General
Rankings Driving Change as Universities Learn to ‘Play The Game’
The ranking of universities is a trend that has brought a lot of change to the global higher education sector. News headlines are seasonally dominated by “the rankings” as universities wait with bated breath to see if they have gained a slot, maintained or slipped up in position on the league tables. Each ranking presents its own unique methodology and matrices, whose weighting criteria is subject to change. This often rubs some participating institutions the wrong way but be that as it may, rankings are here to stay and most institutions that hitherto ignored them are slowly learning to pay attention.
At Makerere University, rankings have attracted and continue to attract their fair share of recognition as well as criticism. To help create a platform to share these varying views, the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) organised a Public Forum in the Main Hall on Wednesday, 8th November 2017. Held under the theme “Ranking and Internationalisation in Higher Education-New Developments and Implications for African Universities” the forum brought together academic and administrative staff from Makerere and other Universities based in Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania and Germany.
In his remarks, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration)-Prof. William Bazeyo who represented the Vice Chancellor-Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe commended CEES for choosing a theme that sought to address the impact of rankings on the visibility of Universities.
He noted that whereas most rankings employ different methodologies, development partners always prefer highly ranked institutions over their lower ranking compatriots when it comes to grants disbursement. “They too want to put their money where they will be seen; partners are looking to work with those they can be identified with” remarked Prof. Bazeyo.
Prof. Bazeyo thanked development partners from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and the Centre for Higher Education Development (CHE) Germany for sponsoring the forum. “I urge the African teams that have been invited to this forum to subject yourself to these rankings, although you must prepare. As leaders of African Institutions, we must motivate ourselves to be that institution that people want to go to” he advised.
“How can you rank Makerere University which was incepted in 1922 in the same league with Kyambogo University incepted in 2003?” questioned the day’s emcee Dr. Anthony Mugagga Muwagga as he sought to put the topic in perspective. “Some say ranking is a Euro-based concept but is the University entirely and African concept?” Dr. Mugagga continued to probe. He nevertheless noted that as players in the global academic arena, African universities were subject to a lot of evaluation and should therefore do their best to comply and thereafter compete.
“Ranking is part of our world today and we need to learn how to work with it,” remarked Dr. Betty Ezati as she presented on the topic Balancing Global pressure and local demand: The dilemma of ranking for Ugandan Universities.
She noted that the Ugandan Higher Education sector is split into the two distinct subsectors of Universities and Tertiary institutions, with a total enrolment of 250,000 students. Whereas this enrollment is low compared to international and regional standards, league tables presented by the rankings had helped to attract students to those institutions which ranked higher, led to the growth of their student populations and inevitably helped distinguish those that paid more attention to quality assurance.
Dr. Ezati however observed that Ugandan universities still faced the dilemma of either focusing on the core function of teaching the ever growing university enrollment or cutting down on admissions to concentrate on research which is often prioritized by rankings. “60% of our population might be below the age of 18 and most students admitted are underprepared and so we have to teach more. Our universities face a big dilemma” she said.
African universities are also subject to slow internet connectivity and obsolete ICT infrastructure, a factor that pits them disadvantageously with their better facilitated American, Asian, Australian and European counterparts. Nevertheless, allocations to research, infrastructure development and innovation are on the steady increase as rankings gain more recognition by African Governments.
Tackling the question Do rankings drive change? Prof. Dr. Frank Ziegele from the Centre of Higher Education (CHE), Germany argued that league tables do have impact on four levels namely; Policy, Strategy & Management of Institutions, Industrial behavior & Academia and Student demand. He cited countries such as Russia, China and Malaysia that had instituted policies that invested a lot of finances in key universities to turn them into world class institutions. Others such as Denmark had merged several small institutions into large multidisciplinary universities.
Prof. Ziegele nevertheless decried these practices because funding of key universities was at the expense of the smaller regional ones, leading to stratified systems that frustrated professors in “second class” universities. He further lamented the rankings’ consideration of only publications that make it to high quality peer reviewed journals which prioritize Medicine and Natural Sciences at the expense of the humanities and applied sciences.
