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A Record 9 Mak Teams Qualify for Final Round of Big Ideas 2018 Contest

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Makerere University has once again set a record performance at this year’s Big Ideas 2018 Contest by sending nine student teams to the final round. Big Ideas is an annual contest orgainsed by the University of California, Berkeley and its partners, aimed at providing funding, support, and encouragement to interdisciplinary teams of students who have “big ideas.”

Breaking the news to ResilientAfrica Network (RAN), Makerere University; the contest’s coordinator in Uganda, the Director, Big Ideas Contest Phillip Denny shared that his organisation had notified the winning student teams on 18th April 2018 “and I can now report to you that students’ teams from Makerere University did exceptionally well!”

Reacting to the exciting news, RAN’s Communication Manager-Ms. Harriet Adong said, “I thank the RAN team for continuously supporting this Contest but most importantly serving as judges and mentors” “Our efforts have come to fruition and will continue to cause impact in the communities in which we serve and live” she added.

Of these nine teams, six; another record number, were selected as winners by the judges, and three of those six won top honors in their respective categories.

Here are the highlights:

  • TRAM Project – Enhancing financial freedom and food security to smallholder farmers in Uganda through providing quality food storage systems – won 1st Place in the Food Systems category.
  • LUMENDA – An affordable and portable device for rapid and accurate diagnosis of neonatal bacterial meningitis in low resource settings – won 1st Place in the Global Health category. LUMENDA has also been selected to participate (via Zoom video conference) at our Grand Prize Pitch Day event on April 25th, for the chance to win an additional $5000 for their project.
  • Early Preeclampsia Detection (EPED) Strip – A urine-based point-of-care early diagnostic test strip for preeclampsia enabling women to self-screen for the condition – won 1st Place in the Scaling Up category.
  • Ecosmart Pads – Locally sourced, high quality and affordable sanitary pads made from sugarcane residue – won 3rd Place in the Global Health Category.
  • Coordinated Emergency Response System (CERS) – Utilizing a combination of USSD for free communication and the proliferation of e-ridesharing services in Kampala to provide rapid and safe transportation in emergency situations – received an Honorable Mention in the Global Health category.
  • Livestock Disease Diagnosis Kit (LIDDIA Kit) – An affordable point-of-care diagnostic device base that enables farmers to conduct routine checkups on livestock for early and timely treatment – received an Honorable Mention in the Food Systems category.

Makerere University congratulates these nine student teams upon advancing to the final stage of the Big Ideas 2018 Contest and wishes them the best of luck at the penultimate stage. Furthermore, appreciation goes to the RAN staff, judges and mentors who offered invaluable assistance to the student teams.

For more information, please contact

Harriet Adong,
Communications Manager

ResilientAfrica Network (RAN)
Makerere University School of Public Health
P.O Box 7072 Kampala, Uganda
Tel. Off: +256-414 343 597
Email: hadong[at]ranlab.org
Website: www.ranlab.org
Skype: harriet.adong4

Mark Wamai

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Revised Advertisement for Positions of Principal and Deputy Principal at Makerere University

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An aerial shot of the Main Building, as taken by a drone over the Freedom Square with Left to Right: CHUSS, St. Francis, St. Augustine and CAES Buildings and the Kikoni area (Background) in view. Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University, Uganda’s premier institution of higher learning and one of Africa’s leading research universities, invites applications from suitably qualified and distinguished individuals for the positions of Principal and Deputy Principal in the Colleges listed below. The University seeks visionary leaders with demonstrated academic excellence, strategic leadership, and a commitment to institutional transformation. This advertisement is for the positions of:

  1. Principal and Deputy Principal, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES)
  2. Principal and Deputy Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES)
  3. Principal and Deputy Principal, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS)
  4. Principal and Deputy Principal, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB)
  5. Principal, College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS)
  6. Deputy Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS).

Mode of application

Interested individuals for the positions of Principal and Deputy Principal should submit the following documents sealed in an envelope addressed to the University Secretary;

  1. A signed letter of application;
  2. Certified copies of academic certificates and transcripts;
  3. The curriculum vitae of the candidate;
  4. Three (3) letters of recommendation;
  5. Copies of the required minimum number of publications;
  6. Copies of letters of appointment to leadership positions at the level of Head of Department and/or its equivalent or higher in a recognised institution comparable to Makerere University;
  7. A copy of the applicant’s national ID or passport; and
  8. A copy of the last letter of clearance from the Inspectorate of Government or other equivalent national body.

The deadline for applications is 6th July 2026 at 5:00 p.m. East African Time.

