General
Mak 68th Graduation Kicks Off: Best Overall Science Student Recognised
The Makerere University Chancellor Prof. Ezra Suruma has urged the newly graduated Makerere University students to fight for and strongly defend the dignity of the African nations and the African people in particular from being openly attacked and abused in the name of searching for employment opportunities overseas.
Presiding over the first session of the 68th Makerere University Graduation Ceremony on Tuesday 16th January 2018, the Chancellor revealed that Africans who cannot find jobs at home have been facing inhumane conditions and death in their attempts to immigrate to other continents while looking for greener pastures.
“The time for complacency in Africa is over. Every African has the duty to fight slavery, colonialism and neocolonialism. No one should think that these are just words. They are real forces that threaten the present and future of the African people. Everyone, without exception, has the duty to protect the dignity and life of our country and our continent,” said Prof. Suruma.
This year 2018, a total of fourteen thousand, eighty five (14,085) students will be awarded degrees and diplomas of Makerere University in various disciplines. Of these, 71 will receive PhDs, 996 Masters Degrees, 96 Postgraduate Diplomas, 144 undergraduate diplomas and 12,778 Bachelor’s Degrees with a total of 403 students attaining First Class Degrees in the respective disciplines.
On the first day of the graduation; Tuesday 16th January 2018, a total of 2,425 graduands from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) and the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) were conferred upon degrees and awarded diplomas of Makerere University.
The Chancellor, congratulated all graduands upon reaching this tremendous milestone and encouraged them to ask God for a vision to which they can be committed to live a life that is focused to a noble cause.
“Please keep going. Do not stop. We live in a competitive and often ruthless world. There is very little room for complacency. The battle for survival is just beginning. May you be blessed with the courage to try new things, the grace to endure hardships of life and the opportunity to enjoy the fruits of your labor,” he said.
He thanked the parents and guardians for the support rendered to the students through the many years of toil and sorrow that made them finally reach the victorious moment. In the same spirit, the Chancellor recognized the support and financial contributions of Government of Uganda, sponors, development partners and all stakeholders of Makerere University towards the institution.
“It is this support that has enabled Makerere University to maintain its role as a leading regional and global university in teaching, learning, research and innovation. The role of funding for research and innovation for institutional development should not be underestimated,” Prof Suruma noted.
Speaking to the congregation, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe congratulated the graduands and members of staff that have taken the initiative and upgraded their academic experience. In a special way he congratulated the Members of staff that have been promoted to various positions.
He highlighted a number of achievements Makerere University has registered, in areas of Research and Innovation, Infrastructure Development during the year 2017.
“Makerere University won two World Bank Grants worth $12 million for two Centres of Excellence, one to be hosted in the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) and another at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). CEDAT will host the Africa Center of Excellence in Materials Product Development and Nanotechnology (MAPRONANO) while CAES will host the Centre for Crop Improvement,” he remarked.
“Makerere University has benefited from the AfDB-HEST funded project through a loan to the Government of Uganda. Two central teaching facilities, with a total area of 12,000 square metres have been built and a number of laboratories in five colleges have been renovated and upgraded under this funding. Re-construction of all our major roads has been completed. These infrastructure developments have greatly transformed the University’s landscape. Street Lighting has also been installed on all major roads in the University and this has led to an improvement in security,” Prof. Nawangwe added.
This year, under the stewardship of the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, 144 female scholars of the Female Scholarship Foundation are graduating with four (4) students graduating with first class degrees and sixty three (63) students attaining second class upper degrees. These are part of the 1,020 bright but socio-economically disadvantaged females that have been supported to study in various Colleges at the University since 2001. Seventy four (74) out of the 1,020 females have been directly financed by Makerere University through a tuition waiver scheme.
“I pay special tribute to the organizations that have supported the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate in this regard. These include Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Swedish Government (Sida), Norwegian Government, Mastercard Foundation, African Development Bank, Uganda Association of Women Lawyers (FIDA-Uganda), MS JD Global Education Fund, DFCU Bank, Joshua Mugyenyi Foundation, among others. I call upon well-wishers to support the noble cause of assisting those disadvantaged socially and economically to access University Education,” said the Vice Chancellor.
The Vice Chancellor also recognized Ms. Claire Muga Akinyi, a Mastercard Foundation Scholar upon graduating with First class Honors degree in Community Psychology. In the same vein, he congratulated the first cohort Scholars of Mastercard Foundation who will be graduating this year 2018.
