General
H.E. Rivoal Visits Mak, Signs French Collaboration MoU
H.E Stéphanie Rivoal, the Ambassador of France to Uganda paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe this morning in his office. She was accompanied by Ms Clotilde Bruter, the Cooperation Attaché for the French Language.
Her Excellency congratulated the Professor Nawangwe on his appointment as the Vice Chancellor of the great institution. Professor Nawangwe welcomed her to the University and said, Makerere is currently ranked 4th in Africa’s top universities.
The purpose of the visit was twofold; one to introduce herself to the new leadership of the University and secondly, introduce the Campus France Desk in Makerere University. The Embassy of France in Uganda is willing to enhance the opportunities of Ugandan students by providing them a quality guiding service in their interest to study in France. She went on to say that, Campus France is the French national agency that aims to promote higher education and international mobility in more than 80 countries. We are planning to start small to demonstrate the relationship between the two countries and inform Ugandans about available opportunities in France. The French language is widely spoken as an international language and many organisations and companies now use it in business and education sectors. There are many masters and postgraduate programmes now offered in English which Ugandan students can apply for and get admission and while in France, they can learn the French language too. Studying in France is cheaper than studying in the United States or the UK.
The French government will assist the Ugandan students by providing free medical insurance services as well as cater for their accommodation in France. There other higher degrees such as Marketing for Diplomats where they can acquire technical skills of marketing their countries and products, look for trade partners as well as internship placements for Uganda graduates in French companies.
As a public and highest institution of learning, Her Excellency appealed to the Vice Chancellor to provide space for this initiative in the International Office. Many Ugandans studied in France and can temporarily be resource persons of presenting to the Ugandan public what is offered in French Universities and other available opportunities. Ms Bruter, the Cooperation Attaché for the French Language will also be available on given days for consultations with a ready computer purposed for this. The Embassy will finance this Desk in addition to other French companies in Uganda that will want to advertise employment positions to Ugandan students.
The Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe thanked Her Excellency for this saying he had a lot of interest in French projects and programmes having done a public presentation for Architecture on behalf of the French Embassy. He pledged his support for this project. He suggested a ‘French Corner’ in the Main Library to publicize French activities through magazines, recorded educational speeches, newspapers, pamphlets, fliers, radio and TV talk shows. It is important that academicians particularly professors and lecturers know both languages that may be required in international conferences and seminars. It would be good to launch the French Corner in the Main Library together with Campus France Desk in the International Office in one grand occasion.
Her Excellency was glad to hear that the Vice Chancellor loves France and that the Franco feeling is present in Uganda. The level of interest in cooperating with Uganda is rising steadily on the French side more so in the area of higher education. The general public will be informed of places for learning French and engaging in French activities and hopes that a “French Moment” will be launched next year.
A Memorandum of Understanding for establishing a Campus France Desk in Makerere University was signed between Her Excellency Stéphanie Rivoal on behalf of the French Embassy and the Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe on behalf of the University. This was witnessed by the Acting Director, Legal Affairs, Mr. Goddy Muhumuza, the International Relations Officer, Ms Martha Muwanguzi and the Cooperation Attaché of the French Embassy, Ms Clotilde Bruter.
Article by Martha L. Muwanguzi International Office
Makerere University has officially launched its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, marking a major milestone in its commitment to strengthening research, innovation, and human capital development in line with Uganda’s national development priorities.
The launch brought together senior government officials, university leadership, and development planners, including the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, and a representative from the National Planning Authority (NPA), alongside the University Vice Chancellor.
A Vision Anchored in National Transformation
Speaking at the launch, the Vice Chancellor underscored the University’s ambition to significantly expand graduate training and strengthen its contribution to national development. He noted that the institution is targeting a return to pre-COVID enrolment levels and a substantial increase in postgraduate numbers by 2030, with a focus on producing highly skilled graduates, innovators, and researchers.
He emphasized that the Strategic Plan positions the University as a key driver of Uganda’s transformation through knowledge generation, innovation, and entrepreneurship, aligned with national priorities.
“The staffing distribution is shown here. Under the approved establishment, we intended to have 419 Professors, but we currently have only 75. We planned for 473 Associate Professors, but currently have only 144. This clearly demonstrates that we still have considerable room for growth in strengthening our academic staff profile,” the VC said.
