General
Mak- FSF Alumni Breakfast Meeting: Scholars are ready to drop a coin and change a life
Since 2001, the Makerere University Gender Mainstreaming Directorate in partnership with the Carnegie Cooperation of New York, has supported academically bright girls from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds to access university education at Makerere University, thus contributing to the increased undergraduate female students’ enrolment at the University.
In 2012, in addition to the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate got new partners to fund the FSF such as the MS JD Global Education Fund, DFCU Bank, Standard Chartered Bank Limited, Joshua Mugenyi Foundation, some Local Government Districts of Uganda and Individuals of Good Will.
Through this support, over 900 female scholars have graduated and are selflessly serving mother Uganda as Lawyers, Chief Executive Directors, Programme Mangers, Bankers, Lecturers, Teachers, Medical Doctors, Church Ministers, Mothers, Big sisters, Social workers and many others. These ladies are clearly the testimony of what Uganda as a country, Africa as a Continent and they would lose if these girls had failed to access University education due to lack of fees and other support that the Makerere University Female Scholarship Foundation has offered since the year 2001.
Numerous bright but socio-economically disadvantaged girls in Uganda still face challenges in accessing higher education. Many girls from less privileged, geographically disadvantaged districts and locations, girls from refugee/displaced communities, ethnic minority groups and girls with various disabilities still face financial challenges in accessing university education.
On 10th March 2018, over 250 alumni of Makerere University Female Scholarship Foundation (FSF) turned up for the First Breakfast Meeting to develop a sustainability approach towards the Female Scholarship Foundation as well as propose a way forward on how they can support their fellow socio-economically needy bright girls to attain higher education at Makerere University.
The FSF Alumni Breakfast meetings are among several activities that will be organised prior to an official launch of the Resource Mobilization Campaign dubbed “Drop a Coin and Forever Change a Life”. These meetings are geared towards instilling the spirit of philanthropy among the FSF alumni, maintaining an active and periodical engagement of the FSF alumni, tracking alumni progress and status through database updates, encouraging FSF Alumni voluntary commitments to contribute towards the FSF, encouraging FSF Alumni to mobilize people in their networks and reach out to institutions and organisations which can financially support the Foundation towards sustainability.
During the interactive sessions that were held in the Makerere University Main Hall, the FSF Alumni selected an FSF Alumni Executive Committee, chaired by Ms.Adong Agnes who is an FSF Alumni, to oversee the Alumni participation throughout the processes and procedures of realizing the objectives of the Resource Mobilization Campaign in conjunction with the Makerere University Gender Mainstreaming Directorate.
This Committee is also responsible for engaging the FSF Alumni in activities that are focused on developing the FSF Alumni Association. In the same meeting, FSF Alumni also proposed various ways that could be utilised to mobilize for resources among which included;
• Revitalising the FSF Alumni Association with specific annual subscription fees
• Making individual FSF Alumni honour pledges
• Instituting mobile telephone lines linked to a bank product for convenient financial donations
• Printing and distribution of flyers and other appropriate information packs about the FSF
• Publication of testimonies of the FSF Alumni
• Mobilizing and reaching out to fellow FSF alumni through cohort-specific leaders
• Encouraging fulfilling individual pledges on either daily, monthly and annually towards the Foundation
• Reaching out to potential funders, sponsors and partners at the local, national regional and international levels
• Upholding accountability and transparency
According to the Ag. Director of the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, Dr.Euzobia Mugisha Baine, in 2017, the Carnegie Corporation of New York together with the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate agreed to develop a strategy for mobilizing resources to sustain the scholarships with the involvement of the FSF Alumni to support additional girls from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds to access university education at Makerere University.
“We looked at how the project can sustain itself and we decided to come up with the resource mobilization campaign. I believe we have the numbers from the FSF Alumni and this is one of our greatest strength. We are loved and this equally is strength for us. We have a family and this is gold. Coming together as a family, nothing can fail us. If we decide to take this initiative by the horn as a family we shall succeed. Let us give what we have and support a life. I know each one of us has moved up the ladder but at one point someone somewhere gave a hand. Let us join our hands together for the betterment of our disadvantaged girls,” she said.
So impressed with the immense turn up of the Alumni, the Ag. Director, encouraged scholars to take the lead in the Resource Mobilization Campaign activities when she said, “Your coming is a demonstration of our own strength, we need your support and we need your ideas. However little it is we can make a change. Mobilize resources and give to the cause because you are a living testimony."
