General
Makerere University Leading innovations in the Higher Education Solutions Network
This year, the second annual technical convening TechCon2014, held from November 8th-10th, 2014 in the Bay Area, California, showcased more than 40 innovations emerging from USAID’s Higher Education Solutions Network (HESN) Development Labs and partners. TechCon2014 was proudly hosted by the University of California, Berkeley in the United States of America. TechCon2014 offered a variety of both group and one on one discussions, networking opportunities, conference sessions, and talks by leading voices in development. Additionally, TechCon2014 uniquely convened researchers, students, entrepreneurs, innovators, field practitioners and private/public sector professionals focused on creative approaches to solution ideation, testing, and scaling for international development.
Eight university-based labs comprising USAID’s HESN participated in this technical convening. These included the following;
- University of California, Berkeley’s Development Impact Lab
- Duke University’s Social Entrepreneurship Accelerator
- MIT’s International Development Innovation Network
- MIT’s Comprehensive Initiative on Technology Evaluation
- College of William and Mary’s AidData Center for Development Policy
- Texas A&M University’s Conflict and Development
- Michigan State University’s Global Center for Food Systems Innovation
- Makerere University’s ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), based in Uganda
The climax of TechCon2014 was an Innovation Marketplace to showcase innovations. Eight teams of innovators from Makerere University’s ResilientAfrica Network (RAN) including Cost effective and efficient phototherapy units, ‘Dduka’ Landslide Early Warning System, The Asthma Grid, Grain Amaranth: from Vegetable to Health Solution, Hydroponic Fodder Production for Livestock, K-Free: Early Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Unearthing the potential of earthworm domestication and the Ethio-Manual Oxygen Backup device (EMOBD) participated in the technical convening Innovation Marketplace. This was concluded with one young innovator being crowned the top winner through a Shark Tank style competition.
In the Innovation Marketplace, each participant received $1000 Development Dollars that was to be used to vote for one’s favorite project or projects. It was entirely up to the participant to decide on how best to use these Development Dollars to support the ideas and projects in the Innovation Marketplace; you could invest all the dollars in one project, split your money between ten projects or invest at levels somewhere in between. The Development Dollars were later counted and the top nine teams in which Makerere University’s Hydroponic Fodder Production for Livestock a project from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-Security also emerged, proceeded to the next round-the Technical Review Panel. It was exciting to witness Makerere University Resilient Africa Network (RAN) including Hemafuse: Auto transfusion for Internal Hemorrhages and Purdue:
The Makerere University team was led by Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Makerere University Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration and RAN Patron. While interacting with the student innovators, he commented “Young men and women, our future is in your hands, Innovations is the way to go and Makerere University has been committed to supporting and nurturing innovations since 1922, the ball is in your courts to make use of all the available opportunities to develop solutions to African communities’ most pressing challenges”. Prof. David Serwadda, RAN Technical Advisor, the Resilience Innovation Lab (RILab) Directors (Eastern Africa, West Africa, Horn of Africa and Southern Africa RILabs) and faculty were part of this team in support of innovations as solutions to development challenges.
The TechCon2014 sponsors including VENTUREWELL, the Lemelson foundation-improving lives through invention, World Vision, the Development Impact Lab and the Higher Education Solutions Network cannot go without mention. Thank you for the commitment to accelerating Global Development.
Article by ResilientAfrica Network (RAN)
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.
“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.
-
General5 days agoFreshers’ Joining Instructions 2025/2026
-
General2 days agoMature Age Scheme Exam Results for 2025/2026
-
General7 days agoMastercard Foundation Board pays its inaugural visit to Makerere University
-
Natural Sciences2 weeks agoCoNAS Participates in the 2025 National Science Week Exhibition
-
General2 weeks agoCall For Expression of Interest: MURBS MIS Requirements Gathering