullow Oil-CFK and Makerere Partnership achieved two cardinal roles:

  1. Development of local content at postgraduate level: Tullow Oil’s partnership with The CFK has reinforced the institutional capacity of Makerere University and beyond to supervise highly specialised research projects to an international standard.
  2. In-country growth of oil and gas industry: The five Masters candidates are now fully equipped with exceptional skills needed for developing the oil and gas industry of Uganda and beyond.

The scholars all added another VITAL achievement to their list by graduating in less than the two-year stipulated time-frame, as NO MSc student has managed this in the Makerere University’s 90 year history! Specifically, before the end of the two years, ALL the five students had completed their postgraduate studies (concept definition and construction, field work, data collection and analysis, internal and external theses examination, dissertation public defence etc.) and been cleared for graduation!
 
 The five Tullow Oil sponsored scholars, Bwambale Barnabas, Robert Tumwesige and Prossy Atolere all MSc. Civil Engineering, John Mugisa, MSc. Chemistry, Christine Ainabyona, MSc. Environment and Natural Resources, graduated (Tuesday 28th and 30th January, 2014) at a ceremony which was presided over by Makerere’s Chancellor Professor George Mondo Kagonyera.  The event was also attended by His Excellency Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi, the Vice President of the Republic of Uganda, Ugandan Members of Parliament, members of the Diplomatic Community, Cabinet Ministers, and of course family and friends of the graduates. Makerere’s Vice Chancellor Professor Ddumba-Ssentamu took the opportunity to thank Tullow Oil, saying the Tullow-CFK project contributed to the much-needed development of local content and in-country growth within the industry. The Vice Chancellor further encouraged other relevant stakeholders and programme managers, in the 64th graduation audience, to emulate the Tullow-CFK Model/Initiative so to enable Africa make tangible and lasting socio-economic growth and development.

Professor Fionn Murtagh, Chair of the CFK Board, and  Professor Pankaj Vadgama, Deputy Chair, attested that “The standard achieved by the five students was fully on par with the very best of Masters outcomes that would be expected in any Irish or UK university”. Professor Murtagh added, "The great performance of the students, throughout their Masters work and in what they have accomplished, is testimony to their excellence. This is a great achievement also for their Makerere University supervisors. On behalf of The CFK Board, I would like to point to The CFK/Tullow Oil model that underpins this great success".

Article by The CFK

Mark Wamai

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Mature Age Scheme Exam Results for 2025/2026

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The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released full results for the Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations for the Academic Year 2025/2026 held on Saturday 14th December, 2024.

The Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the examination and have been recommended by the Pre-Entry & Mature Age Committee to the University’s Admissions Board for Consideration.

The Aptitude Exam  Results for 2025/2026 Academic Year released in February 2025 can be found here.

Mak Editor

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Directorate of Graduate Training Completes Training of First Cohort Training of Supervisors

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By Moses Lutaaya

The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) has in collaboration with Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors.

Participants were academic staff from two colleges namely, College of Engineering, Art and Design (CEDAT) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

The three-day training that took place at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building ended on Friday 20thJune 2025.

In his closing remarks to the participants, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “This is the first cohort we are working together with the Center for Teaching and Learning to put together continuous professional development Program so that we are able to enforce the new teaching and learning policy.”

He said that before lecturers are allocated students for supervision, they must first go through this form of formal teaching and learning training to equip them thoroughly with certification required of supervision of graduate students.

“We are coming up with process to ensure that the certificates earned by participants allow you to supervise graduate students. This is the direction of the university and we must ensure that such trainings are concluded and completed successfully by all participants”, Prof. Kikooma.

Prof. Julius Kikooma – Director of Graduate Training

“We can only have you certified upon completing all the exercises in the training process. This is when you will be eligible to receive the work load for supervision”, He added.

“This training of Supervisors is going to be continuous so that all academic staff in colleges and schools are equipped. This first cohort is going to be our building block to the future trainings in the colleges.”

With such capacity building trainings, Prof. Kikooma said that the university is on the right path to achieving its targets in the new strategic plan of increasing the number of graduate students while progressively reducing the under graduate students.

He further hinted that, “We are in the process of writing a curriculum on this, which will be presented for approval before it is rolled out.”

He echoed all participants to share the knowledge they have acquired adding, “Share all you have learnt, do not keep it. Be open minded, have proper communication channels and the sky will be the limit for you.” 

Dr. Robinah N. Kulabako, The Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CEDAT welcomed the training adding, “This training is very pertinent. I have had the opportunity to supervise Masters and PhD students for over 15 years and I must say that the need to be subjected to this training cannot be over emphasized because there is need to learn, unlearn and relearn many aspects involved in the supervision process.”

She added, “We are moving towards knowledge-based supervision rather than experience-based supervision. This means we must be informed and equipped to be able to advise, guide and mentor to be able to lead a successful supervision journey for both supervisor and supervisee.”

Dr. Andrew Gilbert Were – a lecturer at CEDAT and a participant said, “It is important that all supervisors of graduate students receive this certification from Makerere University through a systematic training process that enables them to attain diverse skills to facilitate learning of graduate students from diverse cultures and with unique set of circumstances.”

“This training is long overdue. In fact, it was an oversight that we could be allowed to supervise students without undergoing supervisors’ training.”

Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, The Director Centre for Teaching and Learning support- CEES said, “The training this time round has had a mix of early career professionals including Lecturers, Supervisors and Professors share experiences. We have learnt a lot more from experienced supervisors who have shared practices on how they have done supervision over the years.”

“The knowledge and experience-based approaches have made this collaboration very active, interactive and learner centered which has resulted into a collaborative learning from the interdisciplinarity of staff from CEDAT and CAES. The issue now is to continue with professional development across all levels.” She added.

The Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors. This activity was supported by the iCARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.

Mak Editor

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CEDAT’s Department of Architecture to Undergo Major Studio Refurbishment with Industry Support

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R-L: Arch. Kenneth Ssemwogerere (Head of Department, Architecture), Dr. Kizito Maria Kasule (Deputy Principal, CEDAT), and Mr. Kayongo Daniel (Plascon Uganda National Sales Manager) during the official handover of a donation at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University, on Tuesday, 25th June 2025.

The Department of Architecture at Makerere University’s College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) is set to begin a significant refurbishment of its design studios starting 1st July 2025. This initiative marks a pivotal step in enhancing the learning environment for architecture students and fostering innovation in design education.

The refurbishment project has received a significant boost from Kansai Placon Uganda Limited, which donated UGX 15 million worth of paint to support the transformation. This contribution highlights the growing partnership between academia and industry in shaping the future of architectural education in Uganda.

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Alex Isemaghendera

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