General
A New Look for the Main Hall
The Makerere University main hall has kicked off 2015 with a fresh and modern look, following a facelift sponsored by the School of Public Health, College of Health Sciences. The hall has been freshly painted, the floor sparkles with a rich brown varnish comparable to fine honey. The brand new high quality furniture was flown in from the Top class of China and is a dazzling blend of the Makerere University colours; red and green.
The University is also in the process of procuring a state-of-the-art Public Address System complete with cabinet speakers, power amplifiers, graphic equalisers, subwoofers, microphones and receivers among other components; large format projector screens and a stationary overhead projector to complete the setup all at a cost of about $38,000. These will be fitted in due course. The plan is to have blinds in the windows to reduce on the glare/dust, install air conditioners and replace the stage curtains too.
“The 520 modern conference chairs and repainting of the hall have been provided with the kind contribution of the School of Public 
Health at acost of about 300m shillings and we are sincerely grateful to the Dean Prof. William Bazeyo. We would like to have microphones for every few chairs so that we limit this business of moving around with a microphone for someone in the audience to make their submission. The translation box also needs to be repaired,” said the Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Finance and Administration (DVC FA), Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.
“Changing the look of the Main Hall has been a pending issue for some time and I am grateful that the School of Public health has weighed in on this. There are many crucial areas in the University that need urgent attention and improvement. Management is aware of these requirements and continues to devise means to address them. We nonetheless welcome such initiatives as demonstrated by the School of Public Health in improving these facilities. I am confident that it is just a matter of time and joint efforts for us to be in a better Makerere University readymade for the 21st century and comparable to no other in the region. This will take more than just infrastructure, but rather team work at all levels,” emphasised the Vice Chancellor Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu.
Prof. Nawangwe reveals that the School of Public Health was able to refurnish the Main Hall using funds from its overhead costs on research projects. “This College has a vibrant Grants Office, and I think the other Colleges can emulate this as opposed to entirely depending on the Centre, which is cash strapped. We pay tribute to units that have made efforts to improve their infrastructure like CoBAMS, CoCIS, CEDAT and encourage them to continue doing so. CHS has further demonstrated that a unit can support the University by providing the much-needed facilities. We will formerly launch the Main Hall new look once all the other components are in place but Colleagues are welcome to see the changes which have taken us about only two weeks to implement. We received the furniture in mid December 2014,” he adds.
The Main hall has indeed been restored to its former glory of the 1960s and 70s when Makerere University hosted trend-changing public debates. This is what Management is looking forward to. “We need to shape policy. We hope this will be the home of many policy debates and major conferences which were initially hosted in hotels. We will charge a reasonable fee for some of these as a way of generating income,” says Prof. Nawangwe.
Now with the Main Hall all looking glamorous, lectures that were initially conducted here will not be allowed 
anymore. These have instead been relocated to the lecture halls in residential halls of Livingstone, Lumumba and Mitchell. “The former dining halls in these places have now become lecture rooms and have been fitted with appropriate furniture for this purpose. I encourage the university Community to comfortably time table lectures in theses halls. Starting next Semester, Feb. 2015, we will not allow any more lectures in the Main Hall,” adds Prof. Nawangwe. It will be remembered that students now have joint meals in the halls of Mary Stuart, Africa, Nsibirwa and University Hall; provided through outside catering services, a policy that took effect in August 2014.
These changes are in line with creating a conducive environment at Makerere University. Other areas that will be looked at in the near future include improvements in lighting around the university, road repairs, tree planting and improvements in the general landscaping.
Story by Marion Alina, Public Relations Office
General
Makerere University Set to Develop Curriculum to Transform Graduate Supervision and Mentorship
By Moses Lutaaya
KAMPALA – Makerere University is set to develop a curriculum for a specialized Certificate Course in Supervision and Mentoring for Graduate Training and Higher Education Management, in a move aimed at professionalizing graduate supervision and strengthening the capacity of academic staff to deliver quality postgraduate education.
