General
Mak-Cornell GREAT Project Legume Breeding Course 2nd Phase Closes
• Course closed by Vice Chancellor represented by Prof. Bernard Bashaasha
• "Aim at improving food security and livelihoods of people", participants advised
• "Including gender in programming is a non-negotiable area", says Prof. Grace Bantebya
Research teams from Sub-Saharan Africa were on Friday, 18th January 2019 awarded certificates of Attendance of Makerere and Cornell Universities after completing the second phase (week 2) of the Gender Responsive Legume Breeding Course under the project titled, Gender-responsive Researchers Equipped for Agricultural Transformation (GREAT).
GREAT is a 5 year (2015-2020) collaboration between Cornell University in Ithaca, New York and Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda supported by Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The five-day training (14th-18th January 2019) was jointly organized by Makerere University College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) and the School of Women and Gender Studies (SWGS).
The training was closed by the Vice Chancellor Makerere University represented by Prof. Bernard Bashaasha who is also Principal CAES at Forest Cottages Bukoto in Kampala, Uganda.
Prof. Bashaasha thanked the two organizing universities for the job well done noting that progress was being made. He also thanked the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation for funding the training.
Prof. Bashaasha further applauded the collaboration between CAES and SWGS which led to successful implementation of the program. He also thanked the participants for accepting to come to Uganda and Makerere University in particular.
He appreciated the organizers for the field component of the training and the sandwich mode saying, it gives the trainees a richer experience and enriches the program itself.
The professor hailed the course multidisciplinary and mixed method design as critical, noting that all social scientists and pure scientists need to work together to enrich research and field experiences.
In his message to the participants, Prof. Bashaasha reminded them that whatever they do, they should bear in mind the development objectives.
"As you do all things, don’t forget that the aim is to improve the food security and livelihoods of our people. If you don’t, whatever you have done will be in vain", he said.
As part of the GREAT Community of Practice (CoP), Prof. Bashaasha urged participants to change the mindset of people about Africa.
"Now as part of the CoP of GREAT, be very good ambassadors of Africa in terms of development. The power is in your hands to change the perception about the continent”, Bashaasha advised.
Speaking during the same function, SWGS’ Prof. Grace Bantebya said the program is part of the global agenda meant not to leave anyone behind in development. She said that whereas the program targeted agriculturists, anyone from any field such as food science and nutrition can come on board to help realize inclusive research for development.
As a trainer, she said, she was happy to be associated with the program because it is in line with the mission and vision of the School of Women and Gender Studies.
"Participants have internalized gender concepts and we are expecting a lot from them. We need to use the knowledge and skills gained to inform policy, development and other issues that are devoid of gender". Prof. Bantebya said.
Prof. Bantebya noted that women make up a significant portion of the world population and should therefore not be ignored in research and development agendas.
“Including gender in programming is not a negotiable area, it is non- negotiable. We shall push it without any fear or shame" Prof. Bantebya pledged.
Dr. Brenda Bonabana from the CAES said the GREAT courses were designed after the realization that there was a problem that needed to be addressed. She explained that despite the fact that new varieties had been developed; they were not being adopted hence leading to persistent poverty and food insecurity, a problem she attributed to gender inequality.
“Without working with men and women no much can be achieved. We are taking the transformational cause in a way research is done in institutions for transformational development”, the don said.
Dr. Bonabana shared that this is the third year of implementation of the GREAT project activities. Course 1 trained Root tuber and banana breeders. Course 2 was on Cereal grains breeding and currently, Course 3 phase 2 is working with Legume breeders.
GREAT delivers courses to agricultural researchers from sub-Saharan Africa in the theory and practice of gender-responsive research, seeking to increase opportunities for equitable participation and the sharing of benefits from agricultural research and to improve the outcomes for smallholder women farmers, entrepreneurs, and farmer organizations.
By building and engaging communities of researchers equipped with the skills, knowledge, and support systems to develop and implement gender-responsive projects, GREAT advances gender- responsiveness as the norm and standard for agricultural research.
Report compiled by;
Jane Anyango
Principal Communication Officers, CAES
Makerere University staff have been urged to embrace servant leadership, integrity and compassion as they prepare to welcome students for the 2026/2027 Academic Year.
The call was made during the Makerere University Staff Prayer Breakfast held on 31st July 2026 at St. Francis Students Centre Upper Hall under the theme “Faithful Stewards: A Servant Heart with Integrity and Wisdom,” drawn from Colossians 3:23–24 and Mark 10:35–45.
The prayer breakfast brought together members of Council, University Management, academic, and administrative staff to dedicate the new academic year to God while reflecting on their responsibility of serving students with excellence, humility and integrity.