The Vice Chancellor was happy to announce the first Graduates of Chinese language and urged more Ugandans to take interest in Chinese, the language spoken by the largest number of people in the whole world. This first cohort will be conferred upon their degrees on Friday 19th January 2018.
During this year’s first session, Makerere University Convocation recognized Mr. Odong Brian Boniface for the outstanding academic achievement of graduating as the Best Overall Science Student at Makerere University. Mr. Odong graduated with a first Class Honors Degree, scoring a CGPA of 4.94.
The Chairperson of the Makerere University Convocation thanked the entire community for their generous contributions towards the perimeter wall project. At the 67th Graduation ceremony, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda and the Chancellor Prof. Ezra Suruma launched the Perimeter wall project. The project was estimated to cost UGX7.5 billion and through the generous contribution the team has been able to construct 600 metres of the 6 kilometre wall.
“To date UGX250 million has been raised through generous contributions of members of convocation, parents, students and friends of Makerere University. I call upon all well-wishers to continue contributing to the project,” remarked Dr. Tanga-Odoi.
On Friday 19th January 2018, Mrs. Winnie Madikizela Mandela will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Laws of Makerere University in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the liberation struggle of South Africa and Africa at large. The decision to award Mrs. Mandela an Honorary Doctorate successfully went through all the vetting procedures following her successful nomination. Makerere University congratulates Winnie Madikizela Mandela upon this achievement and welcomes her to the Convocation.
Please see Downloads for Speeches
Article by Mak-Public Relations Office
General
Mak and University of the West of England Sign MoU to Advance Research, Innovation and Skills Development
Makerere University and the University of the West of England (UWE) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening collaboration in research, innovation, and enterprise development. The signing ceremony took place on Friday, 17th October 2025, in the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom, Main Administration Building, Makerere University.
The partnership will focus on joint research initiatives in climate science, early childhood development and elderly care, wildlife ecology and conservation management, technology, and sustainable agriculture.
The Uganda High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, H.E. Nimisha Madhvani, who witnessed the signing, congratulated both institutions and reaffirmed the Government of Uganda’s commitment to strengthening international collaborations that enhance education, innovation, and investment.
“We are not only promoting education, but also tourism, business, and investment. This partnership is a great bridge between Uganda and the United Kingdom,” said H.E. Madhvani. “With the full support of His Excellency the President and the First Lady, we look forward to building on this momentum to establish impactful initiatives, including a proposed teaching hospital.”
Speaking during the event, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, reaffirmed the University’s commitment to producing graduates who are not only employable but also capable of creating jobs and transforming their communities.
“Our goal is to train students who go out to create their own jobs and employ others who have not had the opportunity to attend university,” said Prof. Nawangwe. “We are working seriously on issues of food security, health, and conflict management — particularly in the Great Lakes region, which has one of the highest numbers of conflicts per capita. Through research and collaboration, we aim to address these challenges while ensuring Africa is not left behind in the digital economy.”
Prof. Nawangwe also highlighted Makerere’s initiatives in the digital and peace sectors, including the work of the Rotary Peace Center, which plays a vital role in promoting peace across the world by equipping fellows with academic training, practice, and global networking opportunities through a year-long, blended-learning professional certificate program.
Representing the University of the West of England, the Vice Chancellor Ms. Jo Midgley commended Makerere University for its strong research focus and expressed enthusiasm for the partnership.
“Like Makerere, we are a comprehensive university. We want this partnership to go beyond conversations and translate into action,” she said. “Our areas of strength include sustainability, climate change, future technology, health, and community placemaking. We believe this collaboration offers a unique opportunity to co-create programmes that prepare students for the evolving global workforce.”
She further emphasized the need for universities to work closely with industry partners to co-design programs that meet current skill demands while promoting innovation and enterprise among students.
The Deputy High Commissioner, Ambassador Miriam Otengo, commended Makerere for its leadership in higher education and shared ongoing efforts to mobilize the Makerere alumni in the United Kingdom. She also revealed plans to host a Makerere Alumni Symposium in London, aimed at showcasing the University’s excellence and strengthening ties with its diaspora community.
Also in attendance was Mr. Hefin Rees KC, Chairman of Spotlight on Africa, a UK-based charitable organization, who expressed interest in partnering with Makerere University to establish a teaching hospital in Mbale focused on women and children’s health. He praised Makerere for producing world-class professionals and reaffirmed his organization’s commitment to supporting health-related initiatives.
In his closing remarks, Prof. Nawangwe thanked the High Commission for facilitating the partnership and welcomed the opportunity to discuss the proposed teaching hospital, describing it as “a timely and vital project for Uganda’s health sector.”
