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Over 60 Mak PhD Fellows attend PhD Convention

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Makerere University Doctoral Students Forum under the patronage of the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training has today, 12th April 2018 held its annual convention under the theme “Relevance of Research towards National Development”. The Vice-Chancellor Prof Barnabas Nawangwe represented by Prof Buyinza Mukadasi, Director of the Directorate of Research & Graduate Training officiated at the opening of the convention.

The annual convention brings together the PhD fellows of this great University to interact, share the research areas, critique concepts, and proposals or research don. The Convention also includes a research forum where doctoral students discuss their research concepts, proposals, pilot research findings and dissertation research manuscripts and papers with each other and renowned researchers. This is done through oral and poster presentations followed by a discussion aimed at appreciating the role of research in national development.

The Vice-Chancellor used the event to renew to the graduate students the University’s commitment to provide platforms through which PhD fellows at Makerere will continue to academically and socially network, share ideas, engage in collaborative research and access relevant information. He encouraged Doctoral students to support one another to overcome doctoral related stress, self inadequacies and lowliness.

As a premier University, Makerere will continue to ssustain the production of a critical mass of well-trained African academics at PhD level and in this regard, the Vice-Chancellor applauded the DRGT for recognizing the fact that the journey of PhD studies is quite long, lonely and challenging.

Cognisant of the challenges faced by the PhD student, in 2010 the University initiated the PhD Forum at Makerere University (PF@Mak), a Fellowship that brings together PhD students. Through the Forum, the University is able to provide a favourable environment for doctoral mentorship, training and research through peer networking and academic collaborations. The overarching goal of which is to achieve high quality research outputs leading to timely completion of doctoral studies. “It is our cardinal responsibility to prepare young and promising researchers in completing their PhD programme” the Vice-Chancellor noted.

Prof John Munene, an expert the organizational theory of change and Professor of Psychology at MUBS gave the key note address. In his remarks, re-affirmed the need to uphold research ethics and integrity based on theory of change. He cited examples of theory impacting on national and global development.  He applauded Makerere’s new perspective to integrative learning in form of organizing mentorship Colloquium and conventions. He is optimistic that Makerere would continue to invest in platforms that trigger peer networking, academic review and knowledge sharing.

Prof Munene proposed a paradigm shifts from the conventional social development model to one that respects and embraces theory for solving practical problems. He calls it complex Science thinking based on principles of none-linear modeling. He contends that perhaps one of the most important benefits from Convention presentations is the student’s ability to advocate for strength-based approaches versus deficitor gap approaches. According to Prof Munene, this allows students/researchers in other disciplines, policy-makers, and the public to become aware of the innovative research in one’s particular discipline. As scholars, “it is important that we make our research relevant with impact on social change increase the visibility of our research and provide interested individuals with more information”.
The Annual Convention 2018 has featured over 100 Oral and poster presentations under five thematic areas:
(1)     Health and Health Systems
(2)     Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resource Management
(3)     Governance, Economic and Social Change
(4)     Science and Technological Advancement
(5)     Education, Poverty and Behavioral Change

Despite the promising achievement, the PhD students raised a challenges related to inadequate Research Infrastructure and equipment; physical learning space, lack of harmonized supervision guidelines; inadequate support to student research groups; and inadequate budget support for basic sciences
Once again, on behalf of the University, the DRGT welcomes you to Annual Doctoral convention 2018 and wish you fruitful deliberations.  As “We Build for the Future”.

Denis Wamala

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Special Exam Results -Diploma in Performing Arts 2025/26

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The results for the 2025/2026 special entry examination for the Diploma in Performing Arts held on Saturday 17th May, 2025. Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the Examination and have been recommended to the university’s Admissions Committee for consideration.

Mak Editor

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Mature Age Scheme Exam Results for 2025/2026

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The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released full results for the Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations for the Academic Year 2025/2026 held on Saturday 14th December, 2024.

The Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the examination and have been recommended by the Pre-Entry & Mature Age Committee to the University’s Admissions Board for Consideration.

The Aptitude Exam  Results for 2025/2026 Academic Year released in February 2025 can be found here.

Mak Editor

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Directorate of Graduate Training Completes Training of First Cohort Training of Supervisors

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By Moses Lutaaya

The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) has in collaboration with Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors.

Participants were academic staff from two colleges namely, College of Engineering, Art and Design (CEDAT) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

The three-day training that took place at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building ended on Friday 20thJune 2025.

In his closing remarks to the participants, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “This is the first cohort we are working together with the Center for Teaching and Learning to put together continuous professional development Program so that we are able to enforce the new teaching and learning policy.”

He said that before lecturers are allocated students for supervision, they must first go through this form of formal teaching and learning training to equip them thoroughly with certification required of supervision of graduate students.

“We are coming up with process to ensure that the certificates earned by participants allow you to supervise graduate students. This is the direction of the university and we must ensure that such trainings are concluded and completed successfully by all participants”, Prof. Kikooma.

Prof. Julius Kikooma – Director of Graduate Training

“We can only have you certified upon completing all the exercises in the training process. This is when you will be eligible to receive the work load for supervision”, He added.

“This training of Supervisors is going to be continuous so that all academic staff in colleges and schools are equipped. This first cohort is going to be our building block to the future trainings in the colleges.”

With such capacity building trainings, Prof. Kikooma said that the university is on the right path to achieving its targets in the new strategic plan of increasing the number of graduate students while progressively reducing the under graduate students.

He further hinted that, “We are in the process of writing a curriculum on this, which will be presented for approval before it is rolled out.”

He echoed all participants to share the knowledge they have acquired adding, “Share all you have learnt, do not keep it. Be open minded, have proper communication channels and the sky will be the limit for you.” 

Dr. Robinah N. Kulabako, The Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CEDAT welcomed the training adding, “This training is very pertinent. I have had the opportunity to supervise Masters and PhD students for over 15 years and I must say that the need to be subjected to this training cannot be over emphasized because there is need to learn, unlearn and relearn many aspects involved in the supervision process.”

She added, “We are moving towards knowledge-based supervision rather than experience-based supervision. This means we must be informed and equipped to be able to advise, guide and mentor to be able to lead a successful supervision journey for both supervisor and supervisee.”

Dr. Andrew Gilbert Were – a lecturer at CEDAT and a participant said, “It is important that all supervisors of graduate students receive this certification from Makerere University through a systematic training process that enables them to attain diverse skills to facilitate learning of graduate students from diverse cultures and with unique set of circumstances.”

“This training is long overdue. In fact, it was an oversight that we could be allowed to supervise students without undergoing supervisors’ training.”

Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, The Director Centre for Teaching and Learning support- CEES said, “The training this time round has had a mix of early career professionals including Lecturers, Supervisors and Professors share experiences. We have learnt a lot more from experienced supervisors who have shared practices on how they have done supervision over the years.”

“The knowledge and experience-based approaches have made this collaboration very active, interactive and learner centered which has resulted into a collaborative learning from the interdisciplinarity of staff from CEDAT and CAES. The issue now is to continue with professional development across all levels.” She added.

The Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors. This activity was supported by the iCARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.

Mak Editor

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