General
Inaugural Deans’ Workshop Addresses Research Management
Makerere University on Friday, 14th June 2019 held the Inaugural Workshop for Deans and Directors in academic affairs under the theme “Building Institutional Capacity for Researcher Development, Funding and Management of Sponsored Research”. Organised by the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-DVCAA and the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), the Friday event was the first in a series of training and sensitisation workshops for academic leaders at Makerere University, aimed at building a sustainable research culture and research management systems for quality and relevant research output. The workshops are supported by IREX's University Administration Support Program funded by Carnegie Corporation oF New York.
Welcoming participants to the Inaugural Workshop, the Director DRGT Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi shared that the University Management is committed to establishing Makerere as a fully-fledged research University over the period 2020-2030. This shall be achieved by placing emphasis on increasing graduate enrolment, establishing research infrastructure, strengthening research policies, mobilisation of research funding, fostering knowledge production and utilisation of research results for sustainable national development.
“This is the first in the series of training workshops. Similar ones for College Principals, and Heads of Academic Departments, Research Centres and Coordination Offices will follow in the course of the year,” added Prof. Buyinza.
Presenting the rationale for the workshop, the DVCAA Dr. Umar Kakumba who represented the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe shared that it was a great pleasure to interact with colleagues who play a critical role in the academic affairs of Makerere University.
“Reputable Universities around the world are expected to be centres of excellence in research, innovations and knowledge or technological transfer for the wellbeing of communities and national welfare. Unfortunately research in sub-Saharan Africa has been undermined by deficiencies in research support systems, management and administration,” remarked Dr. Kakumba.
The DVCAA was however optimistic that a formalised Deans’ Forum, which was one of the expected outcomes of the Workshop, would nurture and institutionalise a vibrant research culture among research leaders and faculty. “We are here to inspire each other on how to excel in attracting grants and interacting with agents both within and without the country.”
Delivering the Keynote address on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Dr. Kakumba shared that universities the world over exist for the three fundamental purposes of: Generation of knowledge; Dissemination of knowledge, through teaching and learning; and Community outreach. He noted that research funding trends were steadily shifting from institutional core funding to competitive project funding and performance-based funding that rewards success in raising third-party funds.
The address also highlighted that at 38 researchers per one million people, Uganda falls way behind continental leaders Egypt and South Africa that reported approximately 679 and 437 researchers respectively for the same sample size. Scandinavian countries however reported figures above 6,000 researchers per one million people.
Nevertheless, it was noted that Makerere can take advantage of its historical brand as the region’s premier university as well as collaborations and partnerships with the world’s leading universities to boost its research potential. The University can also take advantage of its wide academic disciplinary specialities; at over 37% science, resident centres of excellence and alumni of high calibre spread across the globe to better leverage its research potential.
Chairing the first session on Research Governance and Organisational Capacity: Role of Central Research Office/Directorate, the Director Quality Assurance, Dr. Vincent Ssembatya while quoting the 2010 Association of Commonwealth Universities conference held in Cape Town, South Africa asserted that Universities must be “citadels not silos”.
“Universities are by nature made up of thousands of staff and students across various disciplines engaged in teaching and learning, research and knowledge transfer. They should be seen to fix the problems of communities that surround them” explained Dr. Ssembatya.
Sharing from personal experience, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi in his presentation revealed that the challenges of grants management are directly proportional to size; the bigger the grant the more the challenges faced.
“A Central Research Office is important in helping researchers to identify the potential risks associated with particular grants. Our research governance structure should be able to lead to enhancement of quantity, quality and relevant research output” said the Director DRGT.
Prof. Buyinza also shared that the revitalization of the Makerere University Press was timely, as it would help make institutional research more visible by translating findings and innovations into usable products for communities. He revealed that the Deans’ Forum would foster accountability as the research leaders freely exchange grants opportunities and effective management practices.
