General
Second Session of the 67th Mak Graduation Ceremony: Over 4000 students graduate
During the Second Session held on Wednesday 22nd February 2017 in the Freedom Square, a total of 4, 483 graduands were presented to the Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma for conferment of Makerere University and award of diplomas in the respective disciplines.
The 67th Graduation Ceremony of Makerere University kicked off on Tuesday 21st February 2017.The following Colleges presented graduands during the Second Session:
· College of Business and Management Sciences—-2,218 graduands
· College of Computing and Information Sciences—1,368 graduands
· College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security—314 graduands
· College of Health Sciences—583 graduands
After the Anthems, Rev. Fr. Josephat Ddungu, Chaplain − Makerere University St. Augustine Chapel dedicated the graduands, University leadership and the congregation to the Almighty God. The Chaplain glorified God for the gift of life, the gift of graduands, the continuous growth of Makerere University, and the gift of the rain. He appealed to the Almighty God to bless the graduands with employment, wisdom and a fruitful life.
Amidst jubilation, the Chancellor Professor Suruma congratulated the overjoyed graduands upon their academic achievement. He commended the graduands for the spirit of hard work, endurance and self control. He urged the graduands to use the knowledge and skills acquired to contribute to the betterment of society, and in the execution of duty and/or face of challenges and trials, to remain kind and loving.
“Now the hour has come for you to go out to the field, to fight the good fight, to run the race for which you have been preparing. I hope you will remember love in the middle of the tough battles ahead. I hope you will struggle for the possibility of joy in a sad world. Ponder the possibility of godliness and contentment in a broken world. Remember love in a loveless world,” remarked the Chancellor.
Chancellor Suruma congratulated members of staff who rose to the rank of Professor for their tremendous contribution to academia, knowledge discourse, policy formulation, and mentorship of the next generation of academics and leaders.
Addressing the congregation, the Vice Chancellor Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu highlighted a number of institutional achievements at the national and international levels including breakthroughs in research and innovations realized by staff and students in the aforementioned colleges.
The Vice Chancellor urged graduands to use the education skills and experience they received from Makerere University to add value to Uganda’s development process and consolidate the gains that have been scored.
“Go out of the gates of Makerere University with passion, with a determination to use your knowledge to improve yourself, your family and your country. Always remember your alma mater– Makerere University,” Prof. Ddumba-Ssentamu said.
Recognizing academic excellence, the Chancellor Prof. Suruma handed over a plaque, cash prize of one million shillings and an assortment of souvenirs from Makerere University Convocation to the best performing student in the Science based disciplines. Mr. Mukalele Rogers scored a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.91, Bachelor of Information Technology (First Class-Honours) degree. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ddumba-Ssentamu congratulated Mr. Mukalele Rogers as well as the leadership and staff from the College of Computing and Information Sciences upon this academic milestone.
The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) recognized the best performing student – Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting Option). The Chancellor together with the representative of ACCA, Ms Dorothy Mutabaazi handed over a plaque and an education grant of 2.7million shillings to Mr. Bukenya Eddy who scored a Cumulative Grade Point Average of 4.45 (First Class Honours) degree.
The Department of Performing Arts and Film led by their Head; Associate Professor Sylvia Antonia Nannyonga-Tamusuza and the Police Band entertained the congregation.
To detailed speeches are provided below:
Speech by the Chancellor, Professor Ezra Suruma
Speech by the Chairperson Makerere University Council Eng. Dr Wana Etyem
Speech by the Vice Chancellor, Professor John Ddumba-Ssentamu
Mak Public Relations Office
By Gerald Ochwo
On 25th March 2025, a delegation of Registrars from Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) undertook a benchmarking exercise at Makerere University, with a specific focus on the latter’s pioneering efforts in academic records digitalization. The delegation, led by Dr. Dickson Kalungi, Ag. Deputy Academic Registrar was received by Mr. Charles Ssentongo, Deputy Academic Registrar in charge of Admissions and Records Division, who represented the Academic Registrar (AR), Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi.
The visit was prompted by Makerere University‘s trailblazing achievements in digitalizing academic records, as exemplified by the Digitalization of Academic Records Project (DARP). This initiative has been instrumental in creating a centralized, digital one stop repository of all University’s academic records, thereby enhancing the efficiency, accuracy, and security of academic records management.
In his welcoming remarks, Mr. Ssentongo conveyed the Academic Registrar’s message and highlighted Makerere University‘s efforts to digitalize all its processes and records. He further noted that the university is intentional about creating a digital ecosystem that makes academic records retrieval easy and efficient.
“As a university, we are now intentional with the digitalization of all our processes including, digitization of our manual records that date as way back as the inception of Makerere University. Currently, the DARP project as gone as far as creating a one stop center for both Academic document verification and certification, whereby our former graduates, will only need to access the online verification and certification portal and submit their documents without necessarily having to travel many physical distances to Makerere University” Mr. Ssentongo remarked.
In his appreciation remarks, the MUST head of delegation, Dr. Dickson Kalungi, thanked the Academic Registrar for honoring their request to come and learn from the best practices that exist at Makerere University and particularly commended the Department for the great steps and strides made in pioneering modern Academic records storage management systems.
“I want to sincerely thank the Office of the Academic Registrar for sparing time and organizing this meeting. As a University, we have embarked on a transformative change drive whereby we intend to automate all our registry processes including, the management of Academic Records. The DARP project at Makerere University, has been one project where we draw a number of lessons and we are eager to go and implement some of the best practices we have observed here today”
Conclusion
The benchmarking exercise undertaken by Mbarara University of Science and Technology demonstrates the significance of Makerere University and particularly, the Office of the Academic Registrar’s achievements in academic records digitalization. The DARP project serves as a model for other institutions to follow, highlighting the importance of investing in digital solutions to enhance the efficiency, accuracy, and security of academic records management. It further demonstrates the university’s commitment to sharing knowledge and best practices with other institutions. Makerere University‘s efforts in digitalizing academic records have set a high standard for other universities to emulate, and the DARP project is a shining example of innovation and excellence in academic records management.
Gerald Ochwo is the Liaison Officer, Office of the Academic Registrar
-
General2 weeks agoMastercard Foundation Scholars Program Scholarship Announcement AY 2025/2026
-
General3 days agoPre-Entry Examinations for Admission to Bachelor of Laws 2025/26
-
General5 days agoSsentamu Churchill Sworn-in as 91st Makerere Guild President
-
Business & Management2 weeks agoThe Women RISE Project: Building Resilience among Adolescent Girls and Young Women in Artisanal Mining Communities through Transformative Research
-
Education2 weeks agoCEES Holds Open Day and Skills Expo to Empower Future Educators