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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Inaugural Deans' Workshop Addresses Research Management
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.
General
Makerere Launches Strategic Plan 2025-2030 to Drive Research, Innovation and National Development.
Kampala, Uganda East Africa.
Makerere University has officially launched its Strategic Plan 2025-2030, reaffirming its commitment to advancing research, innovation, academic excellence and human capital development in support of Uganda’s national transformation agenda.
The Strategic Plan, unveiled by the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Hon. Henry Musasizi, provides a road map for strengthening the University’s contribution to Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy through research, innovation, entrepreneurship and the production of highly skilled graduates.
The launch, held at the University’s Main Hall, brought together government officials, members of the University Council, management, development partners, staff and students to witness what leaders described as the beginning of Makerere University’s next phase of institutional transformation.
Positioning Makerere for National Transformation.
Delivering his remarks, Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe said the Strategic Plan reflects Makerere University’s ambition to become an even stronger research led institution that responds directly to Uganda’s development priorities.
He noted that the University intends to restore student enrollment to pre COVID levels while significantly increasing postgraduate training to produce more researchers, innovators and professionals capable of addressing national challenges.
Prof. Nawangwe also highlighted the University’s growing research portfolio, commending researchers and research centers that continue to attract substantial international funding.
“when you combine the grants won by all our researchers through competitive international funding, the total exceeds US$200 million,” He said.
The Vice Chancellor also pointed to the need to strengthen the University’s academic workforce, noting that although progress has been made, more investment is required to fill approved academic positions, particularly at professor and associate professor levels.
Strategic Plan Sets Ambitious Institutional Targets.
Chairperson of the University Council, Dr. Lorna Magara, described the Strategic Plan as more than an institutional document, calling it “a public covenant with the people of Uganda.”
She said the Plan outlines measurable commitments that will guide the University’s performance over the next five years, including expanding postgraduate enrolment, increasing STEM participation, improving doctoral completion rates and strengthening research productivity.
“Ambition is precisely what this moment demands. A strategic plan is not measured by the elegance of its language, but by the lives it transforms,” she said.
Dr. Magara emphasized that every investment in Makerere University should translate into tangible benefits for society through research, innovation, leadership and skilled graduates.
She also called for reforms to Uganda’s Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act to strengthen university governance and create an enabling environment for innovation and knowledge production.
Government Reaffirms Support.
Launching the Strategic Plan, Hon. Henry Musasizi commended Makerere University for aligning its institutional priorities with Uganda’s Vision 2040, the Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
He observed that universities remain central actors in national development because they produce the knowledge, innovation and skilled workforce required to transform Uganda’s economy.
“Universities are central actors in national transformation. they are engines of knowledge creation, innovation and human capital development,” he said.
The Minister emphasized government’s commitment to supporting research, innovation and stronger collaboration between universities and industry to ensure that knowledge generated within higher education institutions contributes directly to economic growth.
Universities Critical to Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
Presenting the national development perspective, Samuel Kasule, Senior Planner at the National Planning Authority, explained that the Strategic Plan aligns closely with the Uganda’s long term development framework.
He noted that achieving the country’s ambitious economic growth targets will depend heavily on universities producing competent graduates, expanding research and strengthening innovation ecosystems that support priority sectors including agriculture, tourism, ICT, minerals, manufacturing, and oil and gas.
Kasule further underscored the importance of competency based education and post graduate training in building the human capital required for sustainable national development.
A Shared Vision for the Future.
Throughout the launch, speakers emphasized that Makerere University’s future lies in becoming an increasingly research intensive, innovation driven institution that responds to national and global development challenges.
The Strategic Plan 2025-2030 outlines priorities that include strengthening research excellence, promoting innovation and commercialization, expanding digital transformation, enhancing partnerships with industry, and producing graduates equipped to drive socioeconomic transformation.
Its launch marks a renewed commitment by Makerere University to remain at the forefront of knowledge generation and to contribute meaningfully to Uganda’s long term development aspirations.
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