General
Nurturing Entrepreneurs: VC Launches Mastercard US$200k Seed Fund
On Friday, 15th February 2019, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe represented by the Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) Dr. Eria Hisali launched the Entrepreneurship Seed Fund for the MasterCard Foundation Scholars and Alumni of Makerere University. The Entrepreneurship Seed Fund will support Scholars and alumni to create economic opportunities within their communities through social ventures.
The Mastercard Foundation announced a seed funding of US$2,000,000 on 11th August 2018 at the Baobab Summit in Kigali, Rwanda, to implement the Foundation’s Strategy in Africa titled: Young Africa Works in the next two years (2018 to 2020). The strategy focuses on finding solutions to the youth employment challenge and reducing poverty in Africa. The Foundation believes that young people, especially Scholars, will drive and lead change in Africa and are already working hard to fulfill this vision.
Makerere a partner university with Mastercard Foundation received US$200,000 as an Entrepreneurship Seed Fund. According to the Coordinator of the MCF Scholars Program at Makerere University Dr. Florence Nakayiwa, the funding will be geared towards nurturing scholars to come up with social and business ventures. The funds will also help to deepen the development of skills and mindsets required of Scholars as transformative leaders, committed to improving the lives of others.
“The Program Implementation Team designed a seed funding framework to ensure that, the fund will have the greatest impact possible in developing the Scholars as transformative leaders, creating jobs and change through the business ventures. In some cases, Scholars’ ventures will also serve as a ‘transition’ vehicle for them to gain employment after graduating university through their ventures” she said.
The Internship and Entrepreneurship Coordinator of the MCFSP at Makerere University Mr. John Osuna said that the Entrepreneurship Seed Fund is open to all business concepts or social projects that have a high-growth potential, are profitable in nature, have the ability to create jobs and are scalable. The eligible business concepts or ideas include; innovations in Sustainable Agriculture, applications of the service or technological innovation, food processing, tourism, trading, renewable energy, fashion, education, health, artificial intelligence and scaling up existing concepts or ideas.
Mr. Osuna also mentioned that the Fund is ring fenced for the Mastercard Foundation Scholars and Alumni as Principal Investigators or Team Leaders, but the Scholars are encouraged to work with other non-Scholars (other students in at Makerere University) on profitable and social impact projects.
“The first cycle commences this month on 23rd February 2019 with a Social design course for 6 weeks among other development support inclusive of finance up to US$6,000 per project, and mentorship; the second cycle, will be in February 2020,” he explained.
Eligibility and selection criteria
- Scholars in their final year of study supported by the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University.
- Scholars must be the team leaders in a team of two to four people.
- Where the Scholars choose non-Scholars on their teams, the non-Scholars must be final year students at Makerere University and should not be more two per team.
- The business concepts or Social Venture Projects should be profitable, scalable and be able to create jobs for youth.
At the launch of the Entrepreneurship Seed Fund, Prof. Eria Hisali, thanked Mastercard Foundation for the bright idea that is going to change the mindsets of scholars towards business development. Prof. Hisali said that Makerere University has embarked on looking for work placements and opportunities that can support students’ social and business ideas.
“We have realized that unemployment is a big challenge to our students, therefore, we have embarked on seeking opportunities that can provide with students either jobs, or ideas to support their ventures. We are getting touch with the government to tap into the wealth creation programs that are geared towards helping youth. The University is revitalizing its Endowment Fund, and we believe that; as the funds grow, some should be channeled to these entrepreneurial activities,” he said.
He urged scholars to fully utilize the opportunity from Mastercard Foundation and build their entrepreneurial world.
He called upon students and other youth to tap into the government programs when he said, “as long as you are organized, this support will be availed to you. To the Scholars and Alumni, access to the seed fund is going to be a competitive process. Therefore, to the business projects that succeed I wish you the best in your new enterprises and to the ones that do not succeed, I believe the skillset acquired during the development support will place you in a better position to pitch your projects to other organizations in Uganda and beyond for funding.”
