General
Mak-SLU Training Graduates tipped on creating Research Networks
On Friday 5th September 2014, the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), Makerere University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) held a dinner and award ceremony for the second cohort of The Innovative Doctoral Education for Global Food Security course participants. The Innovative Doctoral Education for Global Food Security is a joint project, between Makerere University and SLU focused on development and performance of courses for doctoral students and workshops for senior staff.
The second cohort which ran from 18th August to 5th September 2014, drew participants from the host institution Makerere University as well as from three African satellite universities. The training was facilitated by teachers from SLU and Makerere University who jointly developed and performed courses and workshops for up to 40 participants.
In his opening remarks, Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza, Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) noted that the training was based on a premise that Doctoral students in Africa are facing similar problems in their respective institutions. The training was therefore an opportunity for Makerere University to come together with partners from the North and nurture the next generation of academics through tackling pressing societal problems.
“Makerere University is excited about the prospect offered by this training because the issue of food security is at the centre of societal development. Your topic may not be on food security but at the end of the day, we are all facing the same multifaceted challenge which will call for a multi-disciplinary approach,” encouraged Prof. Buyinza.
He expressed his gratitude to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) for choosing Makerere as the host institution, “We are happy that we have managed to deliver on all aspects of the course within the three weeks’ duration and as researchers who are going to engage in scholarly writing or academics, we commend you all for persevering till the very end,” lauded the Director.
He further urged all participants not to miss out on the most important aspect of such trainings, which is to form new networks. He noted that we all have one planet and should therefore always contribute to its sustainable upkeep. “The most gratifying thing when visiting another institution is to meet a familiar face. I therefore encourage you to always write multi-national multi-institutional projects that fully utilize the networks you have formed,” he advised. He commended his team at DRGT for ensuring that all administrative matters related to the training were well taken care of.
Cross-cutting courses at Doctoral level are very vital in nurturing Students’ research and publication skills. Speaking at the dinner Prof. George Nasinyama, Deputy Director-Research, DRGT appreciated the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) for working with Makerere University to shape the PhD landscape on the African continent.
“Skills enhancement courses as initiated on the African continent have been found to be quite useful, and cross-cutting courses for Doctoral students have formed a very good basis. DRGT has developed and coordinated a number of cross-cutting courses with support from development partners and these have adequately dealt with the technical aspects in the various disciplines,” remarked Prof. Nasinyama.
He reemphasized the need for participants in the Mak-SLU joint project to come together and coin another network in the same league as the Development Research Uptake in Sub-Saharan Africa (DRUSSA) and Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) networks, “We believe that you will greatly benefit from these,” he advised.
Speaking on behalf of her fellow course teachers, Associate Professor Lotta Hansson, Project Manager-SLU Global commended both facilitators and participants for making it possible for her to be so happy, “I am happy to dress up in this wonderful Ugandan attire and celebrate the successful completion of the three week Doctoral course,” enthused the beaming Associate Professor. “I celebrate the facilitators from both Makerere and SLU for planning and successfully implementing this course,” she briefly but joyfully added.
The role of mentorship in the quest to nurture the next generation of academics or researchers cannot be overemphasized. Professor Elly Sabiiti, a distinguished Senior Academic and Researcher in the field of food security as well as mentor to countless academics including Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza attended the dinner and shared a few words of wisdom. He expressed his contentment at witnessing the initiative t
hat was embarked on during one cold winter afternoon in Sweden with Assoc. Prof Lotta bringing forth such immense results.
“Today I am seeing value for all the efforts put in and you are the testimony. If you did not see the value in this training, you would not have left the comfort of your respective institutions to come to Makerere. The knowledge that you have attained during thid training may not be help you tomorrow or during the course of your PhD but it will be very valuable at a later date. Nevertheless, stay hungry for knowledge,” advised Prof. Sabiiti.
He further advised participants to remain at the frontline of new knowledge if they were to advance their careers, noting that the Innovative Doctoral training had only served to whet their appetites. He noted that Enquiry-Based Learning was becoming more of the norm in modern training and commended the participants upon having added more value to themselves and their respective institutions.
