General
1st Research Management Workshop for Departmental Chairs
On Friday 9th August 2019, the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-DVCAA in collaboration with the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) held the first workshop for Department Chairs under the theme “Building Institutional Capacity for Faculty Researcher Development, Funding and Management of Sponsored Research”. Held at the Grand Global Hotel in Makerere the workshop brought together Chairs from the College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS), College of Education and External Studies, College of Health Sciences (CHS) and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS). This workshop was the second in the series of trainings supported by IREX's University Administration Support Program funded by the Carnegie Corporation of New York.
Welcoming participants to the workshop, the DVCAA Dr. Umar Kakumba shared that any university that thrives as a Centre of Excellence in Research must earmark the mechanisms that enhance the generation and dissemination of knowledge.
“As we all know; research is not quick yielding. Returns can take upwards of two to three or even five years. Research is also competitive. We must compete for funding from various calls. We therefore need these interactions to evolve a symbiotic relationship, share experiences and mechanisms of building robust research practices and other academic endeavours,” remarked the DVCAA.
Dr. Kakumba further shared that effective management of funded research is no longer only about the science. He therefore urged academic leaders to build the requisite skills in budgeting for research, writing winning research proposals, grants management, among others.
Delivering the keynote address on The 21st Century Research University: Trends and Experiences, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe thanked Dr. Kakumba for taking on the role of DVCAA with the energy and enthusiasm required to propel Makerere University to the top of the research-intensive Universities’ leaderboard.
“We have a goal of becoming the top research-intensive university in Africa. Malaysia has in its Vision 2020 the objective of becoming an industrialised and developed nation by 2020 courtesy of the five out of its twenty Public Universities designated as Research Universities,” noted the Vice Chancellor, outlining Makerere University’s crucial role in Uganda’s development pathway.
Prof. Nawangwe added that Makerere’s high quality staff is one of the reasons the University is able to compete favourably in terms of research output with other Universities that have more resources. This quality staff, he shared, has among other achievements attracted two World Bank funded African Centres of Excellence in Materials, Product Development and Nanotechnology (MAPRONANO) and Crop Improvement (MaRCCI).
“MaRCCI is already producing results in crop improvements of indigenous food crops such as cowpeas sorghum. The breeding programmes have so far developed a high yielding sorghum line capable of producing up to ten times the yield of indigenous lines” explained the Vice Chancellor.
This, he noted would go a long way in improving food security and increase household incomes as Uganda’s population continues to grow rapidly, which is in line with the National Development Agenda.
The Director DRGT, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi in his presentation on Research Governance & Organisational Capacity: Role of Central Research Office/Directorate expressed his conviction that Chairs of Departments are the epicenter of research activity in the University, by virtue of their being immediate supervisors and coordinators of all academic work in colleges.
“Heads of Department are therefore focal resource persons in building a sustainable research culture and research management systems to enhance the value proposition for quality and relevant research output at Makerere University” added Prof. Buyinza.
The Director further noted that there was a logical link between Research Governance and Research Output. As a way forward he proposed the need strengthen DRGT through the creation of additional divisions especially one in charge of Research Performance.
The presentations that followed were dedicated to: Effective Research Leadership; Research and Researcher Career Development; Funding Research; Managing Research Grants; and Knowledge Transfer Innovations. The Sessions were chaired by Dr. David Owiny, Dr. Sarah Ssali, Dr. Fredrick Muyodi, Prof. John Muyonga and Dr. Robert Wamala respectively.
Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH) while delivering the presentation on Effective Research Leadership for a Research-led University noted that Chairs, by starting with the resources and structures they have now, could achieve a lot in terms of setting the pace for their Departments in the short, medium and long term.
“What goals do we have at Department, School and College level? Are these known by the people? What direction are we giving the staff we lead? Money is important and some people put money first, but I put people first. Invest in the people and good people will bring in the money” she both questioned and counseled.
She urged the Chairs to always be the leaders they desire to see. “Leadership is the key ingredient and it’s not at the top; it is at all levels. You cannot take people where you as a leader have not been. If it is writing, write; if it is putting in the extra time, do it; if it is winning grants, win them and then the people will be inspired to do the same.”