Mr. Ronald Edward Mukasa, the Business Development Manager at Enterprise Uganda, encouraged young entrepreneurs to always be innovative and flexible. In a presentation he made, Mr. Mukasa called upon scholars to pay attention to the 3Cs (Care, Competence and Character) when preparing to join the business or social venture sector. According to him, the business world is looking for people who can find problems and look out for the solutions. He therefore said that someone’s passion matters when engaging in business.
“The reason one goes to school is to discover him or herself. Have passion while working on your ventures and be exceptional. The new environment has space for someone that has an excellent idea. People are willing to pay attention to someone who is good at what he or she is doing. Therefore, you need to go beyond wearing a jersey and be able to score a goal,” he advised.
At the same function, the Vice chancellor launched the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (MCFSP) Alumni Association; a network that brings together graduates of MCFSP at Makerere University to share opportunities in academics, employment and entrepreneurship among activities.
The Principal Public Relations Officer of Makerere University Ms. Ritah Namisango encouraged students to fully utilize all the available volunteering opportunities, since this will help them to accumulate the much needed experience as they transition from the academic to the professional work environment.
The Scholars Council Representative on MCF Mr. Petere Ngobi and the Alumni Association Representative Mr. Charles Katuramu encouraged scholars to always take up leadership positions and develop their societies.
Guests were entertained by a remarkable poem from Mr. Andrew Muwhezi; a scholar from CoBAMS, as well as a team of scholars from Lane256.
Article Written by Public Relations Office
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged newly admitted postgraduate diploma and master’s students to take ownership of their academic journey, produce knowledge that addresses Africa’s challenges and use their training to create opportunities for society.
The call was made on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during the orientation of postgraduate diploma and master’s students held at the Main Hall, Main Building, Makerere University. The orientation was conducted under the theme “Harnessing the Power of Graduate Training to Transform Africa’s Research Trajectory.”
Addressing the students, Prof. Sarah Ssali, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said admission to postgraduate education marked an important transition from undergraduate study and should come with greater independence, critical thinking and responsibility.
“Postgraduate study is not just the accumulation of knowledge. You are now active researchers, critical thinkers and creators of your own knowledge,” Prof. Ssali said.
She said postgraduate training should enable students to deepen their expertise, strengthen their analytical abilities and develop solutions to real-world problems.
“Through your projects, dissertations, innovations and professional practice, you have the opportunity to contribute knowledge that can influence policies, improve services and transform lives. Your research matters, and your contribution matters,” she said.
Prof. Ssali urged students to see their studies beyond the pursuit of a degree, encouraging them to ask themselves why they had chosen postgraduate education and what contribution they intended to make to their communities and professions.
“See your coursework as an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills that will help you propose new solutions to real-world challenges,” she said.
She also encouraged students to embrace collaboration with communities and non-academic partners, saying many of them were already coming to the University with professional and community experiences that could enrich their research.
“Don’t think that your scholarship is only for those who look academic. Embrace community, embrace networks,” she said.
Prof. Ssali further cautioned the students against wasting time, noting that many postgraduate students have employment, family and other responsibilities alongside their studies.
“Make the most of your time and don’t waste it,” she said, urging students to use available study time productively even when there are changes in their lecture schedules.
She also emphasised the need for students to take responsibility for their progress instead of waiting for lecturers or supervisors to push them.
“Postgraduate education requires independence, independent inquiry, independent research, independent interrogation and also active participation,” Prof. Ssali said.
Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director of Graduate Training, told the students that their admission was a significant achievement given the large number of applicants seeking postgraduate opportunities at Makerere.
“We received over 12,000 applications to our postgraduate programmes, but we are only able to take just a small percentage of that. That means you are just the few people who are able to do this,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He urged the new students to appreciate the opportunity and understand that graduate education carries responsibilities beyond attending lectures and completing examinations.
According to Prof. Kikooma, Uganda and Africa require highly trained human capital capable of driving national and continental development priorities.
“The country needs more highly trained people if it is going to achieve its aspirations and priorities for national development,” he said.
