General
Mak Signs Agreement to Fast Track Collaboration With Taiwanese Institutions
Makerere University has today Friday 13th October 2017 signed an agreement with Dr. Jeff J.L. Lin and his wife Mrs. Mei Yvan, aimed at creating a formal avenue through which Taiwanese institutions can collaborate with Makerere and other Ugandan institutions in aspects such as exchange of staff, students, research, among others.
Speaking at the brief event held at the Directorate of Legal Affairs (DLA), Makerere University, the Acting Director Mr. Goddy Muhumuza thanked Dr. Lin and his wife Mei for their hospitality, love and heart of giving in not only identifying but also choosing to bridge the gap of cooperation between Taiwan and Uganda.
Today’s agreement signing ceremony had its genesis in the 29th Summer Universiade “Collegiate Olympics” held in Taipei, Taiwan from 19th to 30th August 2017, where Mr. Muhumuza and the delegation from Uganda had the opportunity to interact with the couple. “Dr. Jeff J. L. Lin and his wife Mei Yvan mobilized the Taiwan-Africa Business Association and hosted the Uganda Team to a very colourful lunch where a delicious meal was served. At the same function, Dr. Lin and his wife Mei announced a gift of a motorcycle to each of the Ugandan Gold and Bronze medal winners” shared Mr. Muhumuza.
The couple later on also agreed to donate a motorcycle worth approximately UGX 4million to the Directorate of Legal Affairs.
In his remarks, Dr. Jeff J.L. Lin; a holder of dual citizenship from Taiwan and Uganda, thanked Mr. Muhumuza for arranging the visit and preparing the agreement. He also congratulated Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe upon his election as Vice Chancellor and thanked him as well as members of Management present for attending the signing ceremony despite their respective busy schedules.
“Taiwan is strong in disciplines of Medicine, Agriculture, Biotechnology and Technology but does not have a good social sciences background. Makerere is strong in the Humanities and Law and we therefore want to introduce Makerere to National Taiwan University and Tsing Hua University which are both highly ranked globally. Our hope is that young students and academics will benefit from this partnership,” said Dr. Lin.
Mrs. Mei Yvan on her part has spent twenty five years living and working in Africa. “Sixteen years ago, I was volunteering as Assistant Lecturer in the Department of Music, Dance and Drama. Also, both our sons were born in Africa so Africa is home to us,” she shared. “Although we are business people, we also value social responsibility. Dr. Lin’s passion has always been to bring goodness and joy to people” she added.
Following a brief signing ceremony, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe thanked Dr. Lin and his wife Mei for their good spirit of benevolence and for their donation of a brand new motorcycle to DLA. This, he noted, would greatly aid the Directorate in its daily operations.
“We have a lot to learn from each other” said Prof. Nawangwe, “Taiwan is an island that has moved from an underdeveloped nation to an economic superpower in the last fifty years” he elaborated.
The Vice Chancellor further observed that Taiwanese Universities are ranked highly by global rankings and are a source of modern technology that has accelerated growth and development of other sectors like agriculture in the island nation. Taiwan has been able to grow enough food to feed its population and export the surplus. He noted that Uganda has a high population growth rate and unless this was checked or matched with surplus production, food security would be a big problem in the face of the impacts of climate change such as prolonged drought.
“Collaboration with Taiwanese Universities is therefore the best thing that can happen to Makerere, not only in the fields of Law and Humanities but also other vital areas such as Agriculture and Medicine. As Makerere University, we will do all that is possible to ensure that this collaboration happens” said Prof. Nawangwe.
He also expressed happiness that in Dr. Lin, Makerere had found a direct link and advocate who is familiar with both Ugandan and Taiwanese cultures, “exchange of cultures is very important” added the Vice Chancellor. He concluded his remarks by thanking Mr. Muhumuza for ensuring that the collaboration had taken off. “We look forward to an extensive collaboration between Makerere and Taiwanese Universities.“
The signing ceremony was attended by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang, Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences-Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali who represented the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance & Administration)-Prof. William Bazeyo, University Secretary-Mr. Charles Barugahare, Acting Director Human Resources-Mrs. Dorothy Senoga Zake and Acting Director Internal Audit-Mr. Patrick Akonyet. Also present were Mr. Peter Mubiru who represented the University Bursar-Mr. Augustine Tamale and DLA Staff.
Article by Public Relations 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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