Dr.Baine revealed to the scholars that the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate is working on a bank product that can easily be accessed by everyone on their mobile phones from anywhere in the world and be able to fulfil their commitments. She assured the Female Scholarship Foundation Alumni of the University’s commitment to take the project to greater heights. On behalf of the Directorate, Dr.Baine pledged to engage different partners and sponsors.
The Deputy Director (Teaching, Learning/ Research & Innovations) in the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, Ms. Frances Nyachwo appreciated the Alumni for showing interest in brightening the future of their fellow womenfolk. She thanked the FSF Alumni Executive Committee Members for dedicating their time to voluntarily serve the FSF Alumni Association to ensure successful results during the resource mobilization campaign period.
Quoting the famous words of Dr. Loretta Scott, Mr. Eric Tumwesigye noted, ‘‘we cannot help everyone but everyone can help someone”. This initiative starts with us. Before we call for help from someone, lets us have as starting point. We need people to realize that there is a gap when we have at least done something. We therefore invited you as champions of this drive and we trust that you can make an impact that will live in people’s hearts for long,” said Mr. Eric Tumwesigye the Female Scholarship Foundation Desk Officer in the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate.
The fruitful Breakfast Meeting saw the Female Scholarship Foundation Alumni raise over Ug. Shs 37,833,700 Million from individual cash money contributions, pledges, sale of T-Shirts echoing the Resource Mobilisation campaign message, and from auction of a Karimojong item donated by Ms. Lydia Moru an FSF Alumni. In addition, Ms.Kayezu Evelyn pledged to pay full tuition for one academically bright girl from a disadvantaged socio-economic background to access university education at Makerere University for her entire period of study. Ms. Lydia Moru also a Female Scholarship Foundation Alumni pledged to mobilize all the Makerere University Female Scholarship Foundation Alumni from the Karamoja Sub-Region, located in Eastern Uganda.
Among the over 250 Female Scholarship Foundation Alumni that turned up for the breakfast meeting, 162 made on spot financial commitments between ranging from Ug. Shs. 60,000 – Ug. Shs. 2,400,000 annual contributions to the Makerere University Female Scholarship Foundation.
Article by: Makerere University- Public Relations Office and Makerere University Gender Mainstreaming Directorate.
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged its newly admitted PhD students to go beyond pursuing academic qualifications and become independent scholars capable of generating knowledge, solving societal problems and contributing to Africa’s transformation.
The call was made by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, during the orientation of the 2026/2027 PhD cohort at Makerere University’s Main Hall in the Main Building on 10th August 2026.
Prof. Ssali told the new scholars that a PhD marks a fundamental shift from previous levels of education, requiring students to take greater responsibility for their academic progress rather than depending entirely on lecturers and supervisors.
“You will have to push yourself and also push your supervisor to move with you,” Prof. Ssali said, urging the students to take ownership of their doctoral journey.
She acknowledged that many PhD students have to balance their studies with employment, family responsibilities and community leadership, making doctoral training demanding. However, she urged them to remain focused on completing their programmes within the prescribed three, four or five years.
Prof. Ssali said Makerere expects its doctoral training to produce scholars who can create knowledge, challenge existing ideas and develop solutions to societal problems.
She encouraged the students to embrace ambiguity and become comfortable questioning what they already know, noting that doctoral education requires scholars to identify important questions, investigate them and generate answers that advance knowledge.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor also urged the students to develop interdisciplinary collaborations and scholarly networks rather than confining their research to their individual disciplines.
She said the success of doctoral education should not be measured merely by the number of dissertations completed or papers published, but by the extent to which research contributes to society.
With Africa facing complex challenges, including climate change, disease, population growth and development pressures, Prof. Ssali said PhD scholars have a responsibility to generate evidence that can influence policy, strengthen institutions and advance innovation.
She challenged each scholar to continually ask what problem their research addresses, what solution it advances and whether that solution can create sustainable value.
The Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, said the new cohort was joining Makerere at a time when the University is implementing reforms aimed at strengthening graduate education and improving completion rates.
Prof. Kikooma revealed that Makerere received close to 12,000 applications across its master’s, postgraduate and PhD programmes but admitted about 6,000 students.
He said graduate education has been placed at the centre of the University’s efforts to strengthen research capacity and prepare scholars to contribute to knowledge production and innovation.
Under the reforms, PhD students will undertake compulsory cross-cutting courses designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for doctoral research. They will also be required to undertake teaching in either their second or third year under the guidance of their supervisors.
In addition to completing their theses, students will be required to produce at least two publications before graduation, a requirement intended to prepare them to become the next generation of researchers, innovators, inventors and creators.
