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Supervision Holds Key to Cementing Mak Research-led Status

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As Makerere University continues to perfect her status as a research-led university, supervision of graduate students has been identified as a key contributor and therefore given priority in terms of capacity building initiatives. It is in this spirit that the Quality Assurance Directorate (QAD) and the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) with support from Sida have organized a three-day training workshop to share best practices with supervisors of graduate students at Makerere University.  

Speaking at the launch of the workshop yesterday Wednesday, 6th May 2015, the Director Quality Assurance, Dr. Vincent Ssembatya welcomed all participants and facilitators to the workshop and noted that Makerere ought to understand and appreciate the attributes of being a research-led university and constantly attune her activities and processes accordingly.

Director-QAD, Dr. Vincent Ssembatya (L) addresses supervisors and faciliators as Mr. George Henry Tusiime (R) listens during the Supervisors' Training Workshop launch on 6th May 2015, Piato, Kampala Uganda“We have interpreted being research-led as producing more than 50PhDs at graduation and attaining 30% graduate student enrolment. However, the Higher Education Summit in Dakar has identified Makerere University as one of the flagship universities in Africa which should have 50% of the enrollment as graduate students. This means we are going to be pushed even further and supervision is going to become a big enterprise” noted Dr. Ssembatya.

The workshop is therefore aimed at creating a platform for supervisors to interact with facilitators from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) so as to help preempt hurdles in the path of graduate students, share best practices and put in place measures to implement them across the various academic units. The Sida-funded workshop will bring together 35 supervisors from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), College of Health Sciences (CHS) and the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) to receive training and make recommendations on how to boost graduate completion rates.

Makerere University currently has approximately 700 registered PhD students and annually graduates 70 PhDs, which represents only 10% of the population compared the international average of 20%. The cause of the low completion rates has been attributed to the poor relationship between the supervisor and student among other factors, hence the need for interventional pedagogical graduate student support training sessions to help boost graduation figures to at least 120 PhDs per year.

Dean-School of Education, CEES, Dr. Betty Ezati facilitates the opening session during the training workshopThe first facilitator of the Day and Dean-School of Education, Dr. Betty Ezati who shared on the workshop expectations noted that it was important to provide a point of reflection on how well supervisors had performed and where positive performance had been registered, identify ways of making it even better, and eventually adopt systematic ways of training in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs). She noted that the workshop was also an avenue to share experiences between senior supervisors with longer experience and their junior colleagues with lesser experience. Continuous professional development that facilitates both academic and professional growth was another expectation shared by Dr. Ezati “There is a need to integrate the problem-based learning model as practiced by the College of Health Sciences into teaching practices across other colleges in order to create an environment where both students and lecturers are lifelong learners benefitting from each others’ experiences.”

Facilitating the “Purpose of Graduate Learning” session, Prof. Charles Opolot Okurut contemplated whether last century’s graduates are equipping 21st Century students with relevant skills, especially in the face of rapid technological evolution. He then proceeded to share the aims and goals of graduate training as: to prepare graduates for a lifetime of gainful employment; to produce graduates who will become productive citizens; to provide specialised knowledge, skills and independent experiences; to gain competence in the use of analytical skills such as critical thinking; to remain competitive in the job market, among others.

Prof. Charles Opolot Okurut-CEES facilitated on the Purpose of Graduate Learning, Supervisors' Training Workshop, 6th May 2015, Piato, Kampala UgandaProf. Opolot then shared the following as necessary skills for the 21st Century: the ability to shift jobs and careers more frequently combined with adaptability in acquiring new job skills; Science and Mathematics skills as well as fluency in information and communication technologies; the ability to continuously engage in lifelong learning so as to update both education and job skills; ability to conduct experiments and present results using suitable techniques; ability to learn a set of novel literacy skills based on new media, among others. He however shared low completion rates, academic writing and inability to balance time as key challenges that continue to affect graduate training.

The training which will close on Friday 8th May 2015 with a certificate of participation award ceremony also received feedback from participants key among which included;

•    The need to identify different strengths of students and use them to improve their learning experiences
•    Creation of a regular non-academic platform where students can freely interact with supervisors as a way of building rapport
•    Maximum utilization of systems in place such as the graduate tracking tool www.gradtrack.mak.ac.ug to help improve completion rates
•    Refining training methods to indicate competencies so that student assessments measure the ability to demonstrate applied knowledge
•    Rewarding good supervisors with a percentage of the student’s tuition as well as reconsidering the policy that stipulates applicants for promotions need to be first authors of all publication presented for vetting
•    Instituting a policy on regular graduate seminars so that students receive peer reviews of their research and address most queries prior to the final defence
•    Redesign graduate programmes to cater for students who cannot afford to resign from their jobs to pursue further studies so as to boost completion rates
•    Equip supervisors with skills to secure funding for their less privileged students that drop out due to lack of funding