The second session made The Case for a Deans’ Forum: Effective Research Leadership for a Research-led University. The Dean School of Languages, Literature and Communication, Dr. Aaron Mushengyezi who chaired the session noted that the training workshops would inspire research teams and provide a platform for Deans to share best practices in resource mobilisation. He also called upon Deans to always share their grant writing skills with junior colleagues, “This will boost their confidence and motivate them to apply for more grants on their own.”
Quoting the SAGE Handbook of Research Management by Robert Dingwall and Mary Byrne McDonnell the session presenter and Dean, Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze said “Research organizations particularly large ones such as universities may need units capable of doing both radical and incremental innovation.”
The same Handbook she said also notes that “innovation may be better placed in smaller organizations or smaller units within large organizations.”
Prof. Wanyenze shared that the MakSPH experience had shown that innovation thrives in diversity and oftentimes lies at the borderline of different disciplines. “If we do not reach out to those from different units, we could miss out on a lot of innovations” she explained.
Speaking on the capabilities that foster Effective Research Capabilities, Prof. Wanyenze said that scientific or scholarly credibility were no longer sufficient in today’s dynamic environment. “Dingwall R and McDonnell MB in their Handbook of Research Management describe five additional capabilities as; the Entrepreneur, the Networker, the Collaborator, the Mentor and the Multitasker.”
These capabilities, she said, could be developed by research leaders over time and/or achieved through appropriate team organization. The Dean further observed that teaching and research are synergistic and as such, delivering stability and small incremental change is required to address both. She nevertheless warned that cutting-edge research is inherently disruptive.
The third session of the day on Research Funding and Building Functional Networks for Makerere was chaired by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration)-DVCFA, Prof. William Bazeyo, a renowned grants mobiliser. In his remarks, the DVCFA thanked Dr. Kakumba for championing the Inaugural Deans’ Workshop and inviting him to chair the session.
He spoke on the importance of forging research networks, as these enable the collaborating parties to prolong the life of research and innovations beyond the duration and funding of projects under which they were nurtured.
“We must also establish an autonomous grants management system for all our units if we are to improve research management and output” added Prof. Bazeyo.
Delivering the presentation, MakSPH’s Dr. Roy William Mayega observed that whereas universities with their high concentrations of experts, facilities, ideas and mentors have a key role to play in research and innovations, funding that ensured sustainability and continuity of research remained a big problem. “Many low-income countries have not prioritised investments in research leading to weak research infrastructure and heavy reliance on grants.”
This was backed by a 2019 LASER-RAN assessment of 27 universities in Africa, which showed that over 70% of research funding originates from outside the continent. Whereas Governments were shown by the same assessment to contribute 9.7% of the research funding, the private sector at 3.8% made the least contribution.
Dr. Mayega also pointed out that research with no clear path to translation, disconnect with development priorities and inadequate grants writing capacity were threats to research in our universities. Others cited were; few super-experienced researchers, inadequate financial management capacity and bureaucracy.
“Our knowledge products are mostly academic publications that are not easily understood by funders. We need to translate our research into simpler language and impactful innovations” he explained.
Dr. Mayega therefore called for increased support to young researchers by putting in place grants targeting young scientists as well as supporting the publications and career paths of non-teaching research support staff. He also proposed increased internal cross-disciplinary networks, improved research-to-translation support and improved research support infrastructure as some of the incentives to help build functional research networks.
Charing the last session of the day, the Dean School of Women and Gender Studies, Dr. Sarah Ssali reassured the Deans and participants at the workshop that Makerere University was in the process of developing a policy on grants, which would incentivise more researchers and units to undertake research. “We will advocate for a policy that enables Schools or units from which the grants originate to share in or retain a good percentage of the overhead.”
Delivering the presentation on Incentivising Research & Researcher development in Universities, the Deputy Vice Chancellor Research, Innovation & Extension and Acting DVCAA at Kampala International University (KIU), Prof. George Nasinyama expressed happiness to be back at his alma mater, an institution that he previously served as Deputy Director Research under DRGT.