He challenged the students to consider what Uganda and Africa would look like in the coming decades and to question whether the continent would continue relying on ideas, innovations and creations generated elsewhere.
“Will it still be a country that always depends on ideas, innovations and creations that come from outside?” he asked, before urging the students to become part of the generation that develops home-grown solutions.
Prof. Kikooma said much of what Uganda would need in the future would depend on what the country invests in today, particularly in human capital and research.
He also explained that the Directorate of Graduate Training works with colleges, schools, departments and central University units to strengthen the quality of graduate education.
“We want to make sure that what you are taking away from here is of a certain quality,” he said, adding that the University has established policies, standards and systems intended to create an environment in which postgraduate students can succeed.
However, Prof. Kikooma stressed that the University cannot take responsibility for the entire academic journey on behalf of students.
“We will not replace your programme. We will not replace your lecturers. We will not replace your supervisors. Each of those has a different role to play along your journey,” he said.
He encouraged students to be proactive by understanding their programmes, colleges and the various support services available to them.
“Successful graduates tend to be proactive rather than reactive. So don’t wait until you have a problem, then you start running from it,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He further urged the students to work within the stipulated programme period, noting that most master’s programmes take about two years while postgraduate diploma programmes generally take one year.
Prof. Robert Wamala, Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, urged the newly admitted students to use their graduate training to produce knowledge capable of addressing challenges facing their communities, Uganda and Africa.
He challenged them to move beyond consuming knowledge generated elsewhere and instead become producers of knowledge and solutions.
Prof. Wamala emphasised the importance of connecting research to society, innovation and professional practice, encouraging students to identify problems within their workplaces and communities that could become areas for meaningful research.
He said Africa needed researchers capable of generating evidence, innovations and practical solutions to support development rather than simply importing solutions from other parts of the world.
The Director encouraged the students to build collaborative networks during their studies and to regard the University as an ecosystem in which researchers, professionals, communities and other partners can work together.
Dr. Kizito Ongaya, Deputy University Librarian, introduced the students to Makerere’s extensive library and information resources, urging them to make the library a central part of their postgraduate studies.
He said the University Library operates a hybrid system combining physical collections with electronic resources.
“We have over 200,000 types of books in our library, with 45 e-journal databases,” Dr. Ongaya said.
He encouraged students to make use of the University’s electronic databases, noting that substantial resources are invested in providing access to scholarly journals.
“If you don’t use e-journals, you are unacceptable,” he told the students, emphasising that postgraduate research requires extensive engagement with scholarly literature.
Dr. Ongaya also highlighted the University’s archival collections, specialised libraries and information centres located across its colleges.
He said students would be guided on how to access both physical and electronic resources and encouraged them to explore specialised collections that could support their individual research areas.
Dr. Mike Barongo, Team Leader ICT, Department of the Academic Registrar, told the new students that Makerere had increasingly digitised its academic and administrative processes and urged them to complete their online registration as an immediate priority.
He said students could access their provisional admission letters through the online application system and use the student number provided to activate their student portals.
“The student portal is very, very critical,” Dr. Barongo said.
He explained that students must enrol and register in order to access key University services, including institutional email and Wi-Fi.
“Once you enroll, you create an institutional email address. That institutional email address is the gateway for you to access so many things, like Wi-Fi,” he said.
Dr. Barongo also informed students that ICT support centres were available to assist those experiencing challenges with enrolment, registration or access to digital services.
He urged students to ensure they enrol and register every semester so that the University systems can accurately capture their academic and financial information.
Others senior members in attendance include the Deputy University Bursar Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba and Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre.
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged its newly admitted PhD students to go beyond pursuing academic qualifications and become independent scholars capable of generating knowledge, solving societal problems and contributing to Africa’s transformation.
The call was made by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, during the orientation of the 2026/2027 PhD cohort at Makerere University’s Main Hall in the Main Building on 10th August 2026.
Prof. Ssali told the new scholars that a PhD marks a fundamental shift from previous levels of education, requiring students to take greater responsibility for their academic progress rather than depending entirely on lecturers and supervisors.
