Connect with us

General

Mak launches the Second Annual Waste Management Awareness Week

Published

on

The Sustainability Program team at Makerere University is organizing the 2nd Annual Waste Awareness Week (1st-5th October 2018), under a theme: Improving plastic waste management through awareness of sustainable plastic collection, disposal, re-use, reduce and recycling.  Officially launched by Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe who was represented by the Deputy University Secretary Mr. Yusufu Kiranda, the Waste Awareness Week is engaging students to take lead in implementing the different activities that are geared towards promoting sustainable waste management within the University.  

“We are set to have a think tank session, community outreach, social media campaigns on sustainable plastic collection, disposal, reuse, reduce and recycling. We have also organized a give back activity with MasterCard Foundation Scholars and Alumni Association at Makerere University Primary school,” said Ms. Pamela Matovu, the Coordinator of the Sustainability Program at Makerere University.

The Waste Management Awareness Week is a sustainability program that is stipulated in the Makerere University-Bangor University collaborative partnership. Coordinated by Makerere University Students Sustainability Action Group under the Planning & Development Department in collaboration with Estates & Works Department, the program engages university community in four major aspects of prevention, reduction, reuse and recycling of waste to reduce waste generation at Makerere University.

This year, Coca Cola Beverages Africa has come on board to support the Waste Awareness Week activities at Makerere University by donating 500 bins, stickers and street pole banners with waste management messages. The company is also set to enter into a partnership with Makerere University to construct a plastic collection Centre as a way of improving plastic waste management.

Makerere University has attained its position on waste management through a number of activities undertaken by students and staff. The Institution has also embarked on innovation and research developments to combat unnecessary waste disposal through recycling.

At the official launch of the Waste Awareness Week on 28th September 2018, Dr. Venny Nakazibwe together with a team of vibrant students from the College of Engineering, Design Art and Technology, presented their locally made DIY plastic compressing Machine used for compressing and threshing plastics into refined materials for recycling. The team also unveiled the LCB unit (Low cost and Sustainable building unit); a modern structural building components produced from plastics, steel slag and sand.

“In 2017, Makerere University opened the first Centre of Excellence in Waste Management. Located at Makerere University Agricultural Research Institute Kabanyoro (MUARIK), the worth $USD 48,000 Centre trains farmers on how to sort, decompose, make biogas and set up demonstration plots on using agricultural waste. The Centre hosts incubators that help in culturing samples under controlled temperatures; an oven for drying samples, a bio gas analyzer for analyzing components in biogas and a microscope for specimen observation,” said the Vice Chancellor in a speech read by Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, 

“The Centre also host centrifuges that aid separation of liquid samples, a spectrophotometer for analyzing micronutrients in soil and water, a laboratory balance for weighing samples; PH meter for determining acidity and alkalinity of different samples of soil and water; a cooled incubator for culturing and can vary temperature-low system organisms and a portable solar biogas digester,” he added.

Prof. Nawangwe, thanked the Sustainability Lab-Bangor University for the continued relationship with Makerere University.  In a special way, he appreciated the support of the Coca-Cola Beverage Africa, towards the 2018 Waste Management Week.  He commended the Organizing Committee; the Estates and Works Department, Planning and Development Department, the Students’ Guild-Ministry of Estates and Environment and MasterCard Foundation Scholars and Alumni Association for their tireless efforts to ensure that the five days’ campaign is a success.

Mr. Kalenzi Edward Ivan from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa, commended Makerere University for its tremendous research that has developed solutions to the African challenges. He applauded Makerere University students for the plastic- recycle- innovations that are geared towards re-using plastics to reduce waste disposal in the community.  He thanked Makerere University Management for accepting to partner with Coca-Cola Beverages Africa to construct a plastic collection Centre at the legendary university.  

Job Namara, the Minister of Estates and Environment (84th Guild) called upon the entire Makerere University fraternity to embrace the campaign and ensure that waste is properly managed in the University.

Other members that graced the occasion included; the Director of Estates and Works Department Eng. Christina Kakeeto, the Director for Planning and Development Department Dr. Florence Nakayiwa, the Dean of Students Mr. Cyriaco Kabagambe, Mr. Nsereko Raymond, a Lecturer at the College of Engineering Design Art and Technology and Eng. Mugisha Rogers from Coca-Cola Beverages Africa.

Article by Makerere University Public Relations Office

Proscovia Nabatte

Continue Reading

General

Special Exam Results -Diploma in Performing Arts 2025/26

Published

on

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

Continue Reading

General

Mature Age Scheme Exam Results for 2025/2026

Published

on

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

Continue Reading

General

Call for Application: 2025 SNRM session 4 Summer School

Published

on

Participants in focused group discussions. Leiden-Delft-Erasmus East Africa Research Network (LEARN) in collaboration with the Urban Action Lab at Makerere University a workshop to deliberate strategies for mitigating the impacts of climate change in urban centres in the East African Region, Theme: “Resilient Urban Futures: Adapting Livelihoods to Climate Change”, 4th-5th September 2024, School of Public Health Auditorium, Kampala Uganda.

