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URBRA Tips 2nd Mak Seminar on Early Preparation for Retirement

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  • Age is inevitable; it’s you to make your retirement enjoyable – URBRA
  • Old age is a treasure in life but how are going to enjoy it? – URBRA

Thousands of members of the Makerere University family filled the Main Hall on Tuesday, 19th February 2019 to learn more ways on how to save for their retirement. Right from the onset, the massive turn up of both staff and students listened attentively to the speakers who made presentations on various saving and retirement scheme options.

Addressing the audience, the Chairman Board of Directors Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA), Mr. Andrew Kasirye thanked everyone for sacrificing their time and attending the conference. He went on to share that URBRA is extending its services to the students in order to make them prepare for their old age, as the earlier one starts saving, the more money one receives upon retirement.

The Board Chairman URBRA-Mr. Andrew Kasirye tipped the audience on the need to start saving for retirement early in life

“It has come to our attention that students have money but don’t know how and when to spend it. As URBRA, we decided to come and extend our services to you so as to help you learn and adopt a saving and investment culture when you are still energetic; don’t wait until you get a lot of money before you start thinking of saving,” Mr. Kasirye advised.

He noted that URBRA is committed to implementing its strategic objective that aims at improving understanding and promoting the development of the Retirement Benefits Sector and expounding on the people’s understanding about saving for retirement.

Mrs. Agnes Ssekiboobo from the School of Statistics and Planning (Right) addresses the audience as the Deputy Principal CoBAMS-Dr. Bruno Yawe (Left) listens

Mr. Kasirye further acknowledged the excellent cooperation URBRA has with Makerere University Retirement Benefits Scheme (MURBS) and noted that they work hand in hand towards achieving the shared goal, which is ensuring that the rights of scheme members are adequately safeguarded.

The Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Dr. Eria Hisali thanked URBRA for working hand in hand with the School of Statistics and Population Studies to extend its services to the mighty Makerereans. He urged URBRA to continue this good service so as to sensitize the young generation.

L-R: Mr. Martin A. Nsubuga, Dr. Eria Hisali and Mr. Wilber Grace Naigambi share a light moment

Addressing the challenges of old age, poverty and the role of the Retirement Benefits Sector in the Economic Development, the Manager Research and Sector Development URBRA, Mr. Mukiibi Benjamin defined saving as the portion of current income not spent on consumption, and investment as the purchase of assets with the goal of increasing future income. He noted that saving for retirement is a long life term goal which everyone above 18 needs to engage in so as to live an enjoyable retirement.

He advised the students to save regardless of what they get if they want to enjoy their old age. “Even with so little earned, and many demands, one requires saving for retirement. Your most needy time is when you are retired and there is nothing to support you and you end up living a miserable life,” noted Mr. Mukiibi.

Dr. Eria Hisali, Hajji Hassan Nakabaale and Martin A. Nsubuga pose with a group of students who attended the 2nd Mak-URBRA Seminar

Mr. Mukiibi who is also a proud alumnus of Makerere University urged the Makerere fraternity to treasure their old age by making good use of every stage that they go through.

“Always ask yourself what kind of job you will do when you clock 60, use every stage of your life carefully and build a future of wealth and stability,” he advised.

Briefing the audience on the mandate and functions of URBRA the Acting Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Martin Nsubuga; another proud alumnus of Makerere, revealed that a students’ retirement savings scheme was opened last year to enable learners start saving early for their retirement, “for it is the black hair that works for the grey hair.”

Part of the audience consisting of staff and students listen keenly to the proceedings at the 2nd Mak-URBRA Seminar

“The longer you save the more money you save. Saving at a tender age is much better than saving at a late age when your retirement is at the door,” advised Mr. Nsubuga.

He also noted that once one has joined URBRA, he/she can save UGX1,000 daily and accumulate it till he/she reaches the retirement age of 55.

Speaking to the audience, the Patron Makerere Actuarial Society (MAS), Dr. Hellen Namawejje thanked URBRA for the great work done in extending its services to Makerere University students. She noted that this was the second successful Mak-URBRA seminar and thanked the audience for the massive turn up and pledged continuity of the educative seminars.

Article by Rachael Kanyi, Volunteer, Mak Public Relations Office

Mark Wamai

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Special Exam Results -Diploma in Performing Arts 2025/26

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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

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Mature Age Scheme Exam Results for 2025/2026

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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.

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Call for Application: 2025 SNRM session 4 Summer School

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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

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