“You will have to push yourself and also push your supervisor to move with you,” Prof. Ssali said, urging the students to take ownership of their doctoral journey.
She acknowledged that many PhD students have to balance their studies with employment, family responsibilities and community leadership, making doctoral training demanding. However, she urged them to remain focused on completing their programmes within the prescribed three, four or five years.
Prof. Ssali said Makerere expects its doctoral training to produce scholars who can create knowledge, challenge existing ideas and develop solutions to societal problems.
She encouraged the students to embrace ambiguity and become comfortable questioning what they already know, noting that doctoral education requires scholars to identify important questions, investigate them and generate answers that advance knowledge.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor also urged the students to develop interdisciplinary collaborations and scholarly networks rather than confining their research to their individual disciplines.
She said the success of doctoral education should not be measured merely by the number of dissertations completed or papers published, but by the extent to which research contributes to society.
With Africa facing complex challenges, including climate change, disease, population growth and development pressures, Prof. Ssali said PhD scholars have a responsibility to generate evidence that can influence policy, strengthen institutions and advance innovation.
She challenged each scholar to continually ask what problem their research addresses, what solution it advances and whether that solution can create sustainable value.
The Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, said the new cohort was joining Makerere at a time when the University is implementing reforms aimed at strengthening graduate education and improving completion rates.
Prof. Kikooma revealed that Makerere received close to 12,000 applications across its master’s, postgraduate and PhD programmes but admitted about 6,000 students.
He said graduate education has been placed at the centre of the University’s efforts to strengthen research capacity and prepare scholars to contribute to knowledge production and innovation.
Under the reforms, PhD students will undertake compulsory cross-cutting courses designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for doctoral research. They will also be required to undertake teaching in either their second or third year under the guidance of their supervisors.
In addition to completing their theses, students will be required to produce at least two publications before graduation, a requirement intended to prepare them to become the next generation of researchers, innovators, inventors and creators.
Makerere has also introduced a digital system to monitor the progress of every PhD student each semester. The system is intended to enable students, supervisors and university officials to identify challenges early and intervene in real time.
Prof. Kikooma urged the scholars to write regularly, think critically, maintain open and constructive relationships with their supervisors and protect their academic integrity and professional reputation.
He also encouraged them to build scholarly networks and remain resilient, noting that rejected papers, disappointing data and unexpected challenges are normal aspects of doctoral training.
The Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, Prof. Robert Wamala, challenged the scholars to ensure that the knowledge they produce is trustworthy, responsible and ethically sound.
Prof. Wamala emphasized the importance of respecting the dignity, rights, safety and autonomy of research participants, particularly where studies involve individuals, communities and personal information.
He highlighted informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, justice and accountability as critical principles of ethical research and urged students to maintain transparency throughout the research process, from developing research questions and collecting data to analyzing and reporting findings.
Prof. Wamala also cautioned the students on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research.
He said although AI can assist researchers with activities such as language improvement, it does not remove the researcher’s responsibility for the final product.
Researchers, he said, must verify AI-generated information and remain accountable for inaccurate statements, misleading interpretations and incorrect references.
He further urged students involved in international and other research collaborations to establish clear agreements on roles, authorship, data ownership, access and intellectual property before commencing their research.
The Deputy University Librarian, Dr. Kizito Ongaya, meanwhile, urged the new scholars to make full use of Makerere’s library and information resources throughout their doctoral journey.
Dr. Ongaya said the University operates a hybrid library system combining physical and electronic resources, with more than 200,000 books, 45 e-journal databases and over 16,000 archival materials available to researchers.
He encouraged the students to participate in library training to learn how to access and effectively use electronic resources and to explore specialized libraries and information centers across the University’s colleges.
These include resources covering natural sciences, agriculture, veterinary medicine, health sciences, education and humanities, as well as museums, botanical gardens, specialized collections and other research facilities.
The newly admitted doctoral students were also addressed by Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre, Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba, the Deputy University Bursar and members of Makerere University Convocation.
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