“My passion has always been to find something that is good for mankind and that can benefit many people. Through mentorship, I have benefited others like Professor Mukadasi Buyinza and I am glad that they heeded my advice to always share. I am confident that there is continuity in the system I have left behind,” said Professor Sabiiti. Taking inspiration from a wise saying handed down to him by his own father, he concluded his remarks by urging all participants to always share the knowledge they acquire saying, “If you want to receive more, keep your hands open by giving”.
In moving a vote of thanks on behalf of all participants, Mr. Martin K. from the Jomo Kenyatta University, Kenya took his audience on an eloquent journey on the concept of time. Exploring two derivatives of time; Chronos and Kairos in Greek and Hebrew respectively, Martin noted that although they had participated in a fulfilling three weeks of Chronos; denoting actual time, it was now the moment of Kairos; denoting the time of fulfillment, for the participants to harness all that they had learnt through the course.
“It is now the time of fulfillment to achieve all that we had set out to do, thanks to riding on the shoulders of giants; Makerere University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Putting things together is logistically challenging and we therefore heartily thank the team from DRGT for ensuring that all our needs were well taken care of,” he enthused.
He urged fellow participants to go on and finish their degrees or else perish in the All But Dissertation (ABD) class. He also shared that the feedback he received from a questionnaire circulated earlier in the day showed that 93% of participants were happy with the training. He however requested the programme designers to include Data Analysis as a course in the next cohort.
The highlight of the day was a musical performance of two Swedish folk songs by the SLU-Global team; Assoc. Prof. Lotta Hansson, Ms. Nicolette Karst, Ms. Camilla Söderquist and Ms. Moa Hedbrant. All participants were awarded Academic Certificates at the conclusion of their Doctoral Training Course.
Article by Public Relations Office
General
Minister Janet Museveni Lays Foundation Stone for School of Graduate Studies Building, Commissions the School of Law Building and the renovated Lumumba Hall
The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni, has laid the foundation stone for Makerere University’s School of Graduate Studies building, whose construction is now underway.
The Minister laid the foundation stone for the USD8 million project during a brief function held on Wednesday 18th December 2024 at the site opposite Makerere University’s Lumumba Hall. The event was attended by several dignitaries, including the State Minister for Primary Education, Hon. Joyce Moriku Kaducu, University Council Chairperson Mrs. Lorna Magara, and Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe.
Others in attendance included Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration, Professor Henry Alinaitwe; Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, Professor Buyinza Mukadasi; University Secretary Mr. Yusuf Kiranda; Dean of Students Winfred Kabumbuli; Guild President Vincent Lubega Nsamba; and the Vice Guild President, Joy Eve Serunjogi among others.
The building is a donation (in-kind) from the late Hasmukh Patel, an industrialist and former Chairman of Tororo Cement who passed away on August 29, 2024, after a short illness. The journey to this befitting donation to Makerere University started in December 2022, when Hasmukh Patel accompanied by some members of his family and friends visited the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe to declare his donation. From December 2022, a number of meetings were convened involving the Minister of Education and Sports, the University leadership, Mr. Hasmukh Patel, his family and Tororo Cement regarding this donation. Living true to his commitment during those meetings, his family and Tororo Cement are implementing his wishes to construct the building, which will house the School of Graduate Studies at Makerere University.
Before laying the foundation stone for the School of Graduate Studies building, Hon. Janet Museveni first unveiled a plaque to officially open the new building for the School of Law. She then headed to Lumumba Hall, where she unveiled another plaque marking the completion of its renovation.
The First Lady, who had initially laid the foundation stone for the School of Law building on May 17, 2022, returned to the main campus to officially open the completed structure. Funded by the Government of Uganda to the tune of UGX 7.3 billion, the new three-storeyed building features lecture rooms, tutorial and seminar rooms, a library, a moot court, offices, a cafeteria, a lactation room, and other teaching and learning facilities. Construction was undertaken by M/S CK Associates, with Symbion serving as a consultant.
The renovation works for Lumumba Hall commenced in June 2023, with the site handed over to the contractor, National Enterprise Corporation (NEC). Funded by the Government of Uganda to the tune of UGX 9 billion, the project involved extensive renovations to restore Lumumba Hall to its original splendor. Lumumba Hall now accommodates about 725 students.
Lumumba Hall was the first hall of residence to undergo renovation, followed by Mary Stuart Hall, which has also been handed over to NEC for refurbishment. These renovations, which began last year, are a result of the Government of Uganda’s efforts to improve the nine (9) halls of residence at the main campus.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Janet Museveni thanked the University Council and management for their dedication to rebuilding the institution. She expressed confidence that the physical restoration efforts would also rebuild the character of young people.
