General
Mak to host Higher Education Resource Services-East Africa
Makerere University is set to host the coveted Higher Education Resource Services, East Africa (HERS-EA); which brings together women in institutions of higher learning in the region to sharpen their leadership skills. HERS-EA was launched on 5th August 2014 during a two day conference at Imperial Royale Hotel, which drew over 150 participants from universities in the East African Countries of Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda and Ethiopia (Central Africa). The Guest of honour, Dr. Raymonda Burgman, Director HERS Institutes USA, challenged HERS-EA to go beyond the equilibrium. “Well behaved women rarely change anything. Go out and change the world,” she emphasized. Mrs. Elizabeth Gabona, Commissioner for Higher Education in Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports welcomed the HERS-EA initiative and urged the brains behind it to make sure they have sustainable impact.
HERS is a non-profit educational organization based in the USA. It provides leadership and management training for women in Higher Education Institutions. HERS has instituted a programme of developing partner organisations in order to share and expand the HERS curriculum and associated programs in leadership and management development of women; thus the need for HERS-EA as a sister organization of HERS-USA and HERS-South Africa. HERS-EA’s volunteer Secretariat is currently hosted at the Africa Institute for Strategic Services and Development (AFRISA) in Makerere University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB). On 3rd Oct. 2013, Makerere University signed a memorandum of understanding to host HERS-EA until it is ready to operate on its own.
According to the Chair HERS-EA Dr. Margaret L. Khaitsa, the HERS-EA model will empower women to scale the height. “Many women are qualified but lack confidence and a support system to take them forward. HERS-EA will provide the network and also create an enabling and safe environment for women to share similar challenges and encourage one another,” she explained.
The Chair of the HERS-EA Conference Organizing Committee, Prof. Florence Wakoko-Studstill, explained that HERS was born out of the realization that women were occupying important positions but there was a substantial lack of women serving as decision makers. HERS-EA targets women in Higher Education Institutions at different career development levels who are thinking of leadership or who are already in leadership to be more efficient and reach the desired levels.
“Our objective is to provide an enabling environment for women in higher education to reach out to the ordinary women in rural communities through mentoring, training, research and transformative activities like best practices in food production and community health. The skills acquired will help them aspire for positions of leadership wherever they will be,” said Prof. Wakoko-Studstill.
Operationalizing HERS-EA
A Board of Directors comprised of representatives from the East African countries, with relevant skills to ensure that they efficiently run the organization and meet the standards for good governance will be formed with its Secretariat in Uganda. The interactive conference agreed that this Board will develop a governance structure for the organization, handle policy issues and will work closely with sub-committees that will specialize in resource mobilization and strategic development.
“We want to train women at least once annually. We will keep a network of all alumni and provide electronic information and also invite them to participate as experts and trainers,” explained Dr. Khaitsa. She hopes that if the Ministries of Education in the member countries and the IUCEA own HERS-EA, which will help address the sustainability question.
A curriculum will be developed, tailor made for the unique needs of women in Higher Education Institutions in East Africa, and a call consequently put out for applications. Dr. Mutasimbwa from IUCEA shared key insights on how gender was mainstreamed in IUCEA, and stressed the need for gender content in academic programmes across the board, and addressing gender imbalance within the academic hierarchy as key points for HERS-EA to consider in structuring a curriculum. IUCEA has already developed broad guidelines for a gender curriculum in East Africa.
Partnering and Funding HERS-EA
To achieve her objective, HERS-EA is looking at partnering with Government, the donor community, and the public and private sectors.
The Principal Education Officer in the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, Amutenda Salvatore Tumwine, pledged the Ministry’s support towards HERS-EA. “We will give you all the necessary support. But as you make your structures, make sure they are big, visible and convincing enough to be categorized under the Education sector as opposed to being under a civil society organization. By doing this, you will be better heard,” he advised. “Please utilize the Ministry of East African Community Affairs and the Inter University Council of East Africa, IUCEA, in propelling HERS- EA,” he added.
Catherine Kanabahita, Director of the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate Makerere University stressed that the Directorate will offer support to HERS-EA. “We want to give technical expertise in writing award winning proposals to raise resources. We also believe in publicity and networks, so we look forward to helping out in this area too,” she said. She presented the participants with a copy of a famous book by the late former President of Tanzania H.E Julius Nyerere titled, ‘Women’s Freedom: Women are Eagles, Not Chickens,’ for personal motivation.
The Principal of CoVAB, Prof. David Kabasa challenged HERS-EA to use the AFRISA model in empowering women. “The discussion on gender should incorporate a discussion on value addition to local products. Inclusiveness in the economic development of Africa must be cognizant of the value chain. The ideological disorientation of getting employed must be addressed. Production should not be looked at as inferior,” he argued.