Makerere has also introduced a digital system to monitor the progress of every PhD student each semester. The system is intended to enable students, supervisors and university officials to identify challenges early and intervene in real time.
Prof. Kikooma urged the scholars to write regularly, think critically, maintain open and constructive relationships with their supervisors and protect their academic integrity and professional reputation.
He also encouraged them to build scholarly networks and remain resilient, noting that rejected papers, disappointing data and unexpected challenges are normal aspects of doctoral training.
The Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, Prof. Robert Wamala, challenged the scholars to ensure that the knowledge they produce is trustworthy, responsible and ethically sound.
Prof. Wamala emphasized the importance of respecting the dignity, rights, safety and autonomy of research participants, particularly where studies involve individuals, communities and personal information.
He highlighted informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, justice and accountability as critical principles of ethical research and urged students to maintain transparency throughout the research process, from developing research questions and collecting data to analyzing and reporting findings.
Prof. Wamala also cautioned the students on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research.
He said although AI can assist researchers with activities such as language improvement, it does not remove the researcher’s responsibility for the final product.
Researchers, he said, must verify AI-generated information and remain accountable for inaccurate statements, misleading interpretations and incorrect references.
He further urged students involved in international and other research collaborations to establish clear agreements on roles, authorship, data ownership, access and intellectual property before commencing their research.
The Deputy University Librarian, Dr. Kizito Ongaya, meanwhile, urged the new scholars to make full use of Makerere’s library and information resources throughout their doctoral journey.
Dr. Ongaya said the University operates a hybrid library system combining physical and electronic resources, with more than 200,000 books, 45 e-journal databases and over 16,000 archival materials available to researchers.
He encouraged the students to participate in library training to learn how to access and effectively use electronic resources and to explore specialized libraries and information centers across the University’s colleges.
These include resources covering natural sciences, agriculture, veterinary medicine, health sciences, education and humanities, as well as museums, botanical gardens, specialized collections and other research facilities.
The newly admitted doctoral students were also addressed by Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre, Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba, the Deputy University Bursar and members of Makerere University Convocation.
Makerere University has once again cemented its place as a regional leader in academic excellence after successfully hosting the East African Universities Debate Championships (EAUDC) 2026, welcoming the continent’s brightest young minds for a week of intellectual competition, cultural exchange, and leadership development.
Held from 26th July to 1st August 2026, the championship brought together more than 200 student debaters, adjudicators and delegates from 25 universities across Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, South Sudan and other invited institutions, transforming the Ivory Tower into East Africa’s premier arena for ideas, innovation and public discourse.
The week-long tournament featured rigorous British Parliamentary debate rounds, public speaking competitions, adjudication workshops and networking sessions designed to sharpen critical thinking, leadership and persuasive communication. Participants debated contemporary issues ranging from governance and economic transformation to technology, public health, climate change and Africa’s future.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Deputy Vice Chancellor welcomed delegates to Makerere University, emphasizing the institution’s enduring commitment to nurturing graduates who are not only academically accomplished but also capable of leading meaningful conversations that shape society. The championship reflected Makerere’s vision of producing graduates who are innovative, analytical and prepared to address regional and global challenges.
Beyond competition, EAUDC 2026 became a celebration of East African unity. Delegates experienced Uganda’s rich cultural heritage through social events, campus tours and cultural showcases that fostered friendships beyond national borders. The interactions reinforced the championship’s belief that dialogue remains one of the strongest foundations for regional integration and peaceful cooperation.
The tournament concluded with an electrifying Grand Finale witnessed by students, alumni, university leaders, invited guests and debate enthusiasts. The Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Education and Sports Hon. Eng. Cuthbert Abigaba represented the Speaker of Parliament as the Guest of Honour. In his remarks he congratulated Makerere University on the successful event and encouraged debate among students.
Prof Sarah Ssali the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs at Makerere University pledged continuous support from the administration towards Makerere Debate Union. Teams demonstrated exceptional research, analytical reasoning and eloquence before a distinguished panel of international adjudicators, bringing to a close one of the most competitive editions of the championship.
The successful hosting of EAUDC 2026 marks another milestone in Makerere University‘s growing reputation as a centre of excellence for debating and public speaking. The event builds on the university’s long-standing tradition of producing outstanding debaters while providing students with opportunities to engage with peers from across the region in meaningful intellectual exchange.
As the championship drew to a close, participants departed Kampala with new friendships, stronger networks and renewed inspiration to continue using debate as a tool for leadership, democratic participation and social transformation.
With the East African chapter successfully concluded, attention now turns to the Pan-African Universities Debating Championship (PAUDC) 2026, where Makerere University will once again represent East Africa on the continental stage.
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