General
MaRCCI Represents Mak at Third Parliamentary Week Exhibition
Makerere University Regional Centre of Excellence in Crop Improvement (MaRCCI) from 13th to 18th January 2019 represented Mak during the Third Edition of the week-long Parliamentary exhibition. The Parliament of Uganda hosted the exhibition under the theme, “Parliament and Service Delivery”.
The Exhibition which kicked off with a Fundraising Walk in support of people living with Albinism on 13th January 2019 was aimed at showcasing the services that government institutions provide to the public. It was also aimed at providing a valuable opportunity for public interaction with government ministries, departments and agencies.
MaRCCI exhibited value added products from cow pea and sorghum at the exhibition. The MaRCCI Program Administrator, Alice Candia said the centre has been involved in graduate training; mainly MSc. Plant Breeding and Seed systems and PhD in Plant Breeding and Biotechnology since 2008.
The program, she said, has trained more than 181 graduates from over 20 countries in Africa.
“Apart from academic training we carry out extensive research. Right now we are concentrating mainly on two crops; cow pea and sorghum. This is because these are traditional crops with little known about them. There is no info disseminated”, she said.
She described cow pea as an orphan and food security crop that can be grown throughout the year, the main reason the Centre has enormous interest in it.
“MaRCCI is displaying the value addition from cow pea and sorghum. We have made a lot of confectionaries from cowpea and sorghum. We also partner with CURAD based in Kabanyolo to help in marketing our products. Exhibited products include cowpea and sorghum snacks, cookies cake, bagia’ Candia explained.
The Parliamentary week is a key activity aimed at promoting a better understanding of the organ’s role as a public institution; enhancing public awareness about the work of Parliament and encouraging public participation in the law-making process. It is also aimed at making the precincts of Parliament open to the public and giving the opportunity to the public to act as legislators for a day. The event also aims at exposing the public to the daily challenges faced by legislators and improving relations between Parliament and the public.
About MaRCCI
Makerere University won a US$6 million World Bank Grant to support the establishment of the Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI) within the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). The grant provides for additional scientific and support staff as well as for enhancement of facilities and equipment, with the goal of modernizing and expanding the teaching, research and service activities of MaRCCI in a sustainable manner.
The Centre’s general management is administered through the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. The College Principal gives oversight of MaRCCI activities, while the day-to-day operations are managed by Dr. Richard Edema; the Project Manager (PI) and the Centre Director (CD), assisted by the Deputy Director, Prof. Paul Gibson, and the entire MaRCCI team.
The African Centre of Excellence grant to MaRCCI is part of a larger World Bank initiative that supports the development of Centres of Excellence (ACEs) for higher education in Eastern and Southern Africa. Their purpose is to promote regional specialization among participating universities in areas that address particular challenges in regional development, and strengthen the capacities of these universities to deliver high quality training and applied research.
The overarching goal of MaRCCI is to expand, strengthen and transform the PhD Plant Breeding program following the pattern of the highly successful MSc. in Plant Breeding and Seed Systems. Thus, the centre will provide the nations of Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) with industry-ready plant breeders who are equipped to use cutting edge science to develop and deliver new varieties of food crops. These breeders are urgently needed in order to improve food security, nutrition, and rural incomes, and to address poverty and economic development throughout this region.
Report compiled by;
Jane Anyango
Principal Communication Officers, CAES
Business & Management
PIM Centre Holds 9th Steering Committee Meeting, Set to Benefit from World Bank Support
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence at Makerere University today, October 10th, 2025, held its 9th Steering Committee Meeting to review progress made in the first quarter of the financial year and plan for the months ahead.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Getrude Basiima, who represented Mr. Hannington Ashaba, Director Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Ms. Basiima commended the Centre for its continued commitment to strengthening public investment management capacity across government institutions.
In her remarks, Ms. Basiima applauded the Centre for successfully hosting the Public Investment Management Conference held in August at Makerere University. The conference attracted key policymakers, development partners, and academics who deliberated on how to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and impact of public investments in Uganda.
She further shared exciting news that the Government of Uganda has secured funding from the World Bank to support the public investment management function. The PIM Centre, she announced, will be among the key beneficiaries of these funds — receiving support for the construction and acquisition of a permanent home to enhance its institutional sustainability and training capacity.
Reviewing the Centre’s quarterly performance, Ms. Basiima congratulated the team for successfully conducting three specialized trainings in the first quarter, reaching officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. These trainings continue to strengthen the technical competencies required for effective project preparation, appraisal, and implementation in line with Uganda’s National Development Plan.
She encouraged the Centre to integrate climate change considerations into its future training programmes, noting that sustainable public investment must now account for environmental resilience and climate adaptation.
The centre team presented the proposed structure/ organogram, the financial performance of 2024/2025, research areas for 2025/2026 and the strategic plan for 2025 – 2030.
The Steering Committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the PIM Centre’s vision of becoming a regional leader in building capacity for efficient, transparent, and sustainable public investment management.
A significant development unfolded at Makerere University during a strategic, hour-long meeting in the vice chancellor’s boardroom on 7th October 2025, marking a deepening bond with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The primary goal was to move beyond existing collaborations and formalize a new Double Doctorate (PhD) program. Prof. Sarah Saali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, set the tone by emphasizing that institutional partnerships are crucial to Makerere University, which she proudly called the leading research and most collaborative university in the world.
The discussion promptly formed the core structure of the program: a four-year PhD (or three if the master’s was research-based), with supervision duties split 50-50% between the two institutions. A key feature is the mobility requirement, stipulating that PhD candidates would spend a total of six months in the Netherlands, potentially divided into two three-month periods. Crucially, the University of Groningen confirmed there would be no teaching requirement during this stay, allowing students full access to focus on their research. A major financial hurdle was overcome with the adoption of a fee-waiver policy; Makerere would waive tuition for incoming Groningen candidates, and Groningen would reciprocate for Makerere‘s students, significantly boosting the program’s financial viability.
However, the critical issue of the stipend remained. Dr. Anita Veltmaat explained that to meet the required living standard of approximately €1,875 per month in Groningen, the incoming candidate must secure a partial external scholarship of around €250 per month. The positive news is that if the candidate secures this minimum scholarship, the University of Groningen is prepared to top up the amount to the full living standard for the six months the student spends in the Netherlands. It was noted that this initial financial hurdle might be simplified for Makerere students, as many are already staff members receiving a salary, which could help cover the required €250.
The path forward was clear: it was to complete the agreement template guided by the setup committee from both institutions. The plan culminated in scheduling an online follow-up meeting for Tuesday, November 11th, to review the first revision of the agreement, capping a highly constructive discussion that solidified the two universities’ shared future in graduate education.
Makerere University was represented by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics Affairs; Dr. Ruth Nsibirano, Head of the Department of Gender Studies; Dr. Patricia Ndugga, School of Statistics; Dr. Stella Achen and Dr. Joseph Watuleke, School of Distance and Lifelong Learning; Agatha Ainemukama, School of Engineering; Racheal Nuwagaba, School of Psychology; Awel Uwihanganye, Martine Rugamba, and Hawa Ndagire from the Advancement Office; and Muhammad Kiggundu from the Institute of Gender and Development Studies.
The University of Groningen was represented by Dr. Dinie Bouwman, Senior Policy Advisor, Internationalization and Quality Assurance; Dr. Anita Veltmaat, Faculty of Social Behavior and Social Sciences, Department of International Studies, involved in mentorship programs for women; and Dr. Alette Arendshorst, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, working on graduation/collaboration for students/staff.
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