General
CGC Successfully Pilots IREX Oral Communications Badge
Students from Makerere University have successfully completed a pilot of the Oral Communications Badge Challenge thanks to support from the Education Design Lab and International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX). The pilot was coordinated by the Counselling and Guidance Centre (CGC) and the Oral Communications Badge Challenge was one the first competency-based skills needed by students to succeed in the workplace introduced by IREX, as part of the umbrella 21st Century Skills Badging Challenge.
Speaking during an interactive session held at the University Guest House on Monday 4th December 2017, the Manager CGC, Mr. Henry Nsubuga thanked IREX for providing the technical expertise and materials needed to pilot the Oral Communications Badge. Twenty two out of twenty six students that participated in the pilot received the badge.
According to the Education Design Lab information kit for partner institutions such as Makerere, badging is a system used to identify and verify individual skills and achievements, and is gaining momentum as a way to certify and display skills that are not taught through traditional courses. Educators are beginning to use badging as a way to map a second track of learning alongside the academic transcript and create micro-credentials that can complement a diploma and capture competency in specific areas.
During the Oral Communications pilot, students were able to acquire skills like; active listening, knowing how to reach your audience, storytelling, elevator pitching and professional communication among others. “There are several degree awarding institutions out there and our role as CGC with the help of partners like IREX is to find ways of better equipping our students such that they stand out more than their competitors in the market place,” added Mr. Nsubuga.
“We met with some of the students who participated in the pilot and they all shared positive feedback about the course. For example one student of nursing shared how they are now better equipped to talk to patients when out conducting practical sessions. The purpose of this meeting therefore is to find ways of how we can better work with IREX to roll out this project out on a larger scale,” shared Mr. Nsubuga.
“One of the things the students have enjoyed the most is the practical aspect” continued Ms. Nina Oduro, a Leadership Technical Advisor supporting IREX’s leadership programmes. “They are now seeing a difference in their daily interactions with their peers and Professors. One noted that they could now easily notice when a listener misinterprets what they say thanks to active listening,” she added.
The Dean of Students, Mr. Cyriaco Kabagambe by virtue of his designation interacts with student leaders of both academic and cultural associations on a daily basis. He observed that student leaders wield a lot of power to either positively or negatively influence their constituents.
“Misunderstood communication is one of the biggest problems in our daily interactions with students,” said Mr. Kabagambe. “We have a lot to communicate to the students and they too have a lot of issues to communicate to us. However, if we do not package them nicely, we can easily misunderstand each other,” he further explained.
The Dean of Students therefore urged IREX and CGC to consider student leaders of Halls, Hostels, Places of Worship, Colleges and Cultural Associations, who together constitute the Guild Repre-sentative Councilors (GRCs). “I am willing, with guidance from the Counselling and Guidance Centre, to see how this program can be integrated into student activities,” he added.
Whereas IREX provided the original training material, it had to be customised so as to be include examples relevant to the Ugandan situation, and thereafter the trainings had to be conducted. These activities were successfully completed thanks to the efforts of CGC Counsellor-Ms. Rose Nalwanga and Ms. Rita Kyamuhangire, a volunteer at CGC.
Ms. Kyamuhagire, from her experience, observed that she had met several students with excellent grades who unfortunately were unable to beat their lower scoring peers during interviews, owing to their lack of 21t century competency based skills. These include critical thinking, creative problem solving, Cross-Cultural Competency and others.
“The beauty with this course is that it is mostly interactive. It calls for a lot of storytelling, role play, face to face discussions and presentations in person. We also ask the students to analyse TED talks for the presenters’ oral communication skills or strengths,” said Ms. Kyamuhangire.
She further noted that the course structure is flexible and as a result of constant requests from the students, public speaking was also added as a component. The course was also piloted among students on the MasterCard Scholars Fellowship Program (MCFSP) at Makerere University.
The working relationship between IREX and Makerere University goes back five years to 2012 when in consultation with the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY), IREX expanded its University Administration Support Program (UASP) to include university administrators from Makerere.
“Eleven Administrators have attended the 8-week program since its inception,” said Mr. Nsubuga, before adding “many of the partnerships we have built at CGC are as a result of my attendance of the UASP Fellowship in 2015. What remains now is a coming up with measures on how best we can apply what we learn during the fellowship to our setting here.”
Speaking on the way forward, the Brand and Marketing Officer-Mr. Agaba Issa Mugabo urged Mr. Nsubuga to formalize Makerere’s relationship with IREX through a Memorandum of Understanding, so as to clearly spell out activities that will be undertaken thereunder.
Article by Public Relations Office
Organised by the Makerere Debating Union – a student-led initiative, the Inter-college Debate Tournament was held on 11th and 12th April 2025 with a vision to leave no student behind by nurturing a community of confident, articulate, and visionary leaders who will drive positive change in society. The tournament was held in three preliminary rounds, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale.
The first round covered democracy and youth participation in politics, while the second round covered inequality and wealth distribution, and the third, the ban on export of raw materials. The semi-final round debated apprenticeship for blue-collar jobs, while the grand finale debated national budget allocations for healthcare and education. In the spirit of inclusivity, all colleges, including the Jinja Campus participated in the tournament.
Commenting on the choice of topics, the organisers noted Makerere University as a bastion of academic excellence has a profound responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our nation. These leaders, they added, ought to be equipped with 21st century skills of self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving so as to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving world.
