General
CHUSS showcases research in social sciences and gender relations
On 2nd October 2017, researchers and scientists from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) supported by MAK-Sweden Bilateral Research Cooperation showcased research projects in social sciences and gender that are contributing to social transformation of society.
The Social Sciences and Gender Research Day was a key highlight of the Makerere-Sweden Bilateral Research Cooperation Annual Review Meeting 2017 officially opened by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and presided over by the Ambassador of the Royal Swedish Embassy to Uganda H.E Per Lindgärde.
Following the theme of the Annual Review Meeting, ‘Multidisciplinary Research for Social Transformation,’ the Social Sciences and Gender Research Day provided an opportunity to researchers and scientists from the College to share key findings, discuss and exchange ideas on pertinent issues affecting society.
“Our research focuses on finding solutions to issues that affect the social relationship between humans and their environment. And in Uganda, the most outstanding issues that are currently affecting this relationship include; climate change, energy concerns, natural disasters, food insecurity, human rights abuse, conflict and insecurity among,” said Dr. Andrew Ellias State, Dean School of Social Sciences.
The Principal of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Prof. Edward Kasujja Kirumira appreciated the researchers in the College for undertaking research aimed finding solutions to challenges that are becoming more complex not only in Uganda, but the world at large. “Issues like natural disasters, food insecurity, and human rights abuse are a concern to everyone around the world. I am pleased that our College is working hard to find solutions,” he said.
Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, the Director of Makerere University Directorate of Research and Graduate Training hailed Makerere University together with other partnering Public Universities for creating an environment conducive to high quality relevant research in the country. In a special way he thanked the Swedish collaborators for being a strong pillar in the Makerere University research.
During the interactive sessions moderated by Principal Investigators-Dr. Andrew Ellias State and Dr. Consolata Kabonesa, researchers presented key findings with the audience in order to measure the strength and contributions of the projects in solving the societal problems in the 21st Century.
In research carried out in Amuru and Kabale districts, Dr. Josephine Ahikire aims at Interrogating customary land tenure & women’s land rights in context of reform & large scale investment. She found out that the inherent dilemma of customary tenure is that rights are allocated and sanctioned following the customs of a given community.
“Men still abuse power in the name of custom when it comes to who owns the land. There is limited decision-making and right to fruits of labour on land. The land is poorly governed in these districts. Women find it difficult to translate the letter on property rights,” said Dr. Josephine Ahikire, the Deputy Principal-CHUSS.
Presenting findings on Socio-cultural Values for Sustained Use of Modern Contraceptives: Voices from Central Uganda, Prof. Peter Atekyereza from the Department of Sociology and Anthropology said that the cultural beliefs and norms have increasingly hindered the proper usage of contraceptives in Uganda. According to the research undertaken in Central Uganda, contraceptives are believed to go against the principle of sex that is fresh to fresh. And people still believe in their own traditional birth control methods which have been discovered to be unsuccessful.
Prof. Rev. Sister Dominic Dipio in her research on Mother Centred Africa from the Lens of Folktales both in the folktales and the interviews, discovered that despite the predominance of patriarchy, actual and symbolic life is organized around the mother and this is what makes matrifocality a given in Africa.
“Evident in folktales from diverse communities under study, the quick-witted mother saves her family from hunger as well as from the ogre who is sometimes led to the family by the self-interested father figure, particularly in trickster tales. Similarly, in contemporary society, women as mothers go out of the way to do all it takes take to provide for their families. This is regardless of whether they are single mothers,” she said.
When investigating and documenting the nature of transformations in smallholder agriculture and gender ideologies that account for effective utilization of the NAADS government policy by farmers in Kijongo village, Dr. Henry Manyire said that Masculinity and femininity is still defined in the traditional context of smallholder agriculture. He stated that roles, responsibilities and allocation of resources are still traditionally gendered.
“Decision making within the household, on the farm, in markets, on income and expenditures are still male dominated,” he said.
Looking at the Social protection and Disability in central Uganda: The case of the youth and children living with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (SBH), Prof. Anthony Mugeere a lecturer and post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Sociology & Anthropology said that his research was informed by the need to explore the nature, functioning and contribution of the existing social protection systems for children and youth with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus (SBH).
