General
Mak, NC State and Regional Universities to Collaborate in Research
The Senior Vice Provost, Global Engagement, North Carolina State University (NC State), USA, Dr. Bailian Li has commended Makerere University (Mak) for its great contribution towards the rapid growth of Uganda through its research and teaching. This was on Wednesday, 13th March 2019 in Telepresence Centre, Senate Building where he was giving closing remarks at the end of the East African Higher Education Summit. Makerere University together with North Carolina State University held a summit with national and regional Universities with the purpose of developing strategies to strengthen higher education in East Africa. This is an expansion of the partnership between Mak and NC State established in 2015.
According to Dr. Bailian Li, NC State is aiming at addressing global challenges and the collaboration made with the East African Universities is likely to aid rapid development in the world’s education sector. He said that since it’s the education sector that leads to the country’s growth and development, NC State will seek to establish a physical presence in Makerere University to monitor the progress of all regional University programs.
“USA was made strong and powerful by its Universities, China is doing wonders through its Universities, Malyasia is taking off because of its Universities, Africa will only achieve its best when its Universities work harder and harder to develop it and I believe that Universities in East Africa can improve on the region’s development through improving the education sector,” said Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe
Prof Nawangwe also noted that Universities are popular because of the great impact that they have on the country and its people and in the same way, Makerere University became popular for its high quality of education and research. He encouraged the Vice Chancellors of other regional Universities to join hands and make good use of the opportunity that has been provided by NC State.
“We have the potential and out of this summit, we can do it, let’s use the unique opportunities that each University has to uplift East Africa’s education sector,” added Prof. Nawangwe
During the summit, Vice-Chancellors and senior representatives of Universities signed a communiqué expressing their commitment to further deepen the strategic partnership between the collaborating institutions. Reading out the communiqué, the Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi noted that the Vice Chancellors committed themselves to:
1. Building capacity and pursuing excellence in research, teaching and scholarship.
2. Increasing mobility of staff and students and strengthening regional level training through;
a) Leveraging joint graduate programs
b) Developing and retraining quality faculty to conduct high-quality research, teaching and community engagement.
c) International competitiveness of East African institutions of higher education,
d) Assuring the quality of educational provision against agreed benchmarks of excellence.
Prof. Buyinza also noted that the partnership has been expanded to include other Universities of East Africa such as; Gulu University (Uganda), Mount Kenya University (Kenya) and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Uganda).
In their joint communiqué, the Universities underscored the importance of multilateral collaboration as an instrument to address current and future global challenges namely; food security, climate change and public health through community engagement.
Article by Rachael Kanyi, Volunteer, Mak Public Relations Office
The Director of Makerere University Jinja Campus, Associate Professor Ronald Kakungulu-Mayambala, has urged students to familiarise themselves with the Safeguarding policy aimed at creating a safer and more inclusive learning environment.
Speaking during the safeguarding policy sensitization meeting held today Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at the Civil Service College, Jinja, Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, emphasized the importance of awareness and adherence to the policy, which seeks to protect students, staff, and other stakeholders from all forms of abuse, harassment, exploitation, and discrimination.
“As Management we want every student to enjoy their stay at the University without being tormented and that can only happen, if students know their rights by reading about different policies on our website. You are meant to be living in a safe environment. We do not want anybody’s dream to be shattered or somebody to drop out from University,” Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, said.
In his speech, Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, also called upon students who have complaints but do not know the reporting lines, to approach staff safeguarding champions to make sure that they live in a safe environment.
Addressing guests, Emmanuel Muchake, the Guild Administrator at Jinja Campus, pointed out that the launch of the safeguarding policy is timely because as a University, without creating a conducive environment for teaching and learning, they will not have students graduate.
On Friday, April 4,2025, the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio, Right Honourable Lukia Isanga Nakadama, officially launched the Safeguarding Policy and commended Makerere University for crafting a policy that lays out the University’s framework for embedding viable safeguarding measures into its ethos and all institutional activities and processes to: Identify, detect, and act swiftly on safeguarding risks.
The Safeguarding Policy was developed in response to the growing need for institutions of higher learning to implement proactive measures that address concerns related to student welfare, mental health, gender-based violence, and power imbalances in academic settings.
Some of potential safeguarding risks in Institutions of higher learning include emotional distress, Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH); material loss, financial exploitation, discrimination and neglect, unfair and illegitimate response to civic engagements, cyber security/threats, psychological and emotional harm, substance abuse and physical assault. Discrimination and neglect which are often high risks for students with disabilities and international students.
The safeguarding policy sensitization meeting in Jinja Campus brought together students and staff in a meaningful dialogue on safeguarding issues affecting learning.
The event was graced by Dr. Rodney Rugyema, from the Dean of Students Office, who emphasized the University’s commitment to the well-being of all its members. In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of safeguarding policies in preventing abuse, harassment, exploitation, and other forms of misconduct within the Jinja Campus community.
“Safeguarding is not a one-time action, but a continuous culture of care and accountability. We all have a role to play in ensuring a safe and respectful space for learning and growth,” Dr Rugyema, said.
The sensitization session covered key topics including; recognizing signs of abuse, understanding reporting procedures on the MakSafeSpace and fostering mutual respect among peers.
Participants were encouraged to actively engage and reflect on their roles in upholding safety standards both on and off campus.
Students who attended the sensitization welcomed the initiative, with many expressing optimism that the policy would improve campus safety and encourage victims to come forward without fear of retaliation.
“We have seen issues go unreported in the past because students didn’t know where to turn. This policy provides clarity and assurance that the university is taking these matters seriously,” noted, a third-year student.
The University plans to conduct a series of sensitization workshops and distribute printed copies of the policy to ensure that every member of the campus community is well-informed. This initiative is part of Makerere University‘s broader strategy to reinforce its values of integrity, respect, and protection for all.
The Safeguarding Sensitization Meeting concluded with a collective pledge to uphold safety, dignity, and mutual respect within the University community.
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