A Call to Seek God’s Wisdom
Host Rev. Dr. Lydia Nsaale Kitayimbwa reminded staff that no amount of professional experience or academic expertise can replace God’s guidance.
She noted that the University’s mission can only be fulfilled when staff continually seek God’s wisdom in serving students and one another.
“There is no amount of experience or expertise that can replace God’s wisdom.”
Rev. Dr. Kitayimbwa observed that students remain the reason universities exist and challenged staff to approach their work as a calling rather than merely employment.
“Without students, there is no university,” she said, encouraging members of staff to remain united, avoid unhealthy competition and trust God as they begin another academic year.
She further urged staff to become faithful stewards who work together in harmony, which she summed up as, “United we stand; divided we fall.”
A Community, Not Just a Centre of Research
In her remarks, Dean of Students Dr. Winnie Kabumbuli welcomed the Council Chairperson, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Members of Management to the breakfast, and reminded staff that a university’s value cannot be measured by research and innovation alone.
She described Makerere as a community held together by the spiritual as well as academic wellbeing of its people, and called on staff to renew their commitment to one another as much as to the institution they serve.
Draw Inspiration From Stewardship
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) Prof. Sarah Ssali told staff that this year’s breakfast carried special significance.
“This is the first prayer breakfast we are having ever since we launched our strategic plan,” she said, referring to the University’s new Strategic Plan, launched on 2nd July 2026.
She encouraged staff to hold on to the morning’s reflections as a guide for implementing the plan over the next five years, describing Makerere as an institution many families choose above all others for the vision and training it offers their children. She urged staff to see themselves as stewards of that trust rather than simply employees carrying out a job.
Compassion and Discipline Must Go Together
Delivering her remarks, Makerere University Council Chairperson Dr. Lorna Magara challenged staff to strike a balance between compassion and discipline when dealing with students.
She observed that many students face different personal and academic challenges, making encouragement and timely support essential throughout their university journey.
“A word of encouragement can restore hope and prevent costly mistakes,” she noted.
Dr. Lorna encouraged lecturers and administrators to respond promptly to students’ concerns, explaining that delays, insensitive decisions and abuse of authority can discourage students and negatively affect their academic experience.
She reminded staff that students often remember how they were treated long after they have forgotten what was taught in class.
“Students may eventually forget what we teach them, but they will always remember how we treated them.”
She added that education goes beyond transferring knowledge.
“Education is more than knowledge. We communicate life, character and values.”
Quoting Mark 10, Dr. Lorna called upon staff to embrace servant leadership by exercising authority with humility, integrity and accountability.
She encouraged members of staff to ask themselves whether they would treat every student the same way ashey would treat their own child.
“We may not always have all the answers,” she said, “but we can communicate honestly, take responsibility and treat every student with dignity.”
She concluded by urging different colleges and administrative units to work together instead of operating in isolation, noting that unity strengthens the University community.
Referring to Galatians 6:2, she reminded staff to carry one another’s burdens and remain faithful stewards of the responsibility entrusted to them.
Servant Leadership Begins with Faithfulness
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. James Magara, husband to Dr. Lorna Magara, called on members of staff to embrace servant leadership grounded in humility, faithfulness and service to others.
Drawing from Mark 10:35–45, Dr. Magara reflected on the account in which James and John asked Jesus for positions of honour in His kingdom, prompting discontent among the other disciples. He observed that despite walking closely with Christ, the disciples continued to struggle with the desire for status and recognition. He noted that such competition remained evident even during the Last Supper, where concerns over positions and prominence persisted.
Dr. Magara said that Jesus responded to these human tendencies by redefining leadership through service rather than authority. He described Christ’s act of washing the disciples’ feet as the ultimate demonstration of servant leadership, explaining that genuine leaders are willing to undertake even the humblest responsibilities in service of others.
Referencing Philippians 2, he urged staff to emulate Christ’s humility and selflessness, contrasting it with the pride and self-exaltation illustrated in Isaiah 14. He emphasised that lasting influence and greatness are not measured by titles, positions or recognition, but by one’s willingness to serve faithfully and put the needs of others before personal ambition.
Drawing on his own leadership journey spanning several decades, Dr. Magara challenged leaders across the University to cultivate humility, integrity and a servant heart in the execution of their responsibilities. He cautioned that leadership driven by pride and personal ambition undermines both individual effectiveness and institutional progress, whereas servant leadership strengthens organisations and fosters lasting impact.
The prayer breakfast concluded with a call for unity and collective commitment as Makerere University prepares to begin a new academic year. Organisers noted that the reflections on stewardship, integrity and servant leadership would provide a strong foundation for the University community as it advances the implementation of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2025–2030.
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