“This collaboration represents a new chapter for Makerere University and the University of the West of England. Together, we will advance research, promote innovation, and equip our students to respond to global challenges,” he said. The ceremony concluded with the formal signing of the MoU, marking the beginning of a long-term partnership built on shared values of excellence, innovation, and community impact.
The Acting (Ag.) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sarah Ssali on Thursday 16th October, 2025 held a press conference to update members of the Media on the 2026 World University Rankings by Times Higher Education (THE).
The event held in the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom, Main Building, was attended by the Director Graduate Training-Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director Quality Assurance-Dr. Cyprian Misinde, Dean of Students-Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli, Director Research, Innovations, and Partnerships-Prof. Robert Wamala, Deputy Chief – Public Relations-Ms. Eunice Rukundo, Ag. Manager International Relations-Mr. Matthias Ssemanda, and staff from the Offices of the Vice and Deputy Vice Chancellors.
The proceedings of the Press Conference follow below;
Vice Chancellor’s Press Statement
UNIVERSITY RANKINGS: MAKERERE STILL NUMBER ONE IN THE REGION
It gives me great pleasure to share with our stakeholders and the general public that Makerere University has been ranked Number 1. in the East African region, in the Times Higher Education rankings released this month of October 2025.
In its 2026 World University Rankings, Times Higher Education (THE) places Makerere University in top position in East Africa, and in the 801-1000 band globally. The ranking considers five performance indicators, namely: Teaching; Research environment; Research quality; International Outlook; and Industry. Makerere’s overall score was 37.2, significantly outperforming peer institutions in the Region that average scores of 18.8.
In particular, Makerere University continues to thrive in Research Quality where we scored 54.2% but even better in International Outlook where we scored highest with 69.7%. See Table 1 for details. On the continent, Makerere University ranked 8th in the 2024 Sub-Saharan African University Rankings.
We would like to reassure all stakeholders and well-wishers that Makerere University continues to hold steadfast as the regional leader in higher education. Our commitment to deliver excellence in our teaching, research, and socioeconomic impact has not wavered.
WE BUILD FOR THE FUTURE.
Thank you.
Fact Sheet
UNIVERSITY RANKINGS
Table 1: East African Universities – 2025 Ranking Comparison
| Rank | Name | Overall | Teaching | Research Env. | Research Quality | Industry | Int. Outlook |
| 801–1000 | Makerere University | 35.5–38.9 | 21.5 | 26.6 | 54.2 | 32.8 | 69.7 |
| 1501+ | Kenyatta University | 10.3–27.2 | 14.3 | 9.1 | 34.2 | 17.4 | 54.6 |
| 1501+ | Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences | 10.3–27.2 | 21.6 | 14.9 | 30.3 | 27.5 | 54.6 |
| 1501+ | University of Dar es Salaam | 10.3–27.2 | 14.5 | 11.1 | 26.5 | 21.9 | 47.2 |
| 1501+ | University of Nairobi | 10.3–27.2 | 15.9 | 16.1 | 39.7 | 22.5 | 49.4 |
| 1501+ | University of Rwanda | 10.3–27.2 | 14.1 | 14.9 | 25.6 | 21.1 | 57.5 |
End
The Board of the Zambia Research and Education Network (ZAMREN) led by the Chairperson, Prof. Mundia Muya on 14th October 2025 paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Makerere University. The Board which is on a two-day exposure visit to the Research and Education Network of Uganda (RENU) was received by the Acting (Ag.) Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Sarah Ssali in the Vice Chancellor’s Boardroom.
The Chairperson was accompanied by Mr. Ronald Hatoongo and Mr. Stein Mkandawire, the Board Secretary and CEO of ZAMREN respectively, as well as RENU’s CEO-Mr. Nicholas Mbonimpa and RENUMESH Technologies CEO-Mr. Brian Masiga. In attendance were Mr. Samuel Mugabi-Director DICTS, Prof. Robert Wamala-Director Research, Innovations and Partnerships (DRIP), and Prof. Tonny Oyana-Principal College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS).
Also present were; Prof. Paul Birevu Muyinda-Director Institute of Open, Distance and eLearning (IODeL), Dr. Godfrey Mayende-Deputy Director IODeL, Dr. Michael Walimbwa- College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Dr. Cathy Mbidde- Ag. Manager. Makerere University Innovation Pod, Ms. Eunice Rukundo-Deputy Chief-Public Relations and staff from the Office of the Vice Chancellor.