The VC appreciated researchers and research centres, that continue to attract substantial research funding. He highlighted the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) and the Makerere University Walter Reed Project which attracted approximately US$70 million in international research funding into Uganda.
“When you combine the grants won by all our researchers through competitive international funding, the total exceeds US$200 million,” he said.
In her remarks, the Chairperson of the University Council, Dr. Lorna Magara, described the Strategic Plan as more than an institutional roadmap, calling it “a public covenant with the people of Uganda.”
She noted that the Plan marks “the launch of Makerere University’s next chapter,” adding that decisions taken over the next five years will shape not only the future of the institution, but also Uganda’s development trajectory through graduates, research, innovations, and leadership.
Dr. Magara emphasized Makerere’s unique national role as Uganda’s premier public university, entrusted with public resources and public confidence.
“Every investment made in Makerere must produce measurable value for the people of Uganda,” she said, underscoring the need for accountability, integrity, and impact.
Ambitious Targets for Transformation
The Council Chairperson and the Vice chancellor outlined bold performance targets under the Strategic Plan, including doubling postgraduate enrolment, increasing STEM enrolment from 30% to 55%, improving PhD completion rates from 10% to 35%, and more than doubling peer-reviewed research output, alongside a significant rise in patents and innovations.
Dr. Magara stressed that these targets are not aspirations alone but binding commitments against which institutional performance will be measured.
“Ambition is precisely what this moment demands. A strategic plan is not measured by the elegance of its language, but by the lives it transforms,” she said.
Call for Stronger Governance and Legal Reform
Dr. Magara also highlighted the need for reform of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap. 262, noting that the current legal framework has not kept pace with the evolving realities of university governance and innovation.
She called on Government and Parliament to support a timely review of the Act to enable universities to better optimise knowledge systems, productive assets, and innovation capacity in support of national development.
Government Endorsement and Strategic Alignment
Hon. Henry Musasizi commended the University for developing a forward-looking Strategic Plan aligned with Uganda’s Vision 2040 and the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which serves as the foundation for the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
He explained that Uganda’s ambition to grow its economy from about USD 50 billion to USD 500 billion requires accelerated growth driven by productivity gains, innovation, and strong human capital development.
“Universities are central actors in national transformation. They are engines of knowledge creation, innovation, and human capital development,” he said.
The Minister stressed that government priorities include strengthening research, promoting industrialization, and ensuring that knowledge generated in universities is translated into practical solutions that support economic growth. He further highlighted the importance of accountability, efficiency, and value for money in public investments in higher education.
Universities as Drivers of the Tenfold Growth Strategy
In his presentation, the Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, Samuel Kasule, emphasized that the Strategic Plan is firmly anchored in Uganda’s comprehensive development framework under Vision 2040 and NDP IV.
He noted that the Tenfold Growth Strategy seeks to accelerate Uganda’s economic growth into double-digit territory, enabling the country to achieve structural transformation and reach upper middle-income status.
Kasule underscored that universities play a critical role in this transformation through labour productivity, research, and innovation. He pointed out that priority sectors such as agriculture, tourism, minerals, oil and gas, and ICT depend heavily on skilled graduates and strong research ecosystems.
He also highlighted the importance of competency-based education, alignment of academic programmes with national human resource needs, and strengthening postgraduate training and research outputs.
A Shared Commitment to Transformation
Across all speeches, a strong message emerged: universities are central to Uganda’s development agenda and must evolve into research-intensive institutions that directly contribute to economic transformation.
The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 was widely commended for its focus on innovation, industry collaboration, digital transformation, and the commercialization of research outputs.
Government leaders reaffirmed continued support for higher education institutions through research funding, innovation ecosystems, and strengthened university–industry partnerships.
Conclusion
The launch of the Strategic Plan 2030 signals a renewed commitment to positioning the University as a key partner in Uganda’s development journey. With strong alignment to national priorities, the Plan is expected to accelerate research, innovation, and skills development necessary for achieving Uganda’s long-term economic ambitions. The Strategic Plan may be accessed at: https://mak.ac.ug/about/strategic-plan
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