On the whole, Makerere Inter-college Debates were conceived as a strategic initiative to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The Debating Union aims to empower the future leaders by providing a platform for students to engage in respectful discourse, articulate their thoughts, as well as develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the Debates serve as a platform for not only honing the intellectual prowess of students but also cultivating leadership skills, teamwork, and communication abilities that are essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It is envisaged that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of students, by exposing them to debates on topical issues that can shape the mindsets of transformative leaders our nation needs.
After a thrilling two days of debate, Daphine Kemigisha and Jibril Ssekandi from the School of Law (SoL) emerged as winners of the Makerere University Inter-college Debate Tournament 2025, while Olara Emmanuel George from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) was the Public Speech Champion, and Namujuzi Martha Mociita from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) was the Poetry Champion.
The 2025 Tournament was organized by Mayanja Owen and Nkalubo Oprah – 91st Guild Representative Councils (GRCs) of the Debate Union, Akatwijuka Arthur – Chairperson Debate Union, and Debate Union Representatives from colleges. The Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) partnered with the Debate Union to deliver the 2025 edition.
Addressing students at the award ceremony, UNNGOF’s Mr. Derrick Baluuku encouraged the youth to step out of their comfort zones and think of solutions to inspire change in their communities.
By Moses Lutaaya
Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza –Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) has challenged the academia and other professionals to focus their studies on original research that impacts communities and societies locally and globally.
“We want new things, if not new, it is a waste of resources. Be unique in your doctoral (PhD) thesis. Find solutions to societal and global challenges and problems.” Prof. Buyinza who is also the Academic Registrar said.
Prof. Buyinza said this, while giving his keynote address at the orientation program of PhD students for cohort two 2024/2025 at the Food Science Auditorium at Makerere University on Friday 2nd May 2025.
He challenged the students not to fear the new challenge ahead, encouraging them to always seek support. “Reach out to your supervisors and peers. Build formidable networks. Have a PhD group forum as this will enrich your learning and broaden your knowledge and skills.”, he said.
While taking on the tough journey of doctoral studies, Prof. Buyinza told the students to embrace a culture of curiosity, passion and analytical thinking that challenges and critics original thinking of other scholars.
He further encouraged the students to embrace open long-life learning as the academic world keeps evolving. He said, “To benefit from the PhD studies, be ready to continue learning and listen to the professional world so as to acquire a wealthy of experience.”
While pursuing their PhD studies, Prof. Buyinza told the students to balance their doctoral studies with work and life saying, “Take care of your physical and social being. Be resilient and patient to avoid mental breakdown.”
In a related development, the Makerere university librarian Dr. Ruth Nalumaga challenged the students to take advantage of the university library resources while pursuing their doctoral studies.
“The university library has all the books you need to read and pass. Let us utilize it to its full potential. All libraries are always open to all of you.” She added.
The orientation program organised by the Directorate of Graduate Training is an initiative that opens a new academic chapter for all incoming PhD students, aimed at equipping the learners with the required tools of trade.
The Director Graduate Training (DGT) Prof. Julius Kikooma while addressing the incoming PhD students said that in the next five years, Makerere University has targeted achieving 30% of students enrolment on graduate training especially graduate studies. Its current enrolment is 19.4%.
“Initially, we used to have one intake for PhD students a year, we now have two intakes. Our focus is to have over 30% of the university students pursuing doctoral degrees.” Prof. Kikooma said.
On admissions, Prof. Kikooma noted “Currently once admitted, you now become a full PhD student. In the old system, one would be admitted provisionally and would be required to take over 6 months doing a proposal with an assigned supervisor which would be admissible to the PhD program.”
To achieve the 30% enrolment of graduate students, Prof. Kikooma noted that the University had undertaken numerous policy changes to guide graduate research and more specifically doctoral research.
Amongst which, he highlighted a new University research agenda with 9 (nine) priority areas including working with key government departments and engaging in research that solves society challenges.
He noted that in a knowledge economy, transformation of societies and communities is vital, noting that this can only be achieved by increasing the number graduate students.
Under the orientation theme, “Defining tomorrow, supporting doctoral students and shaping the future”, Prof. Kikooma emphasised to the PhD students that PhD is a life changing journey, and it is a turning point for their career and personal growth.
He noted to the students that the Directorate of Graduate Training was ready to guide all of them throughout their entire PhD process, “You all have the potential and once registered, you will have the support of our experienced staff. Makerere University is happy to be part of your academic journey and believes this will be a rewarding experience.” Prof. Kikooma added. Makerere University, Uganda’s oldest and biggest education institution received over 534 PhD applications in different disciplines and only 171 students were admitted for cohort II of the Academic Year 2024/2025.
-
General1 week agoAdvert: Admission to Postgraduate Programmes 2024/2025
-
General2 weeks agoAdmission Lists for Diploma Holders under Government Sponsorship for 2025/2026 AY
-
Humanities & Social Sciences1 week agoOver 2,000 Attend Makerere’s Dialogue on Traditional Spirituality, Herbal Medicine, Witchcraft and Questions of Truth
-
General1 week agoARIPO, URSB Visit Mak, Discuss IP & Patenting
-
General1 week agoPhase 1 of e-Learning initiative at Makerere University registers remarkable achievements