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Mak-NC State Explore Building Communities for Resilience

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On Monday, 11th March 2019, Makerere University together with North Carolina State University (NC State) USA convened the East African Higher Education Summit under the theme: Teaching, Research and Engagement in the East Africa Sub-region: Agenda for Building Communities for Resilience in Kampala, Uganda. The purpose for the Summit was to develop strategies to strengthen higher education in the East Africa region, which expands the partnership between Mak and NC State established in 2015.

Pursuant to the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the partnership has been expanded to form a collaboration to include Gulu University (Uganda), Mount Kenya University (Kenya) and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Uganda).

Recognizing that Universities are expected to change their role from simply knowledge generation to a more proactive role of generating knowledge that contributes to development, on Tuesday, 12th March 2019 the Vice-Chancellors and senior representatives of Universities assembled at this Summit and signed a communiqué expressing their commitment to further deepen the strategic partnership between the collaborating institutions.

They also 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.

Ugandan and Regional Universities were represented by Prof. George Openjuru – Vice Chancellor Gulu University, Assoc. Prof. Gertrude Kiwanuka – Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and Prof. Peter Wanderi, Principal Corporate Services, Mount Kenya University (MKU).  

As the Directorate for Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), we commend the Vice Chancellors for their decision to explore how higher education in East Africa can be strengthened, with emphasis on regional collaboration mechanisms, to improve and build communities of resilience.

On the opening day, Prof. A.B. Kasozi delivered a keynote address on The State of Higher Education and its role and national Development. Dr. Robert Ayine – Senior Higher Education Officer Quality Assurance, National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) also made a presentation on The Role of National Council for Higher Education in Promoting Quality in Higher Education.

The NC State delegation was led by Dr. Bailian Li – Senior Vice Provost for Global Engagement. It was also made up of David Dixon – Director of Global Partnerships in the Office of Global Engagement, Assoc. Prof. James Kiwanuka Tondo – Department of Communication, Prof. Juliana Nfah-Abbenyi – Assistant Dean for Diversity, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Steve Lommel – Professor of Plant Pathology, Dr. Craig Yencho – Program Leader Sweetpotato and Potato Breeding and Genetics Programs and José Cisneros – Assistant Professor of Practice Horticulture International & Entrepreneurship.

Prof. Josip Simunovic – Research Professor of Food Science, Dr. DeLeon Gray – Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Dr. Matthew Booker – Associate Professor of History, Dr. Moses Khisa – Assistant Professor of Political Science, Dr. Lokendra Pal – Associate Professor of Forestry, Dr. Veronica Cateté – Research Scientist Computer Science, Dr. Siddhartha Thakur – Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Jessica Murphy – Director of Student Involvement and Dr. Daniel Findley, Senior Research Associate with the Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) also made up the delegation.

Please see Downloads for the Communiqué

Article by Professor Buyinza Mukadasi, Director, DRGT, Makerere University

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.

Mak Editor

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Directorate of Graduate Training Completes Training of First Cohort Training of Supervisors

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By Moses Lutaaya

The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) has in collaboration with Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors.

Participants were academic staff from two colleges namely, College of Engineering, Art and Design (CEDAT) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

The three-day training that took place at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building ended on Friday 20thJune 2025.

In his closing remarks to the participants, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “This is the first cohort we are working together with the Center for Teaching and Learning to put together continuous professional development Program so that we are able to enforce the new teaching and learning policy.”

He said that before lecturers are allocated students for supervision, they must first go through this form of formal teaching and learning training to equip them thoroughly with certification required of supervision of graduate students.

“We are coming up with process to ensure that the certificates earned by participants allow you to supervise graduate students. This is the direction of the university and we must ensure that such trainings are concluded and completed successfully by all participants”, Prof. Kikooma.

Prof. Julius Kikooma – Director of Graduate Training

“We can only have you certified upon completing all the exercises in the training process. This is when you will be eligible to receive the work load for supervision”, He added.

“This training of Supervisors is going to be continuous so that all academic staff in colleges and schools are equipped. This first cohort is going to be our building block to the future trainings in the colleges.”

With such capacity building trainings, Prof. Kikooma said that the university is on the right path to achieving its targets in the new strategic plan of increasing the number of graduate students while progressively reducing the under graduate students.

He further hinted that, “We are in the process of writing a curriculum on this, which will be presented for approval before it is rolled out.”

He echoed all participants to share the knowledge they have acquired adding, “Share all you have learnt, do not keep it. Be open minded, have proper communication channels and the sky will be the limit for you.” 

Dr. Robinah N. Kulabako, The Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CEDAT welcomed the training adding, “This training is very pertinent. I have had the opportunity to supervise Masters and PhD students for over 15 years and I must say that the need to be subjected to this training cannot be over emphasized because there is need to learn, unlearn and relearn many aspects involved in the supervision process.”

She added, “We are moving towards knowledge-based supervision rather than experience-based supervision. This means we must be informed and equipped to be able to advise, guide and mentor to be able to lead a successful supervision journey for both supervisor and supervisee.”

Dr. Andrew Gilbert Were – a lecturer at CEDAT and a participant said, “It is important that all supervisors of graduate students receive this certification from Makerere University through a systematic training process that enables them to attain diverse skills to facilitate learning of graduate students from diverse cultures and with unique set of circumstances.”

“This training is long overdue. In fact, it was an oversight that we could be allowed to supervise students without undergoing supervisors’ training.”

Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, The Director Centre for Teaching and Learning support- CEES said, “The training this time round has had a mix of early career professionals including Lecturers, Supervisors and Professors share experiences. We have learnt a lot more from experienced supervisors who have shared practices on how they have done supervision over the years.”

“The knowledge and experience-based approaches have made this collaboration very active, interactive and learner centered which has resulted into a collaborative learning from the interdisciplinarity of staff from CEDAT and CAES. The issue now is to continue with professional development across all levels.” She added.

The Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors. This activity was supported by the iCARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.

Mak Editor

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