Prof.Nasinyama revealed that there was a paradigm shift in the nature of knowledge generation from the Ivory Tower and its connotations of mono-disciplinary research to the Engaged University with its multidisciplinary, participative research that was uncertain and exploratory in nature. “However, there is also a third GloCal mode of Universities with local meaning but global reach, which place emphasis on clusters and networks and accountability to various stakeholders.”
He stated that many African Universities still faced challenges with massification and teaching overload which leads to the vicious cycle of ‘teach or perish’. This, he said, necessitates lecturers to rush from one overcrowded lecture room to another, resulting in reduced thirst for research (libido sciendi).
Prof. Nasinyama nevertheless said that researchers at Makerere University can be incentivised in three main ways namely; Government support to a research fund or through subsidy, Institutional incentives based on performance at either individual or departmental level, and support to researchers that bring income to the University by sharing overhead costs.
“In South Africa, the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) provides a publication subsidy to universities of approximately US$9,000 per publication unit, which is equivalent to a peer-reviewed, accredited journal article or book chapter by one author. However, this scheme is absent in many African Countries” remarked Prof. Nasinyama giving an example of a Government subsidy.
At the conclusion of the Workshop, participants present, guided by the day's able moderator Dr. Patrick Byakagaba agreed to form a seven member Interim Deans’ Forum with the DVCAA Dr. Umar Kakumba as the Patron. Nominated members were; Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze-CHS (Chairperson), Dr. Edward Bbaale-CoBAMS (Vice Chairperson), Dr. Aaron Mushengyezi-CHUSS, Dr. Robert Tweyongyere-CoVAB, Dr. Grace Kibanja-CHUSS, Dr. Ronald Naluwairo-LAW and Dr. Gilbert Maiga-CoCIS.
Article by Public Relations Office
College of Health Sciences Quality Assurance (QA) Training in Assessments, Pedagogy and Competence Based Curriculum Held 18–19 June 2026 at Esella Hotel.
Pedagogy, Assessment and Supervision Training Workshop
The College of Health Sciences has embarked on the journey to improve the teaching, assessment and preparation for the adoption of the competence-based curriculum.
The training was held on 18-19 June 2026, at Esella Hotel, Kira, the training targeted the teaching assistants, lecturers’ senior lecturers’ key administrators and some PhD fellows, generally the early career academic staff that are yet growing in the ranks.
Objectives
- Equip participants with modern pedagogical approaches for effective teaching and learning.
- Review and harmonize assessment strategies to ensure quality and fairness in academic evaluation.
- Enhance supervisory competencies for guiding graduate students in research and academic progress.
- Foster collaboration and shared experiences among facilitators, supervisors, and administrators.
The key focus areas for the training
- Guidelines in Assessment & Course Outlines- Dr. Cyprian Misinde -Chief Quality Assurance Officer.
- Competence Based Education and Assessment- Dr. Mike Kagawa
- Advancing continuous improvement in teaching, learning through teaching styles -Dr. Ssebowa Dorothy.
- Teaching methods Knowledge production and acquisition- Dr. Peter Ssenkusu
- Graduate Supervision Challenges and Opportunities- Prof. Grace Ndeezi.
- Competence Based Curriculum in line with the NCHE- Dr. Innocent Besigye.
- Feedback mechanisms in training- Dr. Irene Rebecca Namatende.
Key Outcomes for this training
- The participants gained the understanding of learner-centered teaching approaches and pedagogical principles.
- Acquired new skills supervisory skills, particularly in guiding research and addressing student challenges.
- Consensus on adopting standardized assessment tools across graduate programmes.
- Practical exposure to teaching models and interactive learning methods.
- Development of action plans for continuous professional development in pedagogy and supervision.
- The participants also acquired more skills in line with the competence-based curriculum as required by the National Council for Higher Education.
During the Discussion Key important Questions emerged as follows:
- Who supervises the supervisor?
- What is the difference between notion hours and contact hours?
- The 60/40 way of assessments—can it be independent for every course unit taught or allocated differently?
- How do we manage difficult supervisors?
- How do we Coerce PhD students to be fully involved in departmental activities without them feeling Coerced?