Article by Public Relations Office

 

Mark Wamai

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Undergraduate Admissions List: Mop-up/Appeals 2025/2026

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The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released lists of Successful appeals and supplementary lists. Below is a list arising from appeals of Government Sponsored candidates who have been admitted:

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Makerere University, DFCU Bank Sign MoU to Advance Innovation, Student Leadership and Research

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Officials from Makerere University and DFCU Bank pose for a group photo at the Main Building Entrance after the MoU signing ceremony on 4th July 2025. Makerere University and DFCU Bank Limited sign a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) designed to enhance academic excellence, advance research and innovation capabilities, and provide crucial student support services through key activities; Annual Tumusiime Muteile Lecture, MakRun and Student activities, 4th July 2025, Council Room, Main Building, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

By Eve Nakyanzi and Atwenda Nancy

Makerere University and DFCU Bank have today signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bolster innovation, student leadership, research and community impact initiatives.

The collaboration which will see the equipping of the Disability Support center for students living with disabilities through the MAK run and more leadership trainings for students will begin this July.

“The MoU will strengthen research collaborations across sectors like agriculture and health and it will also support the Mutebile Centre to assist private sector growth, which is crucial in lifting Africa out of poverty,” said Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor.

Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (R) flanked by Mr. Charles Mudiwa (L) makes his remarks at the MoU signing ceremony. Makerere University and DFCU Bank Limited sign a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) designed to enhance academic excellence, advance research and innovation capabilities, and provide crucial student support services through key activities; Annual Tumusiime Muteile Lecture, MakRun and Student activities, 4th July 2025, Council Room, Main Building, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (R) flanked by Mr. Charles Mudiwa (L) makes his remarks at the MoU signing ceremony.

Speaking during the event, Mr. Charles M. Mudiwa, the DFCU Bank Chief Executive Officer, welcomed the move, noting its alignment with the bank’s mission to transform lives and support national development through four pillars: funding, financial inclusion, enterprise development, and vocational education.

“This MoU crowns years of effort and shared intent between our institutions,” he stated.
Mr. Mudiwa highlighted the bank’s commitment to skilling youth through internships, curriculum development, and support for innovation hubs and centres of excellence at the university.
“We consume the graduates of Makerere. In our most recent graduate intake of 87, 60% were Makerere alumni. The bank allocates around 30 internship positions annually to equip young people with the skills necessary for future roles within the institution,” Mr. Mudiwa, noted.

Representing the student body, Guild President His Excellency, Sentamu Churchill James, commended the partnership as a timely intervention that will empower youth, support SMEs, and expand internship and leadership development opportunities.

Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (2nd L) presents a framed portrait of the Main Building to Mr. Charles Mudiwa (C) as L-R: University Secretary-Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, 91st Guild President-H.E. Ssentamu Churchill James and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration)-Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta witness. Makerere University and DFCU Bank Limited sign a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) designed to enhance academic excellence, advance research and innovation capabilities, and provide crucial student support services through key activities; Annual Tumusiime Muteile Lecture, MakRun and Student activities, 4th July 2025, Council Room, Main Building, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (2nd L) presents a framed portrait of the Main Building to Mr. Charles Mudiwa (C) as L-R: University Secretary-Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, 91st Guild President-H.E. Ssentamu Churchill James and Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration)-Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta witness.

“Students are the heartbeat of the university. This collaboration will empower youth and strengthen their role in national development,” His Excellency Ssentamu, said.

About MAK RUN 2025

The Makerere Run 2025 (#MakRun2025), hosted by the Makerere University Endowment Fund (MAKEF) on 17th August 2025, returns for its fifth edition as Kampala’s premier charity marathon, uniting 8,000+ runners—students, alumni, corporate teams, and elite athletes—to tackle the city’s iconic hills under the theme “Run the Hills for the Future.” This landmark event combines competitive racing with transformative impact, channeling proceeds to strengthen Makerere University’s community programs while offering unmatched branding opportunities for partners through Kampala’s largest university-led sporting spectacle.

The Mak Run, scheduled this year for August 17th, is a flagship initiative that mobilizes students, staff, alumni, and partners to raise funds for projects such as the Disability Support Unit and the Student Centre.

The Writers are Interns in the Public Relations Office, Makerere University

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Diploma in Performing Arts Admission List 2025/26

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The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released the admission list of candidates who passed the special entry examinations for the Diploma in Performing Arts held on Saturday 17th May, 2025

The following have been admitted by the University’s Admissions Committee on Private Sponsorship for the 2025/26 Academic Year

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