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Mak embarks on process to formulate next 10 year Strategic Plan: Holds Strategic Planning Retreat
Makerere University has embarked on the process that will culminate in the formulation of the next ten year Strategic Plan (2020/21-2029/30). The formulation of the new Mak Strategic Plan (2020/21-2029/30) will take a year-long participatory approach incorporating views of different stakeholders including staff, alumni, students, professional bodies, civil society, as well as the private and public sectors. The current 10 year Mak Strategic Plan is expected to come to an end in 2019.
To kick start the crucial process in the life of this great institution, the Makerere University Management Team held a three-day Strategic Planning Retreat (February 20-22, 2018) bringing on board the Chancellor, Chairperson and Members of Makerere University Council, the Vice Chancellor and Members of the Central Management, College Principals, Deputy Principals, Deans, Heads of Administrative Units, Representatives of the three Staff Associations and Student Support Services, National Council for Higher Education and National Planning Authority.
During the consultative Strategic Planning Retreat officially opened by the Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Ezra S. Suruma, consensus was reached regarding the Vision of Makerere University for the next 10 years.
For the next Mak Strategic Plan (2020/21-2029/30), all stakeholders should envisage Makerere University as the Thought-Leader for knowledge creation, society transformation and development. The Strategic choices for the next 10 years will focus on: The Institution (an efficient and effective University with a highly reputable recognized brand), The Graduate (versatile, professionally grounded, ethical and committed to lifelong learning), The Human Resource (An engaged, motivated and highly productive workforce). Makerere University should be a relevant University with development impact.
In a presentation titled, Towards Full Employment by 2025, Chancellor Ezra S. Suruma urged the participants to come up with strategies aimed at addressing the high unemployment levels in the country.
“We should solve this problem of unemployment if the country is to grow and remain stable,” remarked Prof. Suruma.
Highlighting the importance of the Strategic Planning process, the Chancellor said: “I am delighted to be part of the process that helps to be cognizant of the world around us. We need to know the internal and external environment. Universities should provide solutions to societal challenges.”
Welcoming the participants, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) who doubles as the Chairperson of the Strategic Planning Committee, Prof. William Bazeyo reiterated that the participants were expected to provide a great contribution to the planning process.
“We are here because we believe in Makerere University. The Makerere University Strategic Plan is drawn by insiders with involvement of stakeholders. We should come together to ensure Makerere University remains a leader,” he said.
Dr. Florence Nakayiwa, the Director of Planning and Development Department provided a detailed account of the performance of the current Mak Strategic Plan. Articulating the performance review, Dr. Nakayiwa presented the achievements in teaching and learning, research and innovations, knowledge transfer partnerships and networking, internationalization, Gender Mainstreaming, Quality Assurance and Enablers such as ICT, Library services, human resource, and finance, among others. She also pointed out areas that needed improvement as we embark on the formulation of the next Mak Strategic Plan. “For instance, the University has not fully transitioned into a research led University. We transformed into a Collegiate University, but we are yet to operationalise some of the aspects of a collegiate institution,” she said.
After her presentation, the Facilitators namely Dr. Patrick Okori and Dr. Paul Kibwika guided the participants into a plenary discussion that further enriched the Performance review of the current strategic plan and extensively focused on documenting the Strengths, Weaknesses, Threats and Opportunities (SWOT analysis).
In a session chaired by Eng. Dr. Charles Wana-Etyem, the Chairperson of Makerere University Council, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe shared his vision of unlocking the potential of Makerere University in the next 10 years. The Vice Chancellor strongly believes that each and everyone has a role to play in the transformation of Makerere University. He underscored this statement of fact when tactfully shared the humble beginnings of Makerere University with 14 students and the evolution with a current student population of over 40,000 students. “The University has continued to grow because we have done things differently. We need to benchmark the best practices with the aim of doing things differently.”
The Vice Chancellor revealed his commitment to the process of turning Makerere into a research led University, producing quality graduates, building a University research hospital, revamping the Sports facilities, ensuring ISO certification of Mak, supporting resource mobilization initiatives for a financially stable and sustainable Makerere University, and among others.
Ending his presentation, the Vice Chancellor asked participants to ponder on, “What role can I play in building Makerere University’s brand name?”
The Deputy Chairperson of Makerere University Council, Hon. Irene Ovonji-Odida re-echoed the need for more engagement with stakeholders and a productive Human resources focusing on individual commitment and building the right systems for human resources.
The participants were also requested to write points on: “What can I do to make Makerere University better.” The ideas will be documented by the Strategic Plan Drafting Committee chaired by Dr. Isaac Okullo, the Deputy Principal at the College of Health Sciences, Makerere University.
Envisioning the next 10 years of Makerere University, the participants actively deliberated on the Makerere University external environment, a University of the 2st Century: Benchmarks and Implications for Mak, The role of higher education in meeting the global, regional and national development needs, Improving the teaching and learning environment, Towards a research and innovation led University, Knowledge Transfer and strategic partnerships: University meeting community development needs, Governance and Human Resources: The Collegiate University, Financing and Financial Management.
Other captivating group and plenary presentations focused on: Infrastructure development, facilities and support services, Student Support Services, Internationalisation as a Pathway for Institutional Development, Mainstreaming gender strategic choices for Mak as well as Gender Mainstreaming in the University.
With the participatory approach, the Strategic Planning Retreat (February 20-22, 2018) significantly informed the Strategic planning process and the Strategic Planning Framework. The Strategic Plan Drafting Committee will harmonize the ideas and use the months of March and April 2018 to document the Mak Strategic Planning Framework that will be shared and discussed with the respective Colleges, Administrative and Support Units to guide the development of specific unit Strategic plans.
In the afternoon hours of Thursday 22nd February 2018, the Director of Planning and Development Department-Dr. Florence Nakayiwa, presented the Road map for the formulation of the next Mak Strategic plan as follows:
- Mak Strategic Planning Retreat (Feb 20-22, 2018)
- Documentation of Mak Strategic Planning Framework (March-April 2018)
- Consultation and Formulation of Unit Strategic Plan (May-August 2018)
- Consultation and Drafting of Mak Strategic Plan (Sept-Nov 2018)
- Publication and Launch of Mak Strategic Plan (March 2019)
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe who is the Champion thanked the participants for their valuable input.
Closing the Strategic Planning Retreat, Eng. Charles Wana-Etyem said: “We had a productive exchange of ideas. We have only one Makerere University. Let us enhance teamwork for the good of the University and Uganda at large.”
Article by: Ritah Namisango, Mak Public Relations Office
Pictures by: Mak 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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