General
MAK 83rd Students’ Guild equipped with knowledge and skills
The 83rd Makerere University Guild has acquired valuable knowledge and skills aimed at enhancing their leadership abilities and service delivery to students.
Officially opened by the Dean of Students, Mr. Cyriaco Kabagambe on Saturday 21st October 2017, the two day Student Leaders’ Induction and Training workshop highlighted the: Governance Structure of Makerere University, Prospects and opportunities of a student leader, Financing procedures and regulations in the University, Team Building, Leadership experiences, public speaking as well a presentation on effective public relations and communication.
Delivering a presentation titled, “Public Speaking-A skill for effective leadership,” on Sunday 22nd October 2017, Mr. Ronald Mayanja, the Chief Executive Officer of Ability Explored and an alumnus of Makerere University urged the participants comprising the Dean of Students, Deputy Dean of Students, Wardens of Halls of Residence, and student leaders to adopt public speaking as a great tool in executing their duties and responsibilities.
Student leaders at the University have been encouraged to take on several strategies which they should employ in order to be good public speakers who have the ability to arouse interest in their audience especially the fellow youths whom they serve.
Mr. Mayanja, who is also a motivational speaker advised student leaders to learn the push and pull aspect in order to persuade your audience, exercise optimism and confidence coupled with directing their attention and sight to their audience in order to defeat objections and criticisms, and to focus on their dressing code and appearance before the audience.
Mr. Mayanja finalized by asserting the leaders need to always use attention attracting stories, use gestures wisely to engage and captivate the audience.
Speaking at the same workshop, Ms. Ritah Namisango, the Senior Public Relations Officer of Makerere University emphasized the need for the student leaders and the entire students’ body to use the right Makerere University logos when executing official duties. She added that the leaders should take lead since they are the best ambassadors of the University.
“You are the right ambassadors to tell the good story of Makerere University. Communicate to fellow students and the public about the innovations and milestones in research in the different colleges. Even when we face challenges, always focus on what the University Administration is doing to solve the issues at hand,” Ms. Namisango noted.
Seeking the support of the student leaders in popularizing the policies at Makerere University and activities that help to promote the University, Ms. Namisango requested them to always work with the respective College Communication Officers.
She concluded by thanking the 83rd Students’ Guild for choosing to dialogue with the University Management to resolve some of the issues of concern raised by the students.
The Guild President, H.E Kato Paul advised his counterparts to be good listeners, analytical in order to avoid politicizing Makerere University matters, and to always be professional when handling student oriented matters/issues of concern.
Closing the workshop, the Dean of Students commended the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University-Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe for supporting the Student leaders’ Induction and Training workshop. He thanked the Wardens of the respective Halls of Residence for organising a successful workshop as well as the Student Leaders for actively participating in the workshop.
Written by: Student Volunteers- Marion Apio, Namagembe Eva, Ndyabawe Waswa Myres
By Moses Lutaaya
The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) has in collaboration with Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors.
Participants were academic staff from two colleges namely, College of Engineering, Art and Design (CEDAT) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).
The three-day training that took place at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building ended on Friday 20thJune 2025.
In his closing remarks to the participants, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “This is the first cohort we are working together with the Center for Teaching and Learning to put together continuous professional development Program so that we are able to enforce the new teaching and learning policy.”
He said that before lecturers are allocated students for supervision, they must first go through this form of formal teaching and learning training to equip them thoroughly with certification required of supervision of graduate students.
“We are coming up with process to ensure that the certificates earned by participants allow you to supervise graduate students. This is the direction of the university and we must ensure that such trainings are concluded and completed successfully by all participants”, Prof. Kikooma.
“We can only have you certified upon completing all the exercises in the training process. This is when you will be eligible to receive the work load for supervision”, He added.
“This training of Supervisors is going to be continuous so that all academic staff in colleges and schools are equipped. This first cohort is going to be our building block to the future trainings in the colleges.”
With such capacity building trainings, Prof. Kikooma said that the university is on the right path to achieving its targets in the new strategic plan of increasing the number of graduate students while progressively reducing the under graduate students.
He further hinted that, “We are in the process of writing a curriculum on this, which will be presented for approval before it is rolled out.”
He echoed all participants to share the knowledge they have acquired adding, “Share all you have learnt, do not keep it. Be open minded, have proper communication channels and the sky will be the limit for you.”
Dr. Robinah N. Kulabako, The Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CEDAT welcomed the training adding, “This training is very pertinent. I have had the opportunity to supervise Masters and PhD students for over 15 years and I must say that the need to be subjected to this training cannot be over emphasized because there is need to learn, unlearn and relearn many aspects involved in the supervision process.”
She added, “We are moving towards knowledge-based supervision rather than experience-based supervision. This means we must be informed and equipped to be able to advise, guide and mentor to be able to lead a successful supervision journey for both supervisor and supervisee.”
Dr. Andrew Gilbert Were – a lecturer at CEDAT and a participant said, “It is important that all supervisors of graduate students receive this certification from Makerere University through a systematic training process that enables them to attain diverse skills to facilitate learning of graduate students from diverse cultures and with unique set of circumstances.”
“This training is long overdue. In fact, it was an oversight that we could be allowed to supervise students without undergoing supervisors’ training.”
Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, The Director Centre for Teaching and Learning support- CEES said, “The training this time round has had a mix of early career professionals including Lecturers, Supervisors and Professors share experiences. We have learnt a lot more from experienced supervisors who have shared practices on how they have done supervision over the years.”
“The knowledge and experience-based approaches have made this collaboration very active, interactive and learner centered which has resulted into a collaborative learning from the interdisciplinarity of staff from CEDAT and CAES. The issue now is to continue with professional development across all levels.” She added.
The Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors. This activity was supported by the iCARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.
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