Context:
Natural resources in Africa are being depleted at an alarming rate due to several factors, including unsustainable human activities, climate change, and population growth. A primary condition of sustainable development is to ensure that the pressures do not exceed the environmental limits, and that demand for the resources does not exceed levels that can be sustainably provided by nature. Therefore, there is a pressing need for transformative, systems-thinking approaches and tools that can tackle the diverse challenges facing these systems. In Africa, this need is compounded by a lack of data and monitoring, which significantly hinders sustainable decision-making.

Investing in young scientists who are committed to take lead in sustainable management of Africa’s natural resources is very important. Capacity building of young scientists will enhance their knowledge and skill on sustainable natural resources and their involvement for implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDG’s) in Africa. To this effect, SNRM summer schools have been implemented in three sessions in 2019, 2020, and 2022 with support from Volkswagen Foundation; to build a critical mass of skilled and competent young natural resource scientists in Africa through training, capacity building and mentorship. Session 4 (2025) will target competent young scientists (MSc and PhD students) in Africa and Germany to further develop their knowledge and skills in systems thinking, advanced data collection and analysis, and application of emerging digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), internet of things (IoT), and embracing transdisciplinary approaches. In addition, we include an ideation workshop where students can work on real problems to come up with solutions for sustainable transformations in natural resource use.

Organizers: Leibniz Universität – Hannover (Germany), University of Antananarivo, University of Abomey Calavi (Benin), Makerere University (Uganda), University of Ghana (Ghana), University of Parakou (Benin), The Technical University of Kenya, with financial support from the Volkswagen Foundation (Germany).

Venue and dates: Nairobi, Kenya, 16-28 November 2025

Target: MSc and PhD students, early in the program of less than 35 years of age from any university/research institution in either sub-Saharan Africa or Germany with an interest in natural resources management.

Participants and Scholarships: The course is fully funded and open to 20 MSc and PhD students from Africa, and 5 from Germany. Funding will cover the costs of air ticket, accommodation, meals, visa, and transportation. However, participants will cover the cost of their travel health insurance.

Topics

SNRM Summer School Session 4: Transformative pathways in biodiversity management and conservation.
This summer school is designed to deliver four modules over a two-week period. The modules are designed to enable the students to acquire new ways of designing data collection protocols and analysis for transformative sustainable natural resources management.

Module 4.1: Data collection I
Skills in data collection for a transformative and sustainable management of natural resources (water, wildlife, forest, land, livestock, crops) monitoring and data collection techniques; remote monitoring tools, earth observation system data, e.g. satellite data sources, LIDAR, and UAV aerial images. Collect and analyse In-situ data on biotic and abiotic parameters, map and analyse data using R or Google Earth Engine, field data collection and retrieving data from online databases.

Module 4.2 Data management and processing
Introduction to tools and methods of managing large and diverse data sets of natural resources such as time series, spatial, directional, and multivariate data. Practicals will include data storage, organization and conversion into various formats using databases such as PostgreSQL and statistical programming software such as R and Python; scripts.

Module 4.3 Ecological monitoring, modelling and management
This module aims to teach participants how to anticipate and validate trends that can be observed in various ecosystems. Lectures include ecological monitoring and its design; population monitoring studies; metrics in population monitoring; methods for monitoring and assessing marine ecosystems; human ecology to socio-ecological systems; climate change impact of ecosystems; suitability assessments; overview of the principles underlying wildlife monitoring and prediction systems for climate change adaptation. Practicals will include field data collection (individual and group); ecological data analysis using R or PAST; modelling and experiencing the behaviour of complex systems using Vensim.

Module 4.4 Natural habitat restoration ideation lab
This module is designed to spur students’ innovation and creativity, and to help students comprehensively identify interdependencies across the 17 SDG goals. Participants will be trained on ideation processes for solutions and intervention for transformative natural resource management. They will work collaboratively in small groups on case studies and develop pathways of transformative sustainable natural resource management. Examples of projects include forest (mangrove) ecosystem and habitat restoration, improved technologies for agricultural production, nature-based solutions for improving water quality, and reversing land degradation.

Language: The course will be delivered in English. Participants are expected to be fluent in writing and speaking the English language.

How to apply

Applicants are kindly requested to fill in the application form available from https://snrmafrica.com/ and submit the following documents in English through the system.

  • a curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages)
  • a letter of motivation (maximum 1 page)
  • a confirmation of university enrolment
  • a reference letter from the academic supervisor
  • project summary of MSc/ PhD project (1 page including objectives, methodology
    and key findings or expected outcomes).

Important dates
Application deadline: 30th June 2025.
Announcement of accepted applicants: 15th August 2025.
Confirmation of attendance by selected participants: 12th Sept 2025.
Summer school held: 16 – 28 Nov 2025.

Further information is available from

The secretariat info@snrmafrica.com
Dr Lydia Olaka lydiaolaka@tukenya.ac.ke
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Stuetzel stuetzel@gem.uni-hannover.de

Mak Editor

Continue Reading

Trending