“Sometimes league tables do not lead to increase in performance but to more intelligence, how to play the game; how to use tricks to raise your position. For instance German universities have a large project running which has the main focus of making professors mention the right affiliation in their publications. So we invest a lot in playing the game” shared Prof. Ziegele.
He noted that whereas league tables had the advantage of creating competition and enhancing public awareness, most rankings were unfair to non-English speaking countries like Germany, France and often employed random weighting techniques. “We all know that if you change the weights, you can make universities move up and down the league tables” said Prof. Ziegele, further adding “one specific type of university is made the gold standard for all universities but the truth is that they are different and this damaging!”
As a way forward Prof. Ziegele proposed that rankings should be multidimensional and develop a model such as the European Commission funded U-Multirank. U-Multirank is an independent ranking where universities can populate the database with information on aspects of research, teaching and learning, international orientation, knowledge transfer and regional engagement. These are then weighted according to international standards and the resulting performance profiles can then be used by universities to develop specific strategies to improve on those aspects.
The day’s presentations were split into two sessions chaired by Dr. David Onen from the East African School of Higher Educational Studies and Development (EASHESD), who noted that whereas there are several programmes on Primary and Secondary school education and management, few tackled higher education leadership. “Many people have learnt about the higher education system in an ad hoc manner. A forum like this is an opportunity to learn more about the higher education system and we therefore thank the organizers” he said.
The interactive sessions that followed the presentations were charged as participants, citing the random methodologies employed by global rankings, called for the institution of a purely African edition with its own unique parameters and indices backed by South-South partnerships.
Responding to some of the comments and questions, the Dean EASHESD-Dr. Ronald Bisaso noted that whereas participants were justified in calling for a purely African ranking, this would be in total disregard of the Anglophone and Francophone foundations of most institutions.
“Issues to do with quality assurance are most criticised when it comes to rankings. We all want to be visible, but limited ICT infrastructure and our high youth populations are putting pressure on us and yet we want to develop a globally compliant graduate who is relevant to our community” assessed Dr. Bisaso, before adding “Balancing this is one of the conversations that should gain a lot of currency and we should carefully navigate our way so that our students attain both attributes.”
Providing information on the existence of South-South collaborations, the Quality Assurance Director-Dr. Vincent Ssembatya noted that the Centre for Higher Education Transformation (CHET), South Africa came up with a consortium of flagship universities under the banner of being “research-led” in an experiment with seven other countries including; Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Tanzania and Uganda.
“They developed an analytical framework where they are dissecting the missions of these universities to come up with relevant indicators for Africa starting with some universities. Of course there must be some commonalities between these universities that have to be compliant to this framework. I therefore wanted to mention that it has been a concern and hopefully, it will keep on moving forward” shared Dr. Ssembatya.
He nevertheless emphasized the need for African universities to prioritise data collection for all their functions so as to feed into user-driven rankings such as U-Multirank. He also noted that African universities shouldn’t ignore rankings because of their random methodologies but rather embrace them especially as globalisation becomes more of a reality.
Dr. Pius Achanga from the National Council for Higher Education (NHCE) while quoting ancient Greek philosopher Socrates opined that the unexamined life is not worth living. He emphasized that the existing rankings help universities to evaluate the contexts in which they teach, conduct research and offer services to the community and as such, there was no need for a purely African ranking. “There ought to be relevance in terms of the indicators and the methodologies that we are evaluating, rigour in terms of determining graduates’ skills versus the industrial standard as well as plausibility and acceptability in the context of what this system is testing, its jurisdiction and who gives them the authority” he shared.
Closing the half-day Public Forum, the Deputy Principal, CEES, Dr. Paul Muyinda Birevu noted that the event had presented CEES and its partners with an opportunity to share ideas on the relatively new phenomenon of ranking and the pressure that it was exerting on functions like research, teaching and learning. He challenged African institutions to work around all the challenges that impeded their influence on the global arena.