The online Oxford dictionary definition of an Incentive is a thing that motivates or encourages someone to do something or a payment or concession to stimulate greater output or investment. Presenting on Incentivising Research and Researcher Career Development, Prof. Tonny Oyana the Principal, College of Computing and Information Sciences (CoCIS) noted that whereas many African countries focus on the number of PhDs produced, in the case of research, they only make a difference if they are of high quality.
He further noted that whereas Researcher Career Development in Africa mostly starts at Masters level, Universities top tier research universities start nurturing talent as early as Secondary level. “When we admit top talents, let us streamline them. We should grow and nurture those talents in line with research interests. The US and South Korea have done it; we should also do it.”
Prof. Oyana called for the need to teach research as an organizational skill at higher education institutions and challenged Department Chairs to come up with talent lists of their academic units. These, he noted, would help to profile each lecturer’s research interests and use the amalgamated results establish research priorities at Department, School and College level.
“Thanks to establishing an effective grants management system, the School of Public Health manages a throughput of between US$ 29 to 33million annually. Academic Units should deliberately grow their grants capacity” remarked Dr. Roy William Mayega as he began his presentation on Establishing and Managing Research Grants: Perspectives and Prospects.
Dr. Mayega also shared that there has been a deliberate effort by MakSPH Leadership and Staff to search and apply for grants and funding opportunity announcement (FOA) notices as listed in GRANTS.gov; a U.S. Federal Government website that lets organisations from around the world apply for over 1,000 grants programs. He urged colleagues to also regularly look out for Annual Program Statement (APS) releases by USAID through the various country missions.
He tipped the Chairs on the need to incorporate monthly management meetings as good practice of the Grants Management Cycle, and urged his audience to always conduct due diligence on all collaborators to avoid bringing disrepute to the funding agency or host institution. Sustainability of the project after the funding cycle was another aspect that he emphasized ought to be included in the grant application. “Our funders like to see sustainability captured by the applicant.”
Research Funding and Building Functional Research Networks was the next presentation to the Chairs by Dr. Charles Masembe from the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), and Principal Investigator of a three year US$1.2m African Union (AU) Grant to prevent the spread of African Swine Fever (ASF) in Africa. Walking Chairs through his grant application and award process, he noted that academics ought to look at research as a business whose growth thrives on networking.
He urged colleagues who were starting out to opt for associate partner positions in grants so as to gain experience. Touching on the writing process, he admitted that it was hard for academics to subject their applications to scrutiny by a third party but noted that this was very important. “Get a neutral person to read through your application and trust them to point out areas of improvement. This will be important in improving your line of thought.”
Dr. Maureen Mayanja made the final presentation of the day on Knowledge Transfer, Innovations Development and Partnerships: Lessons from Leading Universities. She touched on the importance of establishing a one-stop centre for Knowledge Transfer at Makerere University because “structured systems ensure that information is shared university wide and immediate feedback on the data collected is disseminated to the communities that participated in the project.”
Presenting lessons on evaluating knowledge sharing from Michigan State University (MSU), Dr. Mayanja noted that the institution had come up with two vehicles; MSU Extension and MSU Technologies, to take their vast knowledge resources directly to the community and support commercialization of academic research respectively.
Using MSU Extension’s various positions and ranks, Dr. Mayanja emphasized the need to introduce Parallel Growth Structures, that allow staff to invest their efforts where their passions belong, without fear of being penalized. “A member of staff who is passionate about the extension system can grow from the rank of Program leader to Senior Program Leader, Extension specialist, Senior Extension Specialist, Extension Educator, Senior Extension Educator, Associate Program Leader and all the way to District Director Extension”
She also called for the need to Makerere to establish university-based partnerships for multidisciplinary research as vehicles that can attract funding from development partners and the industry.
Article by Public Relations Office
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General
Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence Launches Training on Economic and Stakeholder Analysis
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence, housed at the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, has commenced its advanced capacity-building training on Economic and Stakeholder Analysis. This two-week program has attracted economists from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) across Uganda, emphasizing the importance of integrated investment appraisal in public sector decision-making.
The training was officially opened today by Dr. Hennery Sebukeera, representing the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury (PSST) of the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development (MoFPED). In his remarks, Dr. Sebukeera acknowledged the collaborative efforts between MoFPED, Makerere University, and Cambridge Resources International (CRI), highlighting the program’s significance in equipping participants with expertise in evaluating the economic impacts of public projects. “This is a life changing opportunity for all of you attending this training,” Dr. Sebukeera, the Technical Adviser Budget, said.