In her welcome remarks, Prof. Ssali thanked the ZAMREN Board for including the courtesy call on their Kampala itinerary and extended warm greetings from the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. She noted that Makerere as a founding member of RENU has enjoyed a mutually beneficial collaboration, that has benefited both staff and students in the form of supporting growing connectivity needs, as well as training, mentorship, and development of technical skills for both continuing students and graduates.
Turning to the gist of the courtesy call, the Acting Vice Chancellor noted that the Makerere University through the Centre for Artificial Intelligence (MAK-AI) seeks to harness the transformative power of AI to address society’s most pressing challenges. “Projects undertaken by our Centre tackle real-world challenges in health, agriculture, languages, and beyond.”
Prof. Ssali nevertheless underscored the importance of upholding ethics in all AI undertakings “Mindful of global trends elsewhere, the work of the Makerere AI Centre is guided by the principles of Responsible AI, ensuring that systems are transparent, accountable, fair, and designed to benefit society.”
She therefore called upon the delegation to thoughtfully engage with the ideas presented during their visit with the aim of collectively exploring both institution can better equip staff and students to meaningfully make the most of this fast-evolving trend.
On behalf of the Board, Prof. Muya who is substantively the Vice Chancellor of the University of Zambia thanked Prof. Ssali and Members of Management present for according his delegation a warm reception to Makerere University, “one of Africa’s most distinguished centres of higher learning.
“Makerere University is not only a symbol of academic excellence but also a beacon of leadership in higher education on the African continent”, remarked Prof. Muya.
The Chairperson equally expressed the delegation’s keenness to understand how AI is being adopted, and how the academia is embracing the technology as an enabler of teaching and research. “At ZAMREN, we view digital transformation and AI integration as critical enablers of academic excellence, efficiency, and competitiveness across higher education institutions,” he remarked, adding that “We therefore look to Makerere University’s experience to draw practical lessons that can inform and inspire our efforts back home.”
Turning to the lessons from Makerere in line with digital transformation and ICT, the Director DICTS shared that owing to the partnership with RENU, internet bandwidth, a vital enabler of AI transformation currently stands at 5 Gbps of monthly consumption, with plans to scale-up to 8 Gbps. He added that RENU has also facilitated Makerere’s access to Open Libraries, and Eduroam – a secure, encrypted Wi-Fi network across to staff and students freely access the internet across partner institutions in Uganda using their University emails.
Furthermore on the enablers of AI integration, Mr. Mugabi noted that in line with digitalization of institutional business process, the University Council took a bold step to develop all information systems in-house, a move that has reduced costs spent on offshore solutions, and hemorrhage of skills. He pointed to the introduction of open source solutions, and AI policy and global collaborations with corporations such as Google as additional enablers.
Addressing AI readiness, Prof. Tonny Oyana pointed out the need for the University of Zambia to start early, citing Makerere efforts which began as far back as 2007, when Dr. John Quinn joined the institution after his PhD. He added that Dr. Quinn together with other former staff from Makerere formed Sunbird AI, a thriving initiative creating practical systems for the benefit of community.
Prof. Oyana also pointed to AI initiatives that have attracted up to USD 5million from Google Awards, staff with specialized skills in the creation and development of sensor technologies, top notch students that win continental and global awards from companies such as Huawei, and active engagements with partners to produce solutions to enhance diagnosis of malaria, tuberculosis and cancer as some of areas that demonstrate Makerere’s AI readiness.
Addressing academic and research innovation, Prof. Robert Wamala pointed out that Makerere, in recognition that the institution cannot achieve its vision alone is intentional about seeking and nurturing mutually beneficial partnerships. Furthermore, he shared that Vice Chancellor’s Annual Research Excellence Awards reward and recognize the efforts of staff who have excelled in publication, teaching and winning grants.
The Director DRIP equally underscored the need for dissemination of research produced by staff and students, pointing out the annual research and innovation week as a flagship event for not only showcasing research but also forging meaningful partnerships with stakeholders. In line with technology transfer, Prof. Wamala said that the University through the Intellectual Property Management Office ensures that innovations developed by staff and students packaged for adoption by other individuals or organisations.
Addressing the use of technologies in academic work, Prof. Birevu noted that IODeL conducts capacity building in instructional design, online facilitation, use of AI in teaching and digital assessments. “We have also advised the University on ODeL and Distance Education strategies, for instance, we have developed a ten-year masterplan for distance education with support from the Korean Government to outline how Makerere University is going to integrate distance education within its offering” he added.
At the close of the deliberations the ZAMREN expressed sincere appreciation to the Ag. Vice Chancellor and Members of Management for the free sharing that pointed out a number of priorities.
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