“There is a restoration of dignity that comes to an institution or a community when we choose to rebuild and it is not only physical, there is a spiritual restoration that comes as well. For Nehemiah, it was not just the rebuilding of a physical wall it was the rebuilding of broken lives and a broken covenant. It was the rolling away of the reproach they had suffered as a nation,” she said.
Adding; “I therefore salute the Council and the management of Makerere for your dedication to the rebuilding of this University. I am confident that as you rebuild physically, you are rebuilding the character of our young people. My prayer is that the physical restoration is translating into the spiritual restoration of this great institution.”
The first lady, Hon. Janet Museveni recalled her earlier visit to Makerere University, where she observed the dilapidated state of the halls of residence, which prompted her to initiate the renovation works.
“I remember taking a tour of the halls of residence in this University and Kyambogo University in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. My heart bled when I saw the state of the halls of residence. Like Nehemiah, I took my burden to the Lord and now see what the Lord has done! Commissioning of the refurbished Lumumba Hall today is a testament to the faithfulness of our God. It is even more gratifying to know that other projects are ongoing and these include: the renovation of Mary Stuart Hall, the construction of the Perimeter Wall, and improvements at the University Hospital, including setting up an operating theatre and ICU.” She said.
Hon. Janet Museveni also expressed gratitude to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, for his leadership, which facilitated the realization of the Tororo Cement project. “This Project would not have been possible without the guidance and leadership of the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Nawangwe, who drew my attention to this offer by Tororo Cement, and requested me to endorse this Project, which will be named after Mr. Hamukh Patel,” she said.
Adding: “I am informed that the construction of this building is estimated to cost 8 Million US dollars and will consist of: lecture and seminar rooms, smart classrooms, laboratories, an innovation space, a conference hall, offices and other facilities. We remain forever grateful for this donation, which will increase access and contribute to improving the quality of postgraduate education.”
Speaking at the event, Vice Chancellor Prof. Nawangwe commended Hon. Janet Museveni for prioritizing the development of Makerere University, which has seen remarkable progress under her leadership. “Hon. Minister, from the time you took over the Office of Minister of Education and Sports and the Higher Education Sector, Makerere University in particular has transformed tremendously. Most notable is the infrastructure revolution at Makerere. On several occasions, you have come to Makerere to lay the foundations for new buildings and to open completed buildings, including our iconic Main Administration Building,” he said.
“When you inspected the halls of residence in 2021, I could see the frustration in your eyes, looking at the dilapidated state the halls were in, especially Lumumba, part of which had been condemned for 2 years,” Prof. Nawangwe said.
“Hon. Minister, I am sure that today, after seeing the glamorous new building for the School of Law and the glittering renovated Lumumba Hall, you are in a completely different mood compared to that visit in 2021. We are as delighted as you must be and your efforts are the reason for our happiness today. Our law students and professors can now comfortably study, work and conduct research in the best building for any school of law that I have seen,” Prof Nawangwe added.
Reflecting on the Graduate School Building, Prof. Nawangwe recalled when he received a proposal from Mr. Hasmukh Patel in 2022 who had initially intended to donate the Main Administration Building, which had been destroyed by fire, but opted to donate School of Graduate Studies Building after finding that the main building reconstruction had already started.
“Hon. Minister, in the morning of 13th December 2022, a miracle happened in my office in the Frank Kalimuzo Building. General David Muhoozi and Major General Apollo Gowa walked into my office with the Late Hasmukh Patel. Gen. Muhoozi introduced Mr. Hasmukh Patel as the Chairman of Tororo Cement, who after learning about the destruction by a fire of our Main Administration Building, expressed the wish to reconstruct that iconic building. On reaching Makerere, Mr. Hasmukh Patel found a contractor already on site, and he told us, that he would all the same donate a building to Makerere University as a gift on our 100th anniversary,” Prof Nawangwe said.
“He said it in such a simple way, that I thought I was dreaming. That evening, at the invitation of Mr. Patel, I visited the building that Mr. Patel had built for a school at Bukoto and I told him that a similar building for Makerere would be just what we needed for our School of Graduate Studies and Research that we needed. The University Council unanimously voted to thank Mr. Patel for his magnanimous offer and, you, Maama Janet graciously endorsed the project. I later visited Mr. Patel in Mombasa and was amazed at the humanitarian work he was doing among the communities. He was such a rare human being,” Professor revealed.
