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SFEGS Joins the Nation in Celebrating Water and Environment Week

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School of Forestry, Environmental and Geographical Sciences (SFEGS) joined the rest of Uganda in the celebration of the Water and Environment Week that took place between 18th and 22nd March 2019 at the Water Resources Institute, Entebbe.

Prior to the actual week, the School as a member of the National Organising Committee and National Technical Committee participated in the pre-events such as planning and preparation and joining the “Walk for Zoka” forest.

“Walk for Zoka” was an initiative by a group of conservationists aimed at raising  Government and other actors’ awareness to take action and save Zoka forest reserve in Adjumani district whose 6,145 hectares were under threat due to encroachment and illegal logging. The walk started on 4th March 2019 at the Ministry of Water and Environment Headquarters in Kampala, Uganda.

Students and staff of SFEGS joined the walkers at Kafu Bridge along the Kampala-Gulu highway on 8th March, 2019 and participated in the restoration activities of the Kafu catchment as a strategy to raise awareness on the importance of catchment forests.

The School conducted training on 19th March, 2019 at the Water Resources Institute, Entebbe on the iRain App; a tool for global precipitation monitoring, whose user friendly interface is designed to facilitate stakeholder involvement in collecting data, as part of UNESCO-International Hydrological Programme (IHP)’s efforts to put science into action through the use of citizen science.

The School also conducted a training covering aspects of forestry entrepreneurship, nursery operations, silviculture and forest product and service development on 20th March 2019 at the same venue. Participants showed a lot of enthusiasm on forest investment and requested trainers to have more frequent and regular trainings on grounds that forests are critical in this era of climate change and improvement of the wellbeing of the population.
 
21st March is the International Day of Forests which is celebrated annually in Uganda. The School in partnership with the Forestry Sector Support Department of the Ministry of Water and Environment organized a National Forestry Dialogue which was also held at the Water Resources Institute, Entebbe under the theme, “Enhancing the contribution of Forests and Trees in attainment of Sustainable Development Goals in Uganda”.

The overarching purpose of the dialogue was to provide a platform where stakeholders would freely engage, explore and generate strategies to address the historical and contemporary threats to forests in Uganda and explore mechanisms of increasing the contribution of forests to the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The dialogue was attended by students, academics, private sector, researchers, practitioners, civil servants, Civil Society and representatives of diplomatic missions and local communities.

The Dialogue started with a keynote speech from Ms. Cotilda Nakyeyune from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Uganda followed by a panel of eight experts including the Dean SFEGS Prof. Fred Babweteera moderated by Dr. Patrick Byakagaba.

The dialogue was characterised by passionate contributions from all participants. The message from participants was “we have talked a lot, it is time for action”. They summarised their views in a communique that was presented to the Prime Minister.

The key issues in the Communiqué were: the need to invest in basic forestry research, recognize the value of forests in the National Accounting system and support forest law enforcement, strengthen the forestry extension services, operationalise the “Tree Fund”, fast-track the process of passing the Uganda Forestry Association Bill 2010, promote and sustainably manage urban forests and trees, incentivize owners of private natural forests, improve forest product development through value addition and improve forest law enforcement and governance. While these commitments were voluntary, stakeholders agreed that they will be pursued by both state and non-state actors.

Please see Downloads for the Communiqué arising out of the National Forestry Stakeholders' Dialogue

Report compiled by,
CAES Communication Office.

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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