- How much time do we need to prepare for the review of the programmes in line with the competence-based curriculum as required by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and the World Health Organization (WHO)?
We truly thank the facilitators and the participants who made this training very informative and enlightened. We also appreciate the Principal/Deputy CHS, the Chief QA Officer, Makerere University and the University Management for the enormous support and for making this activity possible.
Dr. Irene Rebecca Namatende
Quality Assurance 0ffice
College of Health Sciences,
Makerere University
The Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs (DVCAA) Prof. Sarah Ssali on 15th July 2026 commended the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU)’s Industrial Trainee Program, describing it as the perfect hands-on intervention for the future workforce. She made the comments while on a guided tour of RENU’s on-campus Lab facility where ten undergraduate students from Makerere and other Universities are undergoing a two-month practical training.
Origin of tour
The tour was prompted by a 24th June 2026 meeting with a RENU delegation led by CEO, Mr. Nicholas Mbonimpa, aimed at broadening the existing partnership with Makerere University beyond internet service provision to supporting teaching, learning and research activities. During the said meeting, Prof. Ssali expressed Makerere‘s desire to produce graduates that are not only academically grounded but also cognizant of the needs of the job market.
In his response then, Mr. Mbonimpa expressed RENU’s readiness to continue advancing digital transformation through advancing resilient connectivity, research infrastructure, and innovative initiatives that enhance teaching, learning, and research. He shared that the Senate Building’s computer network had been revamped in line with advancing resilient connectivity, and the initiative would be expanded to the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) buildings and other premises subsequently.
The RENU CEO further highlighted that resilient connectivity forms a good basis for the proposed Open Radio Access Network (RAN) Architecture deployment set to be done within six months, so as to boost training of students in 5G and other technologies. Other initiatives discussed included training staff and students on acquisition of Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) to improve visibility of their publications and research output.
Training Program Lauded
Addressing student interns during the 15th July guided tour, the DVCAA who was accompanied by the 92nd Guild Speaker Rt. Hon. Trevis Mutatiina Muhwezi urged beneficiaries to harness all the technical and social opportunities accorded by the Program. “Not all students in your respective academic programmes had the benefit of being exposed to this kind of training so please make the most of it and utilize skills gained here beyond the classroom setting”.
The 2026 Industrial Trainee Program is equipping students with skills on how to diagnose and repair ICT equipment based on old and disused stock.
Prof Ssali was also toured the makerspace where solar-powered routers are manufactured and deployed to extend internet connectivity to both rural and urban locations. In 2023, RENU partnered with Mesh++, a Chicago-based connectivity solutions manufacturer, to manufacture solar-powered internet routers in Uganda. Since inception, over 200 units have been manufactured and deployed across various sites in Uganda, while over 80 units have been shipped to various African countries such as Malawi, Rwanda and South Sudan under the RENUMESH Technologies joint venture.
Partnerships Inspiring New Prototypes
The RENU CEO nevertheless pointed to a long turnaround time for shipping parts from the U.S. as one of the drawbacks hindering the product’s rapid deployment. As a result, RENU, in response to the Ugandan Government’s call for import substitution and local capacity development is developing a solar-powered internet router with some of the components sourced from Ugandan companies Innovex and Chloride Excide.
“Innovex will supply the Internet of Things (IoT) component to help RENU remotely monitor and control the router while Chloride Excide will provide the batteries” Mr. Mbonimpa explained. He added that some of the current lot of trainees were already running simulations on the prototype and proposing how the device can be further refined so as to increase its portability and reduce its price.
A call for Expansion
At the conclusion of the tour, Prof. Ssali who commended the use of modular Ugandan components for the prototype thanked the RENU team to exposing students to real-world technological deployments. She nevertheless urged the CEO and his team to expand the program’s intake beyond ten trainees and duration beyond the current two months so as to give students a richer experience.
