General
Xiangtan University hails Makerere University for promoting multilingualism
The President of Xiangtan University Prof. Huang Yunqing has appreciated Makerere University for teaching and promoting Chinese language in Uganda.
President Prof. Yunqing made the remarks when he paid a courtesy call on the Acting Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang on Tuesday 15th December 2015 in the Office of the Vice Chancellor from 10:30am to 11:20am. The Courtesy Call preceded the celebrations of the one year Anniversary of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University scheduled to take place on the same day in the Main Hall.
Accompanied by Eight (8) delegates from China, Prof. Huang thanked Makerere University for being a spring board for Chinese language and culture in Uganda.
“The support you have rendered to the Confucius Institute at Makerere University has enabled us to promote and teach Chinese language and culture, as well as developing and strengthening the China-Uganda political, social, cultural and business relationship in Uganda,” said Prof. Huang Yunqing.
Since its inauguration on Friday 19th December 2015, the Confucius Institute at Makerere University has opened up various branches in Uganda to offer courses to the general public interested in learning Chinese. The Institute is also well known for promoting cultural and business ties between the people of Uganda and China.
On behalf of Makerere University, Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang equally thanked the Government of the People’s Republic of China and Xiangtan University, for supporting the Confucius Institute at Makerere University.
“Many of our students and staff have greatly benefited from learning Chinese language at the Institute. They have attained knowledge and information on Chinese culture, won scholarships to study in China and some of them have been employed in Chinese companies in Uganda,” he said.
Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) added that Makerere University would work hand in hand with the Xiangtan University and the Chinese Embassy in Uganda to ensure that the Confucius Institute achieves its objectives of spreading Chinese culture, promoting the Chinese language as well as the Uganda-China friendship.
In the same spirit, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Makerere University, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe applauded the Government and People of China for the reception and support always accorded to Ugandans who pursue studies in China.
The Ugandan Director-Confucius Institute at Makerere University Prof. Oswald Ndoleriire highlighted that Makerere University has benefited from the long term collaboration with a number of Chinese Universities, engaged and interacted with several experts to promote the learning of international languages.
In memory of the continued collaboration, the delegates from China and Makerere University officials exchanged souvenirs and gifts.
Other officials who attended the Courtesy Call include: Prof. Hong Yonghong, Chinese Director-Confucius Institute at Makerere University; Prof. Oswald Ndoleriire, Ugandan Director- Confucius Institute at Makerere University; Mr. Rodney RugyemaAdministrator-Confucius Institute at Makerere University, Mrs. Mary Tizikara, Director-Human Resources Makerere University; Mr. Goddy Muhumuza-Senior Legal Officer; and Ms Ritah Namisango, Senior Public Relations Officer.
After the Courtesy Call, Prof. Oswald Ndoleriire and Prof. Hong Yonghong led the Xiangtan University delegates, to tour the premises of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University. The Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof. Edward K. Kirumira together with his family then hosted the Xiangtan University delegates and the team from the Confucius Institute to a sumptuous luncheon at his official residence.
Written by: Charles Iga and Proscovia Nabatte, Interns-Mak Public Relations Office.
Edited by: Ritah Namisango,Senior Public Relations Officer, Makerere University
General
Advanced Research Methods Training of Trainers Sparks Transformation in Doctoral Training at Makerere University
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has intensified efforts to strengthen graduate supervision and research excellence through a dynamic three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop in Advanced Research Methods held from April 28 to 30, 2026 at the Senate Building Telepresence Hall.
The high-impact training, organized by the Directorate of Graduate Training with support from iCARTA and funding from the NORHED Project, brought together lecturers from across colleges including the School of Law, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), College of Natural Sciences (CONAS), College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (COVAB), and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS).
The training aimed to build institutional capacity to enhance supervision of graduate students and improve doctoral completion rates, a long-standing challenge in many universities.
Opening the workshop, Prof. Julius Kikooma underscored the strategic importance of continuous staff development in responding to evolving academic demands.
“This particular training is one of the routine tools that we use as the Directorate of Graduate Training to continuously re-tool and re-engage with staff in response to the requirements of the new policy of teaching and learning,” he said.
Prof. Kikooma highlighted that the training is anchored in the university’s shift toward competence-based education, a model increasingly being adopted globally and nationally.
“We are going to be engaging with very important issues on how to redesign and support learners in this new dispensation of competence-based teaching and learning,” he added.
He also pointed to recent reforms in doctoral training, including the introduction of a structured framework for PhD-by-research programmes aimed at addressing delays in completion.
“The expectation is that all staff should be aware of that framework and appreciate that it is designed such that the student picks up a range of skills and knowledge that gives them competence,” he explained.
The workshop also serves as preparation for lecturers who will facilitate upcoming cross-cutting PhD courses, with a long-term vision of decentralizing doctoral training to individual colleges.
Sharing his perspective, Dr. Robert Kakuru a Lecturer at the department of Philosophy described the training as both necessary and timely for strengthening the university’s academic core.
“By all standards, all academic staff are required to do research and supervise graduate students. Therefore, a ToT in Advanced Research Methods becomes important,” he said.
He noted that while the initiative is commendable, more staff still need to be reached.
“This is still a drop in an ocean we have more than 1,000 academic staff who all need these skills,” he observed.
Dr. Kakuru emphasized that improved understanding of research methods by both lecturers and students could significantly ease doctoral journeys. “Once the lecturers know the methods and the students know the methods, then the job is well cut out,” he said.
He further linked the training to Uganda’s broader development agenda, noting that research plays a central role across sectors. “Research has a multiplier effect… every programme area requires research,” he added.
From the participants’ perspective, Dr. Sarah Nakijjoba, a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Linguistics, English Language Studies & Communication Skills described the training as transformative and aligned with global shifts in higher education.
“We are being encouraged to move away from the traditional knowledge-based methods of teaching and embrace competence-based pedagogy,” she said.
Dr. Nakijjoba explained that the training emphasized learner-centered and practical approaches such as peer review, simulations, case studies, and role play. “Research methods is a practical course and requires learners to go out and do as opposed to just knowing,” she noted.
“This training is timely, it prepares us as instructors to deliver our content effectively,” she said, adding that the knowledge gained would be cascaded to other staff and students.
She also highlighted the wider implications for national development and employability. “If we have graduates who have the ability to problem-solve, they will devise practical solutions to real challenges,” she said, emphasizing the potential for evidence-based policymaking.
Dr. Nakijjoba further described research methods as central to the university’s agenda of being research led. “Research is the engine, the backbone and everything rotates around it,” she said, reinforcing Makerere’s ambition of being a research-led institution.
Participants were also equipped with skills in curriculum design, research ethics, academic writing, and the use of statistical tools, all within a competence-based framework. A key focus was on authentic assessment that measures what learners can do.
The training marks a significant step in Makerere University’s broader strategy to enhance graduate education, strengthen supervision, and produce competent researchers capable of addressing national and global challenges.
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