“For example in the Department of Open and Distance Learning, we have been able to influence certain spheres such as mobile learning. It is also important to note that Mobile Money transfer also originated in Africa! All we need to do therefore is clean up our house and go on to influence the world” concluded Dr. Muyinda.
Article by Public Relations Office
Makerere University has officially welcomed the 2026/2027 cohort of freshers, urging them to pursue academic excellence, uphold integrity, embrace diversity and make the most of the opportunities available throughout their university journey.
The opening of Orientation Week, held at the Freedom Square on Monday, 3rd August 2026, brought together University leaders, staff and thousands of newly admitted students. Throughout the event, speakers emphasized academic discipline, personal responsibility, leadership, student welfare and the values that have defined Makerere University for over a century.
Academic Registrar Welcomes Freshers
Delivering his remarks, the Academic Registrar, Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza, congratulated the freshers upon their admission and welcomed them into Makerere University’s long standing tradition of scholarship, research and innovation.
He reminded the students that joining Makerere University marked the beginning of a new chapter in their lives; one in which they would take full responsibility for shaping their future.
“Your arrival at Makerere marks a new chapter in your own life. This chapter is different because now you have the opportunity to determine the direction of your own story.”
Prof. Buyinza encouraged students to actively participate in academic activities, complete assignments on time and uphold integrity throughout their studies.
He cautioned against examination malpractice, forgery and other forms of academic misconduct, emphasizing that such offences could lead to dismissal from the University.
The Academic Registrar also stressed the importance of completing registration within the prescribed period, reminding students that admission remains provisional until registration requirements have been fulfilled.
“Technically, you are not yet students until you register.”
He further guided students on programme changes, registration procedures, and tuition payment requirements and urged them to carefully read the University’s Joining Instructions.
Beyond academics, Prof. Buyinza advised students to exercise financial discipline, avoid online scams and make responsible personal decisions while adjusting to university life.
Dean of Students Highlights Student Welfare
The Dean of Students, Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli, briefed freshers on accommodation, health services, feeding, spiritual welfare and leadership opportunities available at the University.
She advised students seeking off-campus accommodation to choose only accredited private hostels approved by the University.
“Please make sure you choose a hostel that is safe, comfortable and closer to campus.”
Dr. Kabumbuli also encouraged students to open medical files at the University Hospital instead of self-medicating whenever they fall ill.
“Don’t ignore illness. Don’t self-prescribe. Go for proper medical attention through the University Hospital.”
She urged students to participate in spiritual fellowship through the University’s places of worship and to embrace leadership opportunities available at class, hall and college levels.
Welcoming international students, Dr. Kabumbuli noted that Makerere University has admitted more than 800 international students from 55 countries across five continents, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to providing an inclusive learning environment.
Former Guild President Shares His Makerere Journey
Hon. Lawrence Alionzi (Dangote), inspired the freshers through his personal story, recalling how he joined Makerere University in 2019 as a young student from Arua “with an empty pocket and a bag full of dreams.”
He described Makerere as “the hill of endless possibilities” and challenged students to maximize every opportunity available during their university life.
“The answer to whether you reach the top of the hill lies in what you do between now and the day you graduate.”
Drawing lessons from his own experience, Dangote cautioned students against peer pressure, financial recklessness and online investment scams, encouraging them to choose friends wisely and remain focused on their academic goals.
“Hard work beats talent if talent does not learn to work hard.”
Academic Registrar Clarifies Registration Process
Returning to the podium, Prof. Buyinza clarified registration procedures, programme change guidelines and admission requirements.
He reminded students that failure to register within the stipulated period would result in forfeiture of admission.
“Registration is the most important step that will determine whether you become a university student or not.”
He also advised students seeking programme changes to ensure they meet the required cut-off points and available vacancies before submitting applications.
Prof. Sarah Ssali Calls for Excellence and Integrity
Closing the orientation, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, officially welcomed the freshers to Makerere University.
Beginning her remarks, Prof. Ssali asked students admitted to the Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences to identify themselves before revealing that she too had studied the same programme.