The President of Africa America Higher Education Partnerships, AAHEP, Dr. Pius Kamau encouraged HERS-EA to be open to diverse partnerships. “We need to create huge partnerships to support one another. Africa has big programmes and different groups think they have the solution but this is not true. All of us should contribute towards making Africa better. I believe women have a much bigger role to play, especially women of science. It is my hope that if we continue doing this, we will create women who are Presidents or key leaders to advance Africa,” he asserted.
Over 5,000 women have been trained by HERS-USA and another 1,000 trained by HERS-SA including the former Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs of Makerere University Prof. Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza, and Dr. Consolata Kabonesa – Dean School of Women and Gender Studies, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS). Funds will dictate how many will be trained by HERS-EA. The bigger vision is to form HERS-Africa.
By Marion Alina, Public Relations Office
For more information about HERS, see:
www.hers-sa.org.za
http://hersnet.org
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.
Makerere University on Tuesday, 7th October 2025 hosted a delegation from Nelson Mandela University (NMU), South Africa in the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom in a bid to strengthen academic partnerships and operationalize their existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The delegation, led by Prof. Azwinndini Muronga, Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Internationalisation, NMU, aimed to turn earlier agreements into actionable collaborations and build sustainable partnerships with various colleges.
The Acting (Ag.) Deputy Vice Chancellor; Finance and Administration, Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta, provided an overview of the institution’s structure—nine colleges, two schools, and two institutes—while acknowledging the challenges of maintaining excellence amid resource limitations and post-pandemic recovery. He emphasized that collaboration must serve the broader goal of research-driven development, calling for teamwork and resilience among African universities. “We have to work together to sustain high academic standards and contribute to the continent’s progress,” he noted.
Prof. Muronga spoke passionately about the NMU’s “African footprint agenda.” He urged both institutions to start with small, practical projects that can build confidence and momentum for larger initiatives. “We must grow partnerships within Africa first,” he stated, “before we expand globally. True collaboration begins when both sides contribute equally, share capacity, and build self-reliance.”
Prof. Muronga also expressed interest in joint research projects, doctoral supervision, and shared grant applications, noting that NMU and Makerere are strategically positioned to lead regional academic innovation.
In her remarks, Prof. Judy Peter, Senior Director in the International Office at NMU emphasized the University’s commitment to African-centered collaboration and the importance of internationalizing the curriculum and expanding research capacity.
Prof. Peter underscored the importance of student mobility, joint supervision of postgraduate students, and the recruitment of talented African scholars, noting that such exchanges enrich both institutions’ academic communities. She also emphasized the need to internationalize the curriculum, particularly through virtual learning platforms and co-teaching models, to ensure broader accessibility and shared expertise.
Contributions also came from Prof. James Wokadala, Deputy Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), further amplified the need to “start small and build on existing collaborations.” He proposed developing a clear roadmap that defines short-term goals and identifies areas for mutual growth.
From the College of Health Sciences, Dr. Richard Idro, the Deputy Principal highlighted opportunities for fellowship, training and collaboration in clinical subjects, emphasizing the need for practical exchanges that benefit students and staff alike. He also addressed logistical challenges such as transportation and coordination, urging for targeted partnerships that can yield tangible results.
The meeting reaffirmed the universities’ commitment to collaboration in areas including faculty exchange for guest lectures, seminars, and sabbaticals; joint research and grant applications for regional and international funding; co-supervision of postgraduate students; virtual classroom exchanges; curriculum internationalization and exchange of academic materials; and capacity development for academic and administrative staff.
The teams also identified “quick-win” projects that could be implemented in the short term and agreed to establish a joint implementation team to monitor progress. Further discussions will explore funding mechanisms, including the possibility of leveraging programs like Erasmus+, to support student exchange and joint research initiatives.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Muronga reaffirmed Nelson Mandela University’s commitment to ensuring that the partnership yields visible outcomes. Both universities agreed that future engagements will be structured around mutual respect, accountability, and measurable results.
The meeting concluded on a note of optimism, with both institutions expressing confidence that their partnership will not only advance academic excellence but also contribute to Africa’s broader vision of educational and research self-reliance.
The meeting was attended by several officials from Makerere including; Prof. Eric Awich Ochen-Deputy Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Prof. Yazidhi Bamutaze-Deputy Principal, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Prof. Godfrey Akileng-Dean School of Business, Dr. Geoffrey Nuwagaba-CoBAMS, Mr. Martine Rugamba-Ag. Chief Advancement Office, and Ms. Hawa Kajumba-Advancement Office.
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