Dr. Mugeere said that although there are strong incentives for including children and youth living with SBH in social protection policies, the action is hampered by a range of bottlenecks such as political will, availability of data, appropriate legislation, economic resources, stigma and discrimination.
Speaking about the need to bridge the gap that exists between Persons with Disabilities and other people and they can both enjoy the benefits of development, Dr. Julius Omona said that there is need to revisit some of the policies, whether in the short or long run, so that issues of disabilities are included, where they are currently not explicitly acknowledged.
Other presentations included:
• Technology Gender Relations and Household Decision Making Processes on the Access to and Use of Mobile Phones and Radio for Agricultural Production: A Case of Farmers in Apac District, Northern Uganda by Mr. David Mugambe Mpiima
• Gender and Economic Transformation in Uganda’s Agricultural Sector: The Case of Kijongo Village, Mugusu Sub County, Kabarole District, Uganda by Dr. Henry Manyire
• The Drivers and Efficacy of Social Accountability on Service Delivery: The Case of UPE in Uganda by Prof. William Muhumuza
• “Technologizing” Orality: Toward a Hybrid Model of Oral Media for Rural Communities in Central Uganda by Dr. Aaron Mushengyezi
Held in the Makerere University Main Hall, the Social Sciences and Gender Research Day was coordinated by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) with support from the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) and the Embassy of Sweden in Uganda.
Article by: MAK Public Relations Office
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged its newly admitted PhD students to go beyond pursuing academic qualifications and become independent scholars capable of generating knowledge, solving societal problems and contributing to Africa’s transformation.
The call was made by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, during the orientation of the 2026/2027 PhD cohort at Makerere University’s Main Hall in the Main Building on 10th August 2026.
Prof. Ssali told the new scholars that a PhD marks a fundamental shift from previous levels of education, requiring students to take greater responsibility for their academic progress rather than depending entirely on lecturers and supervisors.
“You will have to push yourself and also push your supervisor to move with you,” Prof. Ssali said, urging the students to take ownership of their doctoral journey.
She acknowledged that many PhD students have to balance their studies with employment, family responsibilities and community leadership, making doctoral training demanding. However, she urged them to remain focused on completing their programmes within the prescribed three, four or five years.
Prof. Ssali said Makerere expects its doctoral training to produce scholars who can create knowledge, challenge existing ideas and develop solutions to societal problems.
She encouraged the students to embrace ambiguity and become comfortable questioning what they already know, noting that doctoral education requires scholars to identify important questions, investigate them and generate answers that advance knowledge.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor also urged the students to develop interdisciplinary collaborations and scholarly networks rather than confining their research to their individual disciplines.
She said the success of doctoral education should not be measured merely by the number of dissertations completed or papers published, but by the extent to which research contributes to society.
With Africa facing complex challenges, including climate change, disease, population growth and development pressures, Prof. Ssali said PhD scholars have a responsibility to generate evidence that can influence policy, strengthen institutions and advance innovation.
She challenged each scholar to continually ask what problem their research addresses, what solution it advances and whether that solution can create sustainable value.
The Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, said the new cohort was joining Makerere at a time when the University is implementing reforms aimed at strengthening graduate education and improving completion rates.
Prof. Kikooma revealed that Makerere received close to 12,000 applications across its master’s, postgraduate and PhD programmes but admitted about 6,000 students.
He said graduate education has been placed at the centre of the University’s efforts to strengthen research capacity and prepare scholars to contribute to knowledge production and innovation.
Under the reforms, PhD students will undertake compulsory cross-cutting courses designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for doctoral research. They will also be required to undertake teaching in either their second or third year under the guidance of their supervisors.
In addition to completing their theses, students will be required to produce at least two publications before graduation, a requirement intended to prepare them to become the next generation of researchers, innovators, inventors and creators.
Makerere has also introduced a digital system to monitor the progress of every PhD student each semester. The system is intended to enable students, supervisors and university officials to identify challenges early and intervene in real time.
Prof. Kikooma urged the scholars to write regularly, think critically, maintain open and constructive relationships with their supervisors and protect their academic integrity and professional reputation.
He also encouraged them to build scholarly networks and remain resilient, noting that rejected papers, disappointing data and unexpected challenges are normal aspects of doctoral training.
The Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, Prof. Robert Wamala, challenged the scholars to ensure that the knowledge they produce is trustworthy, responsible and ethically sound.
Prof. Wamala emphasized the importance of respecting the dignity, rights, safety and autonomy of research participants, particularly where studies involve individuals, communities and personal information.
He highlighted informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, justice and accountability as critical principles of ethical research and urged students to maintain transparency throughout the research process, from developing research questions and collecting data to analyzing and reporting findings.
Prof. Wamala also cautioned the students on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research.
He said although AI can assist researchers with activities such as language improvement, it does not remove the researcher’s responsibility for the final product.
Researchers, he said, must verify AI-generated information and remain accountable for inaccurate statements, misleading interpretations and incorrect references.
He further urged students involved in international and other research collaborations to establish clear agreements on roles, authorship, data ownership, access and intellectual property before commencing their research.
The Deputy University Librarian, Dr. Kizito Ongaya, meanwhile, urged the new scholars to make full use of Makerere’s library and information resources throughout their doctoral journey.
Dr. Ongaya said the University operates a hybrid library system combining physical and electronic resources, with more than 200,000 books, 45 e-journal databases and over 16,000 archival materials available to researchers.
He encouraged the students to participate in library training to learn how to access and effectively use electronic resources and to explore specialized libraries and information centers across the University’s colleges.
These include resources covering natural sciences, agriculture, veterinary medicine, health sciences, education and humanities, as well as museums, botanical gardens, specialized collections and other research facilities.
The newly admitted doctoral students were also addressed by Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre, Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba, the Deputy University Bursar and members of Makerere University Convocation.
Makerere University has once again cemented its place as a regional leader in academic excellence after successfully hosting the East African Universities Debate Championships (EAUDC) 2026, welcoming the continent’s brightest young minds for a week of intellectual competition, cultural exchange, and leadership development.
Held from 26th July to 1st August 2026, the championship brought together more than 200 student debaters, adjudicators and delegates from 25 universities across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and other invited institutions, transforming the Ivory Tower into East Africa’s premier arena for ideas, innovation and public discourse.
The week-long tournament featured rigorous British Parliamentary debate rounds, public speaking competitions, adjudication workshops and networking sessions designed to sharpen critical thinking, leadership and persuasive communication. Participants debated contemporary issues ranging from governance and economic transformation to technology, public health, climate change and Africa’s future.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Vice Chancellor welcomed delegates to Makerere University, emphasizing the institution’s enduring commitment to nurturing graduates who are not only academically accomplished but also capable of leading meaningful conversations that shape society. The championship reflected Makerere’s vision of producing graduates who are innovative, analytical and prepared to address regional and global challenges.
Beyond competition, EAUDC 2026 became a celebration of East African unity. Delegates experienced Uganda’s rich cultural heritage through social events, campus tours and cultural showcases that fostered friendships beyond national borders. The interactions reinforced the championship’s belief that dialogue remains one of the strongest foundations for regional integration and peaceful cooperation.
The tournament concluded with an electrifying Grand Finale witnessed by students, alumni, university leaders, invited guests and debate enthusiasts. The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports Hon. Eng. Cuthbert Abigaba represented the Speaker of Parliament as the Guest of Honour. In his remarks he congratulated Makerere University on the successful event and encouraged debate among students.
Prof Sarah Ssali the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs at Makerere University pledged continuous support from the administration towards Makerere Debate Union. Teams demonstrated exceptional research, analytical reasoning and eloquence before a distinguished panel of international adjudicators, bringing to a close one of the most competitive editions of the championship.
The successful hosting of EAUDC 2026 marks another milestone in Makerere University‘s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for debating and public speaking. The event builds on the university’s long-standing tradition of producing outstanding debaters while providing students with opportunities to engage with peers from across the region in meaningful intellectual exchange.
As the championship drew to a close, participants departed Kampala with new friendships, stronger networks and renewed inspiration to continue using debate as a tool for leadership, democratic participation and social transformation.
With the East African chapter successfully concluded, attention now turns to the Pan-African Universities Debating Championship (PAUDC) 2026, where Makerere University will once again represent East Africa on the continental stage.
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