Applications should be hand-delivered to:

The University Secretary
Makerere University
Main Administration Building,
Level 2, University Secretary’s Office

Or submitted via email at search.principal@mak.ac.ug

Makerere is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from suitably qualified individuals regardless of gender, disability, or other legally protected status. The University is committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and excellence in all its activities.

THIS ADVERT CANCELS THE EARLIER ISSUED ADVERT DATED 17TH JUNE 2026

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Makerere Launches Upgraded Financial Management System and Roadmap

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Prof. Tumps Ireeta - Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance & Administration) launch the roadmap for upgrading the Mak FMS in Council Room on 17th June2026.

Makerere University on 17th June 2026 launched the upgraded Financial Management System (Mak-FMS) and Implementation Roadmap aimed at ensuring paperless end-to-end transactions right from requisition to sign-off. Mak-FMS was initially launched on 10th July 2024 to automate requisition initiation and approval. The upgraded system will ensure that the hitherto paper-based payment voucher generation, examination, digital clearance, and sign off are completed digitally.

Presiding over the launch on behalf of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, the Principal, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta commended the Directorate of Finance and the Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS) on the strides made in digitalisation of financial processes at Makerere. He nevertheless called for the need to make approvals time bound at each stage of the process to ensure that requisitions are sanctioned or deferred for additional input promptly.

The University Bursar, Mr. Evarist Bainomugisha informed attendees at the launch that the objective of the Mak-FMS upgrade was to ensure paperless transactions by 1st July 2026. He added that Champions had been appointed from colleges and administrative units, and will together with ICT Support Staff be trained by DICTS to support users during the transition.

Mr. Bainomugisha nevertheless noted that incorporation of Mak-FMS into Uganda’s Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS) remains undone. He therefore called upon Finance Officers and Accountants to prudently ensure that the money committed on the Makerere system is charged to the appropriate Government code.

DICTS Chief, Mr. Samuel Mugabi reiterated that the upgraded system is not entirely new but is only aimed at further enhancing accountability and transparency of financial management for efficiency of Makerere’s business operations. He added that the upgraded Mak-FMS will be integrated with the recently rolled out Procurement System in a phased approach, especially as users increasingly get acquainted with the paperless working environment. He equally reiterated DICTS readiness to support the Directorate of Finance to ensure a holistic training of users.

Highlighting the ten-day Implementation Roadmap, DICTS Deputy Chief, Mr. Juma Katongole noted that launch of the upgraded Mak-FMS marked Day 1, while Day 2 will be dedicated to training Finance Officers, Accountants and ICT Support Staff and Day 3 to training Champions and more ICT Support Staff. Days 4 and 5 will be dedicated to Hands-on Training Sessions for College Bursars, Accountants and Champions, while Day 6 will feature University-wide pilot implementation of the upgraded Mak-FMS.

Day 7 of the roadmap will handle user support clinics and help desk sessions, while Day 8 will feature refresher training and a workshop on frequently encountered issues. A University-wide simulation exercise covering the end-to-end payment lifecycle will be held on Day 9 and Day 10 will host the readiness assessment meeting and go-live sign-off.

In order to ensure a smooth transition to a digital Mak-FMS, a help desk will remain operational throughout the period and user manuals as well as quick-reference videos will be developed and distributed on the University Knowledge Base and DICTS Social Media platforms.

Mark Wamai

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CHS Quality Assurance Guide Book

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An aerial photo of the College of Health Sciences (CHS), Makerere University showing Left to Right: The Sir Albert Cook Memorial Library, School of Biomedical Sciences, Davies Lecture Theatre, School of Public Health, Mulago Specialised Women and Neonatal Hospital (MSWNH)-Background Left and Nakasero Hill-Background Right, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

The College of Health Sciences (CHS) QA Guidebook streamlines academic excellence, outlining essential quality processes, committee structures, and regulations aligned with Makerere University Policy and the 2004 Graduate Guidebook. It details roles for staff and students, including examination management, committee terms of reference, and highlights staff/student achievements.

Key Components of the QA Guidebook

  • Committees & Structure: Defines roles for the Quality Assurance, Gender Mainstreaming, and ICT Committee, ensuring alignment with SDGs and university policies and NCHE
  • Examination QA Processes: Outlines procedures for setting, moderating, and marking exams, ensuring standards and ethical compliance.
  • Regulations & Guidelines: Based on the Makerere University Quality Assurance Policy Framework (2007) and Graduate Guidebook 2004 ensuring consistency across all programmes.
  • Roles & Responsibilities: Clearly defines the responsibilities of Deans, Heads of Departments, and Students in Internal Quality Assurance.
  • Key student information in academic processes.
  • Commitment to support graduate training.
  • Recognition & Faculty Development: Recognizes outstanding female professors and acknowledges staff who completed PhDs in 2024–2026

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