Using her own experience, she reminded students that every academic programme offered by the University is valuable.
“Every course matters. Whatever you have been given, do it as if your life depends on it.”
She congratulated the incoming students, describing their admission as the beginning of a transformative journey that would prepare them to become responsible citizens and future leaders.
“Your achievement reflects your hard work, determination and potential, and we are delighted that you have chosen Makerere University as the next step in your academic journey.”
Prof. Ssali reminded students that every academic programme matters and encouraged them to pursue excellence regardless of the course they had been admitted to.
She reassured students that Makerere remains committed to providing a supportive and inclusive learning environment through academic staff, the Dean of Students’ Office, counselling services, student leaders and other support units.
She particularly encouraged students facing personal or academic challenges to seek help whenever necessary.
Prof. Ssali reaffirmed the University’s zero-tolerance policy on sexual harassment and exploitation.
“Do not suffer silently. Raise your voice. We have zero tolerance for sexual harassment and exploitation of students.”
Encouraging students to engage beyond the classroom, she urged them to participate in research, innovation, sports, leadership, community engagement and international programmes that complement academic learning.
She also called upon students to reject examination malpractice, plagiarism, violence, substance abuse and all forms of misconduct that undermine the University’s values.
“University education is not only about earning a degree; it is about developing the knowledge, character, values and competences required to make a meaningful contribution to society.”
As she concluded, Prof. Ssali challenged the freshers to think about the legacy they wished to leave behind at Makerere University.
“Pursue a life of excellence. Take ownership of your learning, build strong networks and make the most of every opportunity the University offers.”
The 2026/2027 Orientation Week continues with college based sessions that will introduce freshers to academic programmes, registration processes, student support services and university life before the commencement of the new academic year.
By Moses Lutaaya
The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) at Makerere University has set an ambitious course for the next five years after a three-day strategic planning retreat held at Royal Suites Hotel, Bugolobi, from July 29–31, 2026. The retreat brought together staff, officials from the Directorate of Planning and invited facilitators to review the Directorate’s performance, identify challenges and opportunities, and develop a strategic plan that aligns with Makerere University‘s vision of becoming a research-led institution.
Opening the retreat, the Director of the Directorate of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, reminded staff that the Directorate occupies a central position in the implementation of Makerere University‘s Strategic Plan and must therefore position itself to deliver measurable results.
Prof. Kikooma said one of the University’s key strategic priorities is to increase graduate student enrolment and improve graduate completion rates, making the Directorate’s work more critical than ever before.
He explained that under the University’s Strategic Plan, graduate education is expected to grow significantly over the next five years, with graduate students projected to constitute about 40 per cent of the University’s total enrolment by 2030.
“It is not enough to simply increase admissions,” Prof. Kikooma said. “Our responsibility is to ensure that the students we admit are supported to complete their programmes on time. Graduate completion rates are now one of the University’s strategic priorities.”
He noted that while graduate enrolment is expected to increase substantially, completion rates must also improve if the University is to achieve its research-led aspirations.
The Director emphasized that the Directorate must move beyond reporting admission figures and instead closely monitor student progression from admission through graduation using the Research Information Management System (RIMS). He said the system would enable the University to track every graduate student throughout their academic journey and generate reliable data for planning and decision-making.
Prof. Kikooma challenged staff to embrace the system fully, warning that inaccurate or outdated information compromises the University’s reporting to management and Council.
“We must ensure that the information we present is clean, accurate and reflects active graduate students. RIMS is no longer optional; it is central to how we monitor graduate training and account for our performance.”
He revealed that academic staff supervising graduate students would increasingly be required to demonstrate active use of RIMS before receiving administrative clearance, a move intended to improve accountability and strengthen graduate student tracking.
The Director also highlighted operational challenges facing the Directorate, particularly during peak admission periods when staff experience overwhelming workloads.
He encouraged staff to embrace teamwork and support one another beyond their designated responsibilities whenever the Directorate faces periods of high demand.