The CEO RENUMESH Technologies Mr. Brian Masiga thanked the DVCAA for following up their 24th June meeting with the visit, which demonstrates that the University Management values students’ development of practical skills. He equally thanked Prof. Ssali for Management’s support to RENU activities and pledged to further refine the prototype to produce a cheaper and more portable proudly Ugandan product.
General
Makerere University Launches First Writing Summer School to Strengthen Professional Writing Skills.
KAMPALA, UGANDA, EAST AFRICA| July 6, 2026.
Makerere University has officially launched its inaugural writing summer school, a week long professional development program aimed at equipping students, graduates, researchers and staff with practical writing skills required for academic excellence and success in today’s competitive job market. The program jointly organized by the Makerere University Writing Centre and Makerere University Press (MakPress), reflects the University’s commitment to nurturing graduates with not only academic knowledge but also the communication skills needed to thrive professionally.
Held virtually, the launch attracted more than 280 participants from Makerere University and other higher education institutions, demonstrating the growing demand for structured writing support beyond the classroom.
Building the Next Generation of Writers.
Speaking at the launch, the Director of Makerere Writing Press, Prof. William Tayeebwa, said the summer school represents an important investment in developing writers before their work reaches publication.
“The press has traditionally focused on publishing books, journals and scholarly work. Today, we are expanding that mission by helping and develop the writers who will produce tomorrow’s publication.
He noted that MakPress continues to support the publication of books and scholarly works produced by members of the Makerere Community. Using recently published books authored by a member of staff and a student as examples, he encouraged participants to submit manuscripts for publishing support rather than relying solely on self publication.
Writing as a Foundation for Academic and Professional Success.
Chairperson of the Makerere University Writing Centre, Prof. Frederick Muyodi, said the center was established to strengthen the writing competences among students, researchers and university staff.
” The Writers Center is here to support every stage of the writing process from CVs and application letters to research manuscripts, grant proposals, reports and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in writing.”
He explained that the Centre supports writing across multiple disciplines and professional contexts, adding that its long term vision is to extend writing support beyond Makerere University to institutions across Uganda and the East African region.
Equipping Graduates for the Labour Market.
Officially launching the summer school, the First Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, described the initiative as a strategic investment in preparing graduates for an increasingly competitive labour market.
She observed that while universities successfully impart disciplinary knowledge, many graduates leave campus without the practical writing skills required to secure employment and other professional opportunities.
“We teach content very, but many students are never taught how to write an effective CV, application letter, motivation statement or scholarly essay. Yet these are the documents that often determine whether someone secures an opportunity.”
Prof. Ssali said the writing summer school would bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional practice by equipping participants with market ready communication skills.
Reaffirming her office’s commitment to the initiative, she added:
“My office is pleased to support this initiative as we institutionalize the Writing Summer School to ensure that Makerere graduates leave not only with degrees but also with practical competencies needed to thrive professionally,”
She officially declared the inaugural Writing Summer School open and expressed optimism that future editions would attract even more participants and resources.
Participants Gain Practical CV Writing Skills.
The first technical session was facilitated by Mr. Abdul Noor Luttamaguzi, a PhD student in the Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences within the School of Bio sciences at Makerere University, a Senior Fisheries Officer with Luweero District Local Government, and the founder and director of the ANL Foundation, an organization that supports youth employment and capacity building.
During the session, he guided participants on developing competitive CVs tailored to specific professionals and employer expectations. He emphasized that applicants should customize their CVs to suit each opportunity instead of submitting the same document for every application. Participants also learned how effectively present their education, work experience, leadership roles technical competencies and professional achievements, while avoiding unnecessary personal information. Practical demonstrations using professional specific CVs provided participants with hands on examples of preparing competitive job application documents.
Looking Ahead.
The Writing Summer School continues throughout the week sessions on application letter writing, responsible use of artificial intelligence, professional communication and other essential writing skills aimed at improving academic productivity and employablity.
Through initiatives such as the Writing Summer School, Makerere University continues to strengthen its commitment to producing graduates who are not academically accomplished but also equipped with practical communication skills that enable them to compete and lead in today’s global workplace.
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