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MaRCCI Represents Mak at Third Parliamentary Week Exhibition

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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.

The Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Rebecca Kadaga thanked MaRCCI for participating in the 3rd Parliamentary Week Exhibition

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.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Jacob Oulanyah also commended MaRCCI for participating in the 3rd Edition of the exhibition

“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.

The Minister of State for Ethics and Integrity (Office of the President), Hon. Simon Lokodo commended MaRCCI's work as excellent

“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.

Sorghum cookies, cow pea bagia and cow pea snacks are some of the value-added products by MaRCCI

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.

Some of the products by MaRCCI include cow pea and sorghum flour

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 MaRCCI Program Administrator, Alice Candia (Centre) and colleagues at the Centres Tent during the 3rd Parliamentary Week Exhibition 13th-18th January 2019, Parliament of Uganda, Kampala

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

Mark Wamai

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Call For Abstracts: National Symposium on Climate Migration among Youths in Uganda

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Call For Abstracts: National Symposium on Climate Migration among Youths in Uganda. Submission Deadline: 9th June 2026

Makerere University, in collaboration with the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), Tufts University, and Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), invites researchers, policymakers, practitioners, and community actors to submit abstracts for the National Symposium on:

Climate Migration among Youths in Uganda: Local Voices for Policy Impact

Date: Wednesday, 12th August 2026
Venue: Makerere University Main Hall

The symposium will examine the drivers, patterns, and impacts of climate-induced youth migration in Uganda, while advancing evidence-based and community-informed policy responses.

Theme: Climate-Induced Youth Migration and Urban Futures in Uganda: Evidence, Voices, and Pathways for Action

Submission Deadline: 9th June 2026

Submit Abstracts To: citiesofyouth@musph.ac.ug

Researchers and practitioners are encouraged to contribute research findings, case studies, policy analyses, and practice-based experiences. Abstracts will be considered for oral and poster presentations.

Mak Editor

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Call for Research Support Applications from Master’s Students who have Completed their First Year of Taught Classes at Makerere University

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Call for Research Support Applications from Master’s Students who have Completed their First Year of Taught Classes at Makerere University. Photo: Nano Banan 2

Makerere University, in partnership with Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Independent University of Bangladesh, Eduardo Mondlane University, and Pokhara University, with funding from Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED), is implementing a project: ‘Co-creating Knowledge for Local Adaptation to Climate Change in LDCs (COLOCAL).

The expected outputs of the project include strengthened educational and research capacity, improved knowledge on inclusive Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) and Community Based Adaptation (CBA) including delivering skilled knowledge co-creators, and partnerships to support needs-driven, locally-based and contextually sensitive adaptation. The outputs are anticipated to influence policy, planning and practice around LLA and CBA through collaborative learning and knowledge translation.

In line with targets and activities for 2026/2027, COLOCAL project is offering research support for three (3) Master’s students who have completed their first academic year of taught classes at Makerere University and are interested in undertaking research under one of the following thematic areas. The students MUST have undertaken the course offered under the auspices of the project on Disability, Social Justice and Climate Resilient Development.

Requirements:

  • A first degree from a reputable university in a field related to the focus of the project
  • Ugandan citizen below 35 years
  • Good command of English (spoken and written)
  • Demonstrated interest in inclusive and climate resilient development
  • Evidence of practical experience in conducting relevant research during and after undergraduate level
  • Evidence of full payment of all university fees for the first academic year
  • The Masters programme being undertaken MUST have explicit content on climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Special consideration will be given to students with disabilities, financial challenges, students from ethnic minority groups, internally displaced students, among others

Scholarship and study/research conditions

Availability to complete all research activities in a maximum of 10 months.

Scope of the scholarship

The project will specifically cover stipends and support for field activities only. Support with tuition fees, for the research year, will be provided for students who will complete and submit the research thesis for examination within 10 months from the date of receiving the scholarship offer letter.

How to apply

Interested and eligible candidates should submit the following documents: Application letter, research concept note of not more than 2 pages, academic transcripts/certificates, an updated CV (including contacts of at least two referees) and two recommendation letters.

Send applications via email to: colocal.caes@mak.ac.ug, not later than 20th May, 2026. This contact can as well be used for inquiries, where necessary.

Mak Editor

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Request For Consultancy Services: Training & Digital Solutions Expert

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Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) Request For Consultancy Services: Training & Digital Solutions Expert. Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa

The Makerere University Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) Limited implemented a Gates Foundation training program dubbed “Principle of Management Excellence for Research training” PRIMER in francophone countries, namely, Mali, Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This training was delivered by content experts and experienced practitioners, not professionally trained experts. As such, limiting the quality of slide decks, which were largely fragmented with text rather than graphical and infographic elements that suit a mature audience. To effectively deliver a research training program, advanced, engaging, and efficient tools are critical for fostering audience engagement and participation, and for learning and assessment in research management excellence. To achieve this, IDI seeks to hire an expert to:

  1. design and deliver a set of integrated advanced slide decks combining text, visual learning materials (graphical and infographics) and case scenarios
  2. develop a virtual bilingual community learning platform (VBCLP), i.e. with in-built French and English to engage alumni,
  3. develop and automate a pre-course assessment system that potential trainees fill out, and it automates results that are presented in statistical form for easy interpretation and decision making.

Details: https://shorturl.at/Rzn8d

Apply to: EAkankwasa@idi.co.ug

Deadline: 5 June 2026, 5 PM EAT

Mak Editor

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