General
KNU-South Korea Signs IT Collaboration MoU with Mak
Makerere University has today Monday, 15th January 2018 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kyungpook National University (KNU), Daegu, Korea to facilitate staff and student exchanges, research collaboration as well as coming up with joint education programmes in the field of Information Technology (IT). The Vice Chancellor-Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe signed the MoU on behalf of Makerere University, while the Vice Dean, School of Computer Science and Engineering-Prof. Soon Yong Park signed on behalf of KNU. The Principal College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS)-Prof. Tonny Oyana and the Acting Director Legal Affairs-Mr. Goddy Muhumuza signed as witnesses.
Also present at the ceremony were the; First Secretary, Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kampala-Mr. Yoon Jung Tae, Prof. Dongik Lee-KNU, Deputy Principal CoCIS-Dr. Agnes Rwashana Semwanga, Dr. George William Kiyingi, Dr. Gilbert Maiga, Dr. Evelyn Kigozi, Dr. Engineer Bainomugisha and Mr. Francis Ekwaro.
Making the introductory remarks, Prof. Tonny Oyana welcomed the delegation from KNU and thanked them for the preparations leading up to the signing ceremony. He shared that research at CoCIS is conducted in key areas of excellence namely: artificial intelligence and data science; software systems; networked systems and systems security; impact of digital technology on records management in libraries, museums, and archives; and learning, policy, and information-seeking behavior in health, agriculture, and finance.
Giving a background to the MoU, Dr. Gilbert Maiga paid tribute to Dr. Constant Okello-Obura, the former Principal CoCIS and Dr. Evelyn Kigozi for making initial contact with KNU and proposing areas of collaboration that eventually formed the terms of the agreement.
“We visited South Korea, where we partnered with the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) and together, we trained over forty secondary school teachers,” supplemented Dr. Rwashana. The training equipped the teachers with IT skills for the 21st century digital age.
Speaking on behalf of KNU, Prof. Soon Yong Park said that it was a great honour for his delegation to visit Makerere University and sign the MoU. He shared that KNU’s strength in the field of IT-related research attracts a lot of funding from both the South Korean Government and leading corporate firms.
“KNU is strong in research and development in the fields of sensors and semiconductors where we have a cooperation with Samsung. A lot of our staff focus their research in these areas as well as mobile communication technology. This MoU therefore presents a great opportunity for KNU and Makerere University to work together in the fields of both hardware and software,” said Prof. Soon Yong Park.
In his remarks, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe thanked Prof. Park and Prof. Lee for travelling all the way from South Korea to sign the MoU. He paid special tribute to Mr. Yoon Jung Tae for sparing time to attend the MoU signing ceremony. “Your presence here today shows the importance that the Embassy of the Republic Korea in Kampala places on academic collaboration and research.”
Prof. Nawangwe noted that whereas the GDP of both Uganda and South Korea were considered low in the early 1960s, South Korea initiated a number of unique measures that saw its economy transform rapidly. He therefore hoped that through the MoU, Makerere would learn some of those unique initiatives and contribute to propelling Uganda’s economic growth back to double digits.
“Uganda is experiencing both economic and population growth, with the latter outstretching the former. As a University we want to learn from the Korean people and through this collaboration, we should be able to enable our country’s economy to grow much faster. We hope that the Embassy in Kampala will continue being our link to Universities in South Korea.”
The Vice Chancellor further stated that CoCIS is home to the leading School of Computing in Africa with a number of cutting-edge research projects being conducted by the faculty. “We are confident that our collaboration with Kyungpook National University will take our research to the next level, As the University Management, we shall do all that is possible to ensure that this collaboration succeeds,” he reassured.
Following a brief interval during which the MoU was signed and souvenirs were exchanged between the Vice Chancellor and South Korean delegation, the first secretary thanked Prof. Nawangwe for his kind remarks and expressed his pleasure at witnessing the MoU signing. He shared that in the early 1960s, the South Korean Government embarked on an ambitious project to develop her academia. “This they did by sending citizens to study in the leading universities all over the world” explained Mr. Yoon Jung Tae.
He noted that South Korea and Uganda had previously collaborated in the field of agriculture, which was greatly aided by research. He noted that academic collaboration is very important to his Government and the MoU signing had marked a historic moment for both South Korea and Uganda as their Universities embarked on collaboration in IT. He hoped that the progress made in the bilateral collaboration in agriculture would also be experienced in the field of IT.
