General
Ambassador Kameda Visits AICAD Mak Office, Receives Reports
The Ambassador of Japan to Uganda, H.E. Kazuaki Kameda on Wednesday, 17th April 2019 made a courtesy visit to the African Institute for Capacity Development (AICAD) Office, Makerere University. He was received by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Dr. Bitek Titus Watmon who represented the Vice Chancellor Kyambogo University and AICAD officials led by the Acting Executive Director-Prof. Dominic Byarugaba. Also present from AICAD were the Director Research and Development Division-Dr. Benson Odongo, Director Training and Extension-Patrick A. Wakhu as well as former AICAD Uganda Country Office Director-Prof. Oswald Ndoleriire.
Welcoming H.E. Kazuaki Kameda, Prof. Nawangwe thanked the Government and people of Japan for the immense support received through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and AICAD shortly after Uganda had emerged from the civil war in 1987. He thanked JICA for the continued support to AICAD, which has enabled the Secretariat to fund research and training activities.
“Makerere benefitted a lot in the form of research and training through AICAD support. This support was timely, because we developed a critical mass of staff in a select number of disciplines such as security and population studies which are pertinent to Africa’s development” remarked the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Nawangwe also appreciated the construction of the then Faculty of Science Extension (JICA Building) completed in 1992 as well as support to the Department of Geology which led to additional mineral discoveries through joint research activities. “I implore Your Excellency to use your office to renew support to our joint research with Japanese colleagues for the mutual benefit of both our countries.”
He also acknowledged the Japanese Government’s contribution to infrastructural development through the construction of projects such as the newly completed Source of the Nile Bridge. The 525metre cable-stayed bridge was officially opened to traffic on 17th October 2018 and has a lifespan of 120 years.
In his remarks, the Ambassador thanked the Vice Chancellor and leaders present for the extremely warm welcome to Makerere University. He highly appreciated Prof. Byarugaba’s efforts in organising his visit to the AICAD offices.
“I am happy to see that AICAD has continued to carry out its activities with support from the Regional Governments of Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania” added H.E. Kameda.
Prof. Dominic Byarugaba informed the meeting that AICAD’s Headquarters are located within the main campus of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The three AICAD Country Offices are located at Egerton University in Kenya, Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania and Makerere University. He added that the Institute’s mandate is poverty reduction in Africa through human capacity development especially in the area of agriculture, which employs the largest portion of the population.
Prof. Byarugaba further noted that AICAD supports key projects such as value addition to clay products in Kyambogo University as well as Namanve and Kajjansi areas where large deposits of clay exist. “Industries with advanced glazing machinery have gone ahead to produce tiles and other ceramic products.”
He shared that in response to threats posed by climate change, AICAD had conducted value addition trainings for products such as milk and vegetables. He added that the Institute had partnered with JICA to promote intensification of the New Rice for Africa (NERICA) variety in the East African regions of Mbeya and Morogoro in Tanzania, Ahero and Busia in Kenya as well as Eastern Uganda.
“The choice of crop AICAD promotes is informed by the agro ecological zones of Uganda. For example in Eastern Uganda, JICA and AICAD conducted a lot of trainings on rice growing in partnership with Busitema University. In Western Uganda, we concentrated on bananas but also appended other crops such as coffee and tea and partnered with the Operation Wealth Creation in the distribution of seedlings. In Northern Uganda, we partnered with Gulu University to conduct training on simsim growing, as well as other foods that improve the health and nutrition status of the previously displaced communities” Prof. Byarugaba further explained.
Dr. Bitek Titus Watmon in his contribution however called for the need to AICAD and JICA to set up a professional training centre where students from Universities and Technical Institutions can acquire professional hands-on skills. This, he said would help to stem the rising tide graduates from these institutions whose skills in areas such as torch welding do not meet professional standards and as such, their products cannot be accepted by international markets. This intervention will be necessary if these graduates are to match skills required by Uganda’s and the region’s promising oil and gas sector.
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Article by Public Relations Office
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.
“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.
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