“Today we are here to witness the laying of the foundation stone for this, the largest academic building at Makerere University, and the first such donation I know by an African philanthropist to a university in Africa. The building will have lecture and seminar rooms, a conference hall, innovation spaces, PhD student rooms, computer and other laboratories, a restaurant, staff offices and other facilities. I thank Tororo Cement and the family of the Late Hasmukh Patel for honoring his wish and I wish to assure Mr. Patel, who must be in heaven smiling at us, that we will honor his legacy in this building and that we will put the building to its best use in the service of humanity, which is what Mr. Patel lived for,” Prof Nawangwe added.
On her part, the state Minister for Primary Education, Honorable Joyce Moriku Kaducu acknowledged Hon. Janet Museveni for prioritizing the Education sector in her leadership, which has led to the tremendously development of the sector.
“On behalf of the education sector, we want to thank you as the mother of the nation, indeed you are a big gift and a blessing to the nation and education at large, all this achievement would not have been possible if it was not under your visionary leadership and the guidance you have offered,” Minister Kaducu said.
Hon. Kaducu also hailed Makerere University for playing a very critical role in sensitizing, disseminating knowledge, and raising awareness to the public on the message of the Parish Development Model, which is intended to create wealth among citizens.
“As President Museveni is preaching the message of wealth creation, I want in a special way to thank Makerere University for playing a very critical role in sensitizing, disseminating knowledge, and raising awareness to the public on the message of the Parish Development Model (PDM), and they have a committee that monitors and informs government. They are indeed part of the team promoting wealth creation in this country,” she said.
Mrs. Lorna Magara, the Chairperson of the Makerere University Council said that the construction of the Graduate studies building speaks to the University’s mission of being a research-led institution because it comes as a dedicated building to house the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, which marks the resolution of a critical gap in our institutional framework
“At the heart of Makerere University’s current strategy is the promotion of a research-led institution, with a strong focus on graduate training. The establishment of a dedicated facility for the School of Graduate Studies, which also houses the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training, marks the resolution of a critical gap in our institutional framework. The late Patel’s timely and generous contribution will undoubtedly advance graduate training and research for generations to come. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your exceptional support,” she said.
Mr. Manish Varsani who represented the Patel family took the first lady through how Mr. Hasmukh Patel started the idea of donating the building to Makerere. He explained that, Mr. Patel intended to present a gift that was coming from the bottom of his heart, and he teamed up with General Muhoozi who led him to Prof. Nawangwe’s office.
He also recalled when Mr. Patel met H.E President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Museveni in Bukoto where he (Patel) had donated a building to a school and told the President that he would want to donate the same building to Makerere University as a gift to the First Lady Janet Museveni because he loved her so much, and in response, the President said he would take the message back to the First Lady.
The Guild President Lubega Vincent Nsamba asked the First Lady to consider constructing another hall of residence for the female students to solve what he described as an accommodation imbalance.
“Maama Janet Museveni, allow me to report to you that we still have only three halls of residence gazetted for female students against the six halls of residence gazetted for male students. These halls of residences were built back in colonial and independent times when the female students were fewer compared to their male counterparts, and to me Maama, this accommodation imbalance is something that should be addressed,” he stated.
“To me Maama, this speaks to the sense of how there is a dire need to invest in another additional hall of residence for the girl child here at Makerere University, and Maama, without any fear of contradiction, we humbly request that you consider building an additional hall of residence named after you in recognition of the contribution and honor of the service you have made for this country as a mother and as an educator,” he said.
-
Health2 weeks agoCertificate in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene 2025
-
General1 week agoMinister Janet Museveni Lays Foundation Stone for School of Graduate Studies Building, Commissions the School of Law Building and the renovated Lumumba Hall
-
Research1 week agoThe Uganda Higher Education Review Vol. 12, Issue 1
-
Education2 weeks agoLove Binti: 240 Graduate with Certificates and Diplomas
-
General2 weeks agoPress Release: Hon. Janet Museveni to Officially Open SoL, Lumumba and Lay Foundation Stone for SGS Building