General
First session of the Pedagogical Skills Training ends: participants awarded certificates
The first session of the Pedagogical Skills Training for Makerere University Assistant Lectures has successfully ended with 35 participants from the College of Natural Sciences, College of Computing and Information Sciences, and the College of Business and Management Sciences awarded certificates.
The certificates were handed over to participants by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ernest Okello Ogwang; at the closing ceremony of the first session of the training that was held on 25th July 2018 at Telepresence Centre.
Dr. Okello Ogwang congratulated the participants upon finishing the training successfully. He encouraged them to utilize the available training opportunities to increase their knowledge base and widen their understanding.
“Such trainings are good since they improve our networking, skills and experience. Learning is a continuous process. As teachers, it is our own responsibility to expand our knowledge base through learning, teaching and research. the more we learn, the better we become when interacting with our students. Let us build a strong information base that will help us in delivering good services to our clients,” he remarked.
The Pedagogical Skills Training for Makerere University Assistant Lecturers was officially opened on 23rd July 2018, with 35 participants from the College of Natural Sciences, College of Computing and Information Sciences and the College of Business and Management sciences undertaking the first session. The first session ran from 23rd -25th July 2018.
According to the Director Humana Resources- Mr. Andrew Abunyang, the Pedagogical Skills Training is expected to end in March 2019, with over 300, participants trained. “We have restructured this training in a way that, we shall have a session every after two weeks. In each session we expect 35 participants from the selected Colleges to undertake the training for three days,” he explained.
He congratulated the participants upon finishing the training and assured members of the second session that will be starting on 6th August 2018.
On behalf of the participants, Mr Edward Musoke, an Assistant Lecturer at the College of Computing and Information Sciences, appreciated facilitators for the knowledgeable, informative and remarkable training sessions. He thanked Makerere University Management, the Directorate of Human Resources and the College of Education and External Studies for organising the training that has enabled participants realise the need to revise their teaching skills and align them with the current needs of students and society.
“We are grateful for the knowledge and skills we have gained in these three days. The sessions were so informative; we have refreshed our minds to understand our call as teachers. I believe that we have been well equipped with the capacity to take our students through their academic journey in a manner that will help them succeed in their careers. We are very positive that, with this training we are ready to take the University at greater heights and we pledge to take forward the knowledge gained to improve our career and ensure quality education at Institutions of Higher Learning.,” said Mr. Edward Musoke, on behalf of the participants.
The Principle of College of Education and External Studies Prof. Fred Masagaazi Masaazi thanked the Directorate of Human Resources and the College of Education and External Studies for organising training that is ready to equip Lecturers with skills and techniques that will enhance their teaching abilities.
Article by: Racheal Kanyi and Pauline Angom- Volunteers, 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
-
General20 hours agoUndergraduate Admission Lists 2026/2027
-
General1 week agoMakerere Hands Over CCE Hall to NEC for Renovation
-
General1 week agoFees Waiver Female Scholarship 2026/2027
-
General2 weeks agoMakerere University Set to Develop Curriculum to Transform Graduate Supervision and Mentorship
-
Education2 weeks agoMakerere University Signs MoU with Fukui University to enhance Research, Teacher Development and STEM Education