The proposed programme will equip academic staff with advanced competencies in graduate-level teaching, research supervision, mentorship, and higher education management, while supporting the University’s agenda of improving the quality and relevance of graduate training.
The curriculum development process was discussed during a Stakeholders’ Curriculum Development Consultation Workshop held on Thursday, 18th June 2026 at the Senate Building Telepresence Hall, Makerere University.
The workshop, organized by the Directorate of Graduate Training in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning Support (CTLS), brought together curriculum specialists, academic staff, and higher education stakeholders to review and enrich the proposed curriculum before it proceeds through the University approval processes.
Participants included 11 lecturers from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), 3 from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), 2 from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (CoVAB), 1 from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), 4 from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES), among others.
The National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) was represented by Dr. Patrice Ssembirige, Deputy Executive Director in charge of Curriculum Review and Instructional Materials Development. The Centre for Teaching and Learning team was led by Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, while Dr. Stephen Wandera coordinated the workshop.
Addressing participants, Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director Graduate Training at Makerere University, said the curriculum development initiative is central to strengthening graduate education and ensuring that academic staff are adequately prepared to support postgraduate learners.
Prof. Kikooma noted that Makerere University is targeting an increase in graduate student enrolment to 50 percent of the total student population, but emphasized that this ambition must be matched with investment in the capacity of academic staff who supervise and mentor students.
“We can get many graduate students, but if the people supporting them do not have the right tools and preparation, we will still have challenges,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He explained that the initiative responds to University policies requiring academic staff teaching graduate students to undergo pedagogical training, while those supervising graduate research must undergo specialized preparation in supervision and mentoring.
Prof. Kikooma said graduate supervision requires deliberate preparation because supervisors play a central role in shaping research quality, student success, and the overall effectiveness of postgraduate programmes.
He further emphasized Makerere University’s responsibility as a leading institution in the region.
“We have a double expectation. We must support the country to achieve its aspirations in national development, but we also have an expectation from other institutions to support them in building graduate training capacity. In that sense, we are a trainer of trainers,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), Dr. Patrice Ssembirige commended Makerere University for adopting a consultative and inclusive approach to curriculum development.
He noted that education systems globally are undergoing significant transformation, requiring continuous curriculum review and alignment with emerging needs.
“Education systems globally are undergoing significant transformation, and in Uganda, NCDC has been leading and spearheading the implementation of the competency-based curriculum,” Dr. Ssembirige said.
He explained that NCDC has developed competency-based curriculum frameworks at primary and lower secondary levels and is currently advancing reforms at upper secondary level, which feeds into higher education institutions.
Dr. Ssembirige said the new curriculum presents an opportunity to align graduate training with global trends, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), international best practices, and national development priorities.
“As we develop this curriculum, we need to align with global trends, SDGs and international best practices. We also need to undertake comparative analysis because curriculum reforms are taking place across East African Community states,” he noted.
He encouraged developers to ensure that the programme follows competency-based principles and equips participants with relevant 21st-century skills.
“Since we are talking about competency-based curriculum, we must be cognizant of the principles of competency-based education and ensure that we develop skills that fit the demands of the 21st century,” he added.
Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning Support at Makerere University, said the initiative marks an important step in strengthening professional development for academic staff involved in graduate education.
She noted that effective supervision requires more than disciplinary expertise, but also skills in mentorship, communication, research guidance, ethics, assessment, and student support.
“The quality of graduate education depends on the quality of mentorship and supervision we provide. This curriculum will strengthen the capacity of academic staff to guide graduate students effectively, improve research outcomes, and uphold the standards expected of a leading university,” Dr. Ssebowa said.
She added that the Centre for Teaching and Learning will continue working with the Directorate of Graduate Training, academic colleges, curriculum specialists, and regulators to ensure the programme remains relevant and impactful.
During the workshop, stakeholders reviewed the proposed curriculum structure, course content, competency areas, assessment strategies, quality assurance mechanisms, and alignment with national and international standards.
Once finalized, the programme is expected to strengthen graduate supervision at Makerere University and serve as a model for professional development across higher education institutions in Uganda and beyond.
General
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