Connect with us

General

Mak Launches Huawei ICT Academy

Published

on

The Minister of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and National Guidance, Hon. Frank K. Tumwebaze has called for equipping of students with hands-on skills to enable them fit into this fast growing economy. He was speaking at the Makerere University Guest House gardens on Tuesday, 14th May 2019  where hundreds of students and members of the public gathered to witness the launch of Huawei ICT Academy at Makerere University. The function also doubled as the flag off ceremony for ten students flying to China for three weeks’ training at HUAWEI under Seeds for the Future Program.

The Guest of Honor, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze advised all universities to train students on becoming job creators and not job seekers by equipping them with practical skills before they graduate. This he said would enable students to commercialize their skills and earn from them after campus.

“It has come to our notice that most students study for the purpose of graduating and leaving Universities but lack practical skills. This is why the Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES) is now focusing on universities equipping students with skills and not theories alone,” advised Hon. Tumwebaze.

The Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze emphasised the need for students to acquire practical skills

Giving an example of Mr. Ren Zhengfei the founder of Huawei, Hon Tumwebaze stressed the audience to commercialize their skills so as to benefit from them.

“The Huawei founder realized his skill and worked on it and today his company is earning him billions of money. That’s what young Ugandans should do. When you realize that you have a skill, do not sit back; work hard to improve on it and it will earn you more than you expect,” Hon. Tumwebaze said.

The Minister thanked Huawei for picking interest in skilling young Ugandans through the ICT Academy at Makerere University and requested the company to extend the same services to rural areas so that all Ugandans can get an opportunity to acquire valuable skills.

Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in Uganda, Mr. Chen Huixin (Right) hands over the First prize of the Huawei ICT Competition to Makerere University's Kateregga Daniel

On behalf of the Ambassador, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Chinese Embassy in Uganda Mr. Chen Huixin, revealed that Huawei has been carrying out its businesses in Uganda since 2001. He added that Huawei joined the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) campaign in order to promote Uganda’s products and that the Seeds for the Future Program will produce good yields for Uganda.

He emphasized teamwork among members if any progress is to be made, noting that Huawei has reached its current level because of teamwork.

“If you want to travel fast travel alone, if you want to travel far travel together. This means that together we can go beyond and do more and that’s what Huawei is doing in Uganda,” said Mr. Huixin.

The Deputy Chief of Mission challenged the audience to end digital illiteracy by educating others about ICT because it is one of four pillars one looks for in prospective employees. “With technology skills, Uganda will develop at a very fast pace, which will enable the country to join other middle economy countries.”

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (Centre) poses with Huawei ICT Competition 2nd Prize Winners; Makerere University's Muwonge Julius (Left) and Kyambogo University's Musisi Charles (Right)

Addressing the audience, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe shared that Makerere University has signed more than 10 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with China’s leading Universities such as Tsinghua University.

He thanked Huawei for fulfilling its promise to set up the ICT Academy at East Africa’s premier University and emphasised that Makerere is fully committed to working with Government to take the country to middle income status.

Prof. Nawangwe called upon the students as primary beneficiaries to take advantage of the Academy because they are the hope for the future. “Makerere University values the support given to its students by Huawei and given the chance; we are willing to take on even more opportunities.”

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Sports, Mr. Alex Kakooza revealed his Ministry’s keenness to support the Seeds for the Future Program in Makerere and other Universities

The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Education and Sports (MoES), Mr. Alex Kakooza applauded Makerere University for starting up the Confucius Institute which has opened new doors for Ugandans to learn Chinese.

He revealed that the Ministry is ready to work with Seeds for the Future in Makerere and other Universities and called upon students to participate in the in the Huawei ICT Academy activities.

“You will never reach your full potential unless you learn how to serve others,” the Principal College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS) Prof. Tonny Oyana advised. This he said to the 10 successful Seeds for the Future students who were being flagged off to China for their trip.

The Principal, College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS), Prof. Tonny Oyana encouraged the ten successful applicants of the Seeds for the Future Program to learn to serve others first

Prof. Oyana informed the audience that the Huawei ICT Academy was initiated in September 2018 with the aim of training and equipping 1,000 Ugandan students in two years. He added that Huawei donated equipment worth 30,000USD and will make a 15,000USD annual cash donation to the gazetted resource Centre to be hosted at CoCIS. The Academy which will be free of charge will also offer certification.