Article by Public Relations Office
Business & Management
PIM Centre Holds 9th Steering Committee Meeting, Set to Benefit from World Bank Support
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence at Makerere University today, October 10th, 2025, held its 9th Steering Committee Meeting to review progress made in the first quarter of the financial year and plan for the months ahead.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Getrude Basiima, who represented Mr. Hannington Ashaba, Director Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Ms. Basiima commended the Centre for its continued commitment to strengthening public investment management capacity across government institutions.
In her remarks, Ms. Basiima applauded the Centre for successfully hosting the Public Investment Management Conference held in August at Makerere University. The conference attracted key policymakers, development partners, and academics who deliberated on how to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and impact of public investments in Uganda.
She further shared exciting news that the Government of Uganda has secured funding from the World Bank to support the public investment management function. The PIM Centre, she announced, will be among the key beneficiaries of these funds — receiving support for the construction and acquisition of a permanent home to enhance its institutional sustainability and training capacity.
Reviewing the Centre’s quarterly performance, Ms. Basiima congratulated the team for successfully conducting three specialized trainings in the first quarter, reaching officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. These trainings continue to strengthen the technical competencies required for effective project preparation, appraisal, and implementation in line with Uganda’s National Development Plan.
She encouraged the Centre to integrate climate change considerations into its future training programmes, noting that sustainable public investment must now account for environmental resilience and climate adaptation.
The centre team presented the proposed structure/ organogram, the financial performance of 2024/2025, research areas for 2025/2026 and the strategic plan for 2025 – 2030.
The Steering Committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the PIM Centre’s vision of becoming a regional leader in building capacity for efficient, transparent, and sustainable public investment management.
A significant development unfolded at Makerere University during a strategic, hour-long meeting in the vice chancellor’s boardroom on 7th October 2025, marking a deepening bond with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The primary goal was to move beyond existing collaborations and formalize a new Double Doctorate (PhD) program. Prof. Sarah Saali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, set the tone by emphasizing that institutional partnerships are crucial to Makerere University, which she proudly called the leading research and most collaborative university in the world.
The discussion promptly formed the core structure of the program: a four-year PhD (or three if the master’s was research-based), with supervision duties split 50-50% between the two institutions. A key feature is the mobility requirement, stipulating that PhD candidates would spend a total of six months in the Netherlands, potentially divided into two three-month periods. Crucially, the University of Groningen confirmed there would be no teaching requirement during this stay, allowing students full access to focus on their research. A major financial hurdle was overcome with the adoption of a fee-waiver policy; Makerere would waive tuition for incoming Groningen candidates, and Groningen would reciprocate for Makerere‘s students, significantly boosting the program’s financial viability.
However, the critical issue of the stipend remained. Dr. Anita Veltmaat explained that to meet the required living standard of approximately €1,875 per month in Groningen, the incoming candidate must secure a partial external scholarship of around €250 per month. The positive news is that if the candidate secures this minimum scholarship, the University of Groningen is prepared to top up the amount to the full living standard for the six months the student spends in the Netherlands. It was noted that this initial financial hurdle might be simplified for Makerere students, as many are already staff members receiving a salary, which could help cover the required €250.
The path forward was clear: it was to complete the agreement template guided by the setup committee from both institutions. The plan culminated in scheduling an online follow-up meeting for Tuesday, November 11th, to review the first revision of the agreement, capping a highly constructive discussion that solidified the two universities’ shared future in graduate education.
Makerere University was represented by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics Affairs; Dr. Ruth Nsibirano, Head of the Department of Gender Studies; Dr. Patricia Ndugga, School of Statistics; Dr. Stella Achen and Dr. Joseph Watuleke, School of Distance and Lifelong Learning; Agatha Ainemukama, School of Engineering; Racheal Nuwagaba, School of Psychology; Awel Uwihanganye, Martine Rugamba, and Hawa Ndagire from the Advancement Office; and Muhammad Kiggundu from the Institute of Gender and Development Studies.
The University of Groningen was represented by Dr. Dinie Bouwman, Senior Policy Advisor, Internationalization and Quality Assurance; Dr. Anita Veltmaat, Faculty of Social Behavior and Social Sciences, Department of International Studies, involved in mentorship programs for women; and Dr. Alette Arendshorst, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, working on graduation/collaboration for students/staff.
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