“When it’s admissions peak, the pressure belongs to all of us. Even those whose primary roles are elsewhere should step in because we are one Directorate,” he said.
Prof. Kikooma further stressed the importance of proper planning, timely resource mobilization and continuous staff development, noting that changing technologies and administrative systems require continuous learning and capacity building.
“The way we succeeded yesterday cannot guarantee our success tomorrow. We must continue building our skills because the demands of graduate administration keep changing,” he observed.
As the retreat progressed, participants held intensive discussions on institutional priorities, performance targets, work planning, policy implementation and strategies for improving service delivery across the Directorate.
Delivering his closing remarks, Prof. Kikooma expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the retreat, saying the Directorate had successfully reflected on the key issues that will shape its future.
“I’m happy that we have reached this moment. We had a very tight programme, but I believe we have touched on everything we intended to discuss. Some of the messages have encouraged us, while others have provided practical and technical guidance on improving the way we work,” he said.
He urged staff to return to their offices and translate the lessons from the retreat into practical improvements in service delivery.
Prof. Kikooma thanked the organizing committee for ensuring the retreat became a reality despite earlier uncertainties and acknowledged the contribution of the facilitators, especially colleagues from the Directorate of Planning.
He particularly commended Dr. Christine Amito for her commitment and technical guidance in developing the Directorate’s strategic plan, describing her as instrumental in ensuring that the Directorate’s priorities remain aligned with the University’s overall strategic direction.
He also recognized the contributions of newly assigned planning staff whose early involvement had already strengthened the Directorate’s planning processes.
The Director applauded the graduate interns attached to the Directorate for the valuable support they provided during their placement.
“The work you have done has been real work that would ordinarily have been done by employed staff. Beyond your academic training, I hope you have also learnt the soft skills that are essential in every workplace,” he said.
Prof. Kikooma disclosed that the retreat marked only the beginning of the Directorate’s strategic planning process, noting that the resolutions would be compiled into a comprehensive report for discussion by the Directorate’s management before implementation.
He assured staff that recommendations requiring higher-level consideration would be forwarded to the relevant University authorities.
“The University is banking very much on what we do in graduate training to achieve its vision of becoming a research-led university. Admissions, graduate student tracking, policy development and graduate completion are all at the heart of that agenda.”
The Director also announced that the Directorate would institutionalize a culture of recognizing staff members for their dedicated service.
He observed that employees spend most of their lives in the workplace and therefore deserve appreciation from the institutions they serve.
“As a Directorate, we want everyone who has worked with us to know that they remain part of the DGT family. We are a winning team, but a winning team must also be a happy team.”
One of the emotional moments of the retreat came when the Directorate honoured its former Head of Registry, Ms. Prossy Nakayiki, with a special gift in recognition of her outstanding service and contribution to graduate training.
Receiving the award, Ms. Nakayiki thanked the Directorate for remembering her, saying the recognition affirmed that dedication and integrity are eventually rewarded.
“I take it at heart that when you do well, you are appreciated,” she said.
She recounted her professional journey from joining the then Directorate of Research and Graduate Studies as an admissions officer, rising through the ranks to head the Directorate’s Registry before her appointment as Deputy Academic Registrar in charge of Examinations, Transcripts and Graduation.
Ms. Nakayiki encouraged staff to remain committed to excellent customer care, urging them to treat every student with empathy and professionalism.
“When serving a student, think of that student as your own child. Even when you cannot provide an immediate answer, communicate honestly and assure them when you will be able to help. Our work is about service.”
She attributed the Directorate’s earlier achievements to teamwork, clearly defined responsibilities and effective communication among staff.
She advised employees to understand their roles, support one another and resolve workplace misunderstandings through open communication rather than conflict.
“Our supervisors can only succeed if we, the foot soldiers, perform our responsibilities well. Let us continue working together for the good of the Directorate and for the success of every graduate student who walks through our doors.”
The retreat ended with renewed commitment from staff to implement the Directorate’s five-year strategic plan and strengthen graduate training as a key pillar in advancing Makerere University‘s research excellence agenda.
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