“The aim of the Huawei ICT Academy is to partner with Universities to encourage students to gain skills in the practical field of technology over the next two years,” said the Managing Director Huawei Uganda Mr. Liu Jiawei.

The Managing Director Huawei Uganda, Mr. Liu Jiawei delivers his remarks

The best students were awarded as follows

1st place:

  • Mr. Katerega Daniel from Makerere University received a Huawei MateBook X, Y7 Smartphone and a trophy.

2nd Place:

  • Mr. Muwonge Julius from Makerere University and Mr. Musisi Charles from Kyambogo University each received a Huawei Y7 Smartphone, trophy and a certificate.

3rd Place:

  • Mr. Kiwanuka Brain
  • Miss Nabuufu Ereth
  • Mr. Rutembana Abais

Excellent students awarded certificates and Y7 Smartphones

  • Mr. Kizza Ivan Nobert
  • Mr. Ogwang Benjamin
  • Miss Moureen Caroline
  • Mr. Mugisha Ali
  • Mr. Baale Ali

Article by Rachael Kanyi, Volunteer, Mak Public Relations Office

Mark Wamai

Continue Reading

General

Strengthening Grants Management Through Institutional Collaboration and Capacity Building

Published

on

As the funding to the higher education sector keeps on reducing due to competing priorities, universities are implored to come up with structures and strategies to attract and win research grants.

Key findings indicate that universities with institutionalized grant management offices, strong and coordinated research teams are better positioned to effectively compete for grants.

Makerere University, in partnership with Northwestern University, is spearheading the E-SMAC G11 Grants Administration and Management workshop from 14th to 17th July 2025, aimed at strengthening grant management offices and systems among the participating universities and entities.

It is envisioned that through this capacity building approach, the workshop which brings onboard over 130 participants from different universities and entities, will address the knowledge and skills gaps among faculty, grant managers, administrators and support staff.

The participating universities and entities include: Makerere University, Uganda Christian University – Mukono, Soroti University, Gulu University, Clarke International University, King Ceasor University, Kyambogo University, Muni University, Mother Kevin University, Uganda Martyrs’ University-Nkozi, Ernest Cook University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, University of Kisubi, Kabale University, Busitema University, BRAC University, Infectious Diseases Institute, Ministry of Health, and among others.

Prof. Sylvia Antonia Nakimera Nannyonga-Tamusuza

According to Prof. Sylvia Antonia Nakimera Nannyonga-Tamusuza, the Head of the Grants Administration and Management Support Unit (GAMSU) at Makerere University, the workshop provides a platform to: build faculty, grant managers and administrators capacity in grant writing and management, foster cross-functional collaboration across departments, strengthen understanding of budget creation, biosketch and funder systems, encourage mentorship and peer to peer learning, and lay a foundation for regular support.

The training tackles four broader themes namely Grants Introduction and Systems, Proposal Development, Capacity Building, and Outcomes and Forward Planning. It covers vital areas such as grant writing, budgeting, funder systems, compliance, and overall grant administration. It features practical sessions, mentorship opportunities, and collaborative learning, with the goal of strengthening pre-award and post-award grant management and improving research productivity and compliance.

The training workshop is part of the Expanded Strengthening of Makerere University’s Research Administration Capacity (E-SMAC) program, which focuses on enhancing research administrative systems and staff capacity at Makerere University and its partner institutions. The program being implemented from July 2024 to December 2025 is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) at Makerere University, Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta

Opening the workshop, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) at Makerere University, Prof. Winston Tumps Ireeta urged universities to institutionalize grant management offices and policies as well as strengthening research systems through collaborations.

Sharing his experience, Prof. Ireeta informed the participants that he was involved in the strategic discussion that led to the establishment of GAMSU at Makerere University. “We observed that Makerere University School of Public Health had established a grants office, which was instrumental in attracting and winning funds for research. We were inspired by this best practice. Thus, a comprehensive policy was developed to streamline and strengthen grants management across all colleges at the University,” he said.

Prof. Ireeta noted that Makerere University commits to being a research-driven institution, a strategic direction, that needs a strong funding base. ‘Research grants are therefore a key resource,” he said.