A Platform for Excellence
Prof. Edward Bbaale, Director of the PIM Centre of Excellence and Principal of CoBAMS, expressed his gratitude to MoFPED for its financial support, which has been instrumental in sustaining the Centre’s initiatives. He also commended the participants’ resilience and commitment, as many are returning for their second phase of training following the completion of financial and risk analysis modules earlier this year.
“This advanced course blends theoretical frameworks with practical applications, enabling participants to appraise projects in critical sectors like roads, energy, water, and electricity from the perspective of the government budget and the economy,” said Prof. Bbaale.
A Collaborative Effort
The program features a robust partnership with Cambridge Resources International and Queen’s University in Canada, whose faculty members have played a pivotal role in shaping Uganda’s public investment landscape. CRI’s Executive Director, Dr. Mikhail, will personally facilitate sessions on microeconomics, economic opportunity costs, and stakeholder analysis, ensuring participants gain hands-on experience through lab sessions and case studies.
Makerere University’s Vice Chancellor and faculty were also lauded for their unwavering support in ensuring the Centre’s success, which extends beyond training to research and advisory roles for the government. The Centre recently revised the Development Committee guidelines for MoFPED and assessed project performance under Uganda’s National Development Plans.
Empowering Future Experts
Participants will receive a prestigious tripartite certificate from Makerere University, MoFPED, and Queen’s University upon completion. Prof. Bbaale urged the participants to embrace their role as ambassadors of Integrated Investment Appraisal, applying their skills to improve resource allocation and fiscal responsibility in their respective MDAs.
With a mission to enhance public investment management practices, the Centre continues to build a legacy of excellence, contributing significantly to Uganda’s socio-economic development.
By Scholars Program Communication Team
On Saturday, November 16, 2024, Little Angels Junior School, Mawotto Village, Mukono District, and St. Charles Rwahunga, Nursery and Primary School in Kyegegwa District celebrated an inspiring, joy-filled event. These two schools were selected to receive the generosity of Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Makerere University during the Annual Scholars Day of Community Service.
At St. Charles Rwahunga Nursery and Primary School, the Scholars donated various products, including Learning Materials, Geometry sets, Sanitary towels for the girls, sportswear for the boys’ football team, and other goodies.
The Community Nursery and Primary School serves 412 pupils with severe challenges due to inadequate infrastructure. The buildings are dilapidated, there is a shortage of desks, and the classrooms are small and overcrowded. These issues need to be addressed to ensure a better student learning environment.
Mr. Alex Mugisha, the Headteacher of the School, expressed gratitude to the Scholars of Mastercard Foundation for the kind gesture they extended to his school.
“I am deeply grateful, along with the students and staff, for the generosity of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars. These materials will significantly enhance the learning environment for our pupils,” remarked Mr. Mugisha.
Mr. Nelson Ddumba, the Scholars Council Representative, encouraged the young learners at the event not to lose hope. He emphasized that regardless of their starting point, they can improve their circumstances by staying in school.
“Listen, my fellow students: do not give up. The only path to transforming your circumstances is through a steadfast commitment to your education and remaining in school. I have been in your shoes, but I pushed through and succeeded thanks to my mother’s unwavering support. Today, I proudly attend Makerere University, one of the leading institutions in Uganda. Embrace the challenge ahead and make your education your top priority!” Mr. Ddumba declared.
At Little Angels Junior School, pupils were excited to receive educational materials, reusable sanitary towels, mathematical sets, dictionaries, and textbooks for nursery to primary seven students.
Ms. Sarah Nturo, the headteacher, commended the Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Makerere University for the kind gesture.
She said the books will help the school improve its reading culture and performance.
“We are grateful to the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University; we believe these books will significantly contribute to improving our pupils’ performance,” Ms. Nturo said.
Nturo also pointed out that they have challenges with the facilities and water as a school.
“Ever since we started this School, the education has improved because, in the past, parents could not allow their children to come here; instead, they would send them to the lake for fishing. But now, the children come only because they do not have somewhere to sit. We have few desks,” Nturo said.
During the visit, the pupils mesmerised the scholars with rare dance moves. The excitement did not leave the Programme Implementation team and teachers in their seats, making it a fun-filled event. The audience was left yearning for more.