Stressing the importance of adhering to the technical details in the grants management processes, Prof. Ireeta appealed to the participants to be active listeners and maximally utilize the moment to learn from the experienced facilitators.

ProfElizabeth Balyejusa Kizito (Director Research Partnerships and Innovations Uganda Christian University) contribute to the discussion.

In the same vein, Prof. Nannyonga-Tamusuza, applauded the University Council and Management for the strategic direction undertaken to elevate GAMSU from a Unit to a Directorate. This points to the central role of the grants office in the life cycle of Makerere University. She pointed out that GAMSU reports to the Vice Chancellor through the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration).

Established by the University Council in 2020, GAMSU is a central office at Makerere University. It provides professional and coordinated services across the entire grant life-cycle-from identifying funding and developing proposals to ensuring compliance, project execution, financial oversight, and institutional capacity building. GAMSU works closely with academic and administrative staff to support competitive, well-managed and accountable research.

Focusing on the training workshop, Prof. Nannyonga-Tamusuza called upon the participants to utilize the golden opportunity to deepen their understanding of grants management in advancing research. She acknowledged the role of this collaboration in fostering mutual learning and the sharing of best practices, noting that such initiatives were key in ensuring that research conducted by universities aligns with global standards. She encouraged participants to engage fully in the workshop, collaborate with their peers, and build lasting connections to foster continuous learning.

The Administrative Director of the Havey Institute for Global Health at Northwestern University, Ms. Kate Klein, noted that grants administration goes beyond securing funding. She explained that grant administration is about building strong, sustainable systems that support researchers, facilitate collaboration, and ultimately contribute to solving global challenges.

Ms Bethany Ekesa[L] & Ms Kate Klein from Northwestern University

She urged participants to critically analyze their current systems and identify areas where improvements could be made. By doing so, they would be better positioned to manage grants effectively and maximize their impact.

“Collaborating and learning from one another is essential,” Ms. Klein stated. “When grants administration is effectively managed, it becomes a powerful catalyst for driving impactful change in research, ultimately advancing global initiatives that address the world’s most pressing challenges.”

Presenting the existing support systems and Principal Investigator (PI) agreements at Makerere University, Prof. Nannyonga-Tamusuza pointed out the critical role of GAMSU in maximizing Makerere University’s access to grants. This is particularly important in the context of limited financial resources, where GAMSU ensures that the university effectively leverages available funding opportunities.

Prof. Nannyonga-Tamusuza explained that GAMSU ensures research projects align with the priorities of funders and comply with both institutional and external regulations. She emphasized that this alignment is essential for securing and managing grants successfully. She stated that oversight offered by GAMSU, helps streamline the process for researchers. She pointed out that grant management is a collaborative process, involving multiple stakeholders across the university, which ensures that the necessary expertise and support are in place to manage grants effectively.

Underscoring the importance of grant negotiations, particularly with sub-award grants, Prof. Nannyonga-Tamusuza clarified that such negotiations are most successful when managed at the institutional level, where GAMSU oversees the entire lifecycle of a grant-from identifying funding opportunities to post-award activities.

Ms. Harriet Nambooze, the Project Coordinator at Makerere University School of Health Sciences, provided participants with a detailed guide on navigating the National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant application process. She introduced essential tools such as Grants.gov, Bureau Commons, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), which are critical for submitting NIH funding applications.

Ms. Harriet Nambooze

Ms. Nambooze stressed the importance of accurately setting up roles, including Principal Investigator (PI), Systems Administrator (SA), and Administrative Official (AO), as well as ensuring that profiles are up-to-date across various systems like e-recommends and login.gov.

She highlighted the necessity of adhering to NIH’s strict submission deadlines and maintaining efficient account management to facilitate timely applications. To avoid potential delays, Ms. Nambooze recommended that institutions should appoint multiple System Administrators, to increase the chances of successful grant submissions.

Presenting to the participants, Mr. Mordecai Tayebwa shared a detailed, step-by-step guide to starting a new grant application. He explained the key elements of the grant process, including the necessity of including a budget, adhering to specific formatting guidelines, and uploading required documents, such as the foreign justification for international projects.

He emphatically pointed out the need of thoroughly verifying the application before submission to ascertain that all required documents are included. This step is crucial to avoid errors that could delay or jeopardize the submission.