Addressing the school, Mr. John Osuna, the Transition Lead at the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, urged the pupils to use their school time to prepare for a bright future.
“Do not mind where you are coming from. We all started like this. Education is an equalizer. Now that you have an opportunity to study, focus on making the best out of it. Be disciplined pupils and listen to your teachers. The sky will be the limit,” Mr Osuna said.
During the event, Francis Kabuye Kaggwa, the Chairperson of the Parents Teacher Association (PTA) leadership, said that ever since the school started over 10 years back, they have never received guests who bring them gifts like how the Mastercard Foundation Scholars did.
“I think you have seen how excited the children were. We are all happy this has never happened to our school. Who are we to receive these gifts? We have challenges, but with friends like God on our side, we shall conquer,” Mr. Kabuye noted.
The Scholars’ Day of Community Service is an annual event where Mastercard Foundation Scholars at Makerere University engage in community service as a way of giving back. This initiative aims to empower vulnerable individuals in the community and contribute positively to society.
By Mak Communication Team
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, while speaking at the inaugural commemoration of the International Day for Persons with Disabilities at Makerere University has appealed to the Government to increase the number of students with disabilities on government sponsorship.
The event held on Wednesday, 13th November 2024 was organised by the Office of the Dean of Students and the 90th Students’ Guild-Ministry of Students with Disabilities and held in the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium.
The day’s theme was: “Empowering Inclusion: Breaking Barriers, Unlocking Potential”
“Students with disabilities should be the first to be admitted on Government sponsorship because there are not so many,” Prof. Nawangwe said.
Prof. Nawangwe called upon the government to devise a scheme and policy for integrating students with disabilities into the working environment after graduation.
Prof. Nawangwe noted that the University has established a Disability Support Centre, a one-stop facility to ensure equal access to education and life, promote inclusivity, and support students and staff with disabilities.
“Over the years, Makerere University has branded itself as a place that actively and loudly promotes increased awareness about the rights and needs of students and staff with disabilities.” Prof. Nawangwe remarked.
While addressing the gathering, the Chief Guest, Hon. Hellen Grace Asamo, the State minister for Disability Affairs, called upon Persons with Disabilities to always believe in themselves and be able to break the barriers of the inferiority complex.
“You have to show people that you have the potential, and when people get to know your potential, they will begin to include and engage you. But if you do not have your potential, nobody will include you. They will think you are just someone who is just there seated and begging,” Hon. Asamo noted.
In her welcome remarks, Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli, the Dean of Students at Makerere University, said that the University is making a deliberate effort to pay particular attention to the decisive implementation of inclusive Policies and Practices.
“This is where we want all people to thrive and grow. Therefore, we are proud to accept and celebrate our differences and uniqueness. We welcome you here to build a culture of active support for each other and to declare that by championing a conducive environment for students and staff with disability, we are part of the change-makers of today,” Dr Kabumbuli said.
Dr. Kabumbuli also highlighted several policies the University has implemented, such as the Policy for Persons with Disabilities and safeguarding, Accommodation policy, University rules and regulations, the Human resource manual, and the student guild constitution that provides inclusive participation in student leadership and admission policies.
“These policies protect and enhance the rights of both staff and students with disabilities. For example, we have a student guild minister for persons with disabilities to ensure their voices are heard,” Dr. Kabumbuli noted.
Makerere has directed attention to ensuring accessible and comfortable accommodations for students with Disabilities by having designated accessible hostels and rooms. The University provides salaries, lodging, and meals for helpers who assist students with disabilities. A concentrated effort is also being made to build ramps, elevators, and accessible pathways to facilitate navigation for students and staff.
According to Dr Kabumbuli, the University has embraced a drive to facilitate students’ access to assistive devices, including wheelchairs, white canes, brailling machines, hearing aids, etc.
“As part of our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility, the University has designated a specialized space within the library, equipped with assistive technologies and resources, specifically for students with disabilities to ensure equal access to knowledge and academic success for all. We have also put in place special arrangements, such as extra time during examinations to enable access to education,” Dr Kabumbuli said.
Dr. Kabumbuli acknowledged the support from the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, the Ministry of Gender, and the School of Law, which are committed to championing diversity, inclusion, and equity for People with Disabilities.
The International Day of Persons with Disabilities is celebrated annually on December 3rd to raise awareness and support for people with disabilities worldwide.
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