Mr. Mordecai Tayebwa

The first day of the workshop set a strong foundation for enhancing grant administration capacity among the participating universities. Participants were equipped with knowledge and skills in grant systems at the national and global levels.

Day two, will focus on topics such as reading funding opportunity announcements, tailoring writing, budget development and justification, sub-contract management, sub-recipient monitoring, and Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs).

On Day three, the participants will gain a deeper understanding of the Grants Office, financial management, internal controls and reporting, peer review process overview and project closeout.

On Day four, the participants will witness the launch of the MakGAP (Makerere University Grants Professional Initiative), listen to a keynote speech on grants management from the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, as well as presentations on professional growth through MakGAP, CRA Exam, and Global Research Administration Networks, and professional recognition of research managers and administrators in Africa and post evaluation.

Ritah Namisango
Ritah Namisango

Continue Reading

General

Makerere University Fees Waiver for 40 First Year Female Students 2025/2026

Published

on

Makerere University Tuition and Functional Fees Waiver is a Scholarship Scheme that was initiated by Makerere University Gender Mainstreaming Directorate and was approved by the Makerere University Council in December 2010. The Scheme supports bright female students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds to access education at Makerere University. The University waives off tuition and functional fees for the duration of the study of the beneficiaries of the scheme. With effect from 2021/2022 academic year, the Scheme has offered waiver of tuition and functional fees for 40 female students joining the University who meet the criteria. All Programmes in the Colleges at Makerere University Main Campus and at Makerere University Jinja Campus are eligible for this Scholarship support. These scholarships are administered by the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, Makerere University. Persons with disabilities are highly encouraged to apply.

ELIGIBILITY

Scholarship applicants should meet the following criteria:

  1. Should be female of Ugandan Nationality
  2. Should be a first-year student admitted at Makerere University Main Campus and Jinja Campus for the academic year 2025/2026 under the Direct Entry Scheme.
  3. Should be from a genuinely disadvantaged socio-economic background.
  4. Those not admitted on Uganda Government sponsorship to any public university.
  5. Those who do not hold any other scholarship e.g. District Scholarship
  6. Must be willing to participate in a selection process as shall be determined by the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate Scholarship Committee.

THE SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION FORM SUBMITTED SHALL BE DEEMED COMPLETE ONCE IT CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ATTACHMENTS;

  1. Copies of ‘O’ and ‘A’ level academic documents.
  2. One Passport size photograph.
  3. A Copy of the applicant’s birth certificate.
  4. Incase of deceased parent (s), a copy of death certificate(s)
  5. A hand drawn physical map of an applicant’s home/residence with clear directions of how to get to that home or residence from the nearest main road (indicate approximate distances in kilometres).
  6. A copy of the admission letter to Makerere University.

The scholarship covers only tuition and functional fees. The applicant must be able to pay for their feeding, accommodation and other learning necessities required by the University for the duration of the study period.

Interested and eligible applicants can pick application forms free of charge from the Gender Mainstreaming Directorate, Senate Building, Level 4, Room 402 OR download a copy from the Makerere University Website: https://mak.ac.ug/

You can also access more information on our X handle @MakerereGMD

For more information or inquiries, please contact us using the following contacts:

Office Mobile Numbers: +256702960616 / +256781866728
Email Address: director.gendermainstreaming@mak.ac.ug

The Application deadline is Monday, 8th August 2025 at 5:00pm.

Euzobia Mugisha Baine (PhD)
Chief Gender Mainstreaming Officer

Mak Editor

Continue Reading

General

Korean Language Courses-Semester

Published

on

Students walk into the Arts Quadrangle, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Centre for Language and Communication Services (CLCS), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) Makerere University in collaboration with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) invite applications for Korean Language Classes for students and members of the public.

Courses by Level

  • Beginner
  • Elementary
  • Intermediate
  • Online
  • TOPIK

Instructor: Wongo Yoon wongoyoon@gmail.com

Registration is open, you can register to join the class at any time.

Registration:

To register, call the Centre for Language and Communication Services (CLCS): +256 756 12 8046 / +256 775 424704

Fee: UGX 80,000 a semester

For more information Whatsapp: +256 790 505658 (Yoon) / +256 757 710511 (Mariam)

See downloads for Class Timetable

The Korean Corner is located on the 2nd floor of the Main Library at Makerere University.

Mak Editor

Continue Reading

Trending