General
Director Beate Schindler-Kovats Affirms DAAD’s Continued Support to Mak
The Director of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Regional Office for Africa, Ms. Beate Schindler-Kovats on Thursday 28th November, 2019 paid a courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and urged Makerere University to intensify her networks with regional universities so as to form a block. This, she added, would enable Makerere University to tap into additional opportunities by DAAD and the European Union (EU) that seek to support institutions with regional impact.
“DAAD always has new programmes and opportunities for scholars tenable in Germany and in-Country but we also have a lot of opportunities for universities to cooperate at institutional level and we would be happy if Makerere University participated in these programmes as well” explained Ms. Schindler-Kovats.
Earlier, Prof. Nawangwe had welcomed the Regional Director and thanked DAAD for the tremendous support extended to faculty training and diversification of academic programmes. He noted that German has been taught at Makerere since 1967 and thanked DAAD for the big role played in training Masters and PhDs after the turbulent political period.
“Many colleagues, some of whom now occupy leadership positions elsewhere studied in Germany. Prof. Manuel Muranga is one of the most prominent ones,” added the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Nawangwe shared that Makerere is keen to strengthen her regional networks and has in the past acted as a hub for North Carolina State University’s East African Higher Education Summit. Participating Universities on the occasion included; Gulu University (Uganda), Mount Kenya University (Kenya) and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Uganda).
“According to data from one of the top ranking agencies, Makerere University has collaborations with all major regional and international universities and this can be seen by the equally high number of co-authored publications in the rankings data” he added.
The Vice Chancellor also cited the upcoming Regional Meeting of the World Health Summit, due to be hosted by Makerere University and the Government of Uganda for the first time in Africa on 27th and 28th April 2020, as the result of collaborative efforts. “Makerere is the only African University that is a member of the M8 Alliance and we look forward to hosting our patrons; German Chancellor-Angela Merkel, French President-H.E. Emmanuel Macron, and EU Commission President-H.E. Jean-Claude Juncker at the World Health Summit 2020.”
The DAAD Regional Director noted that whereas German Universities have got Internationalization as a top priority, collaborating with Makerere University would accord them access to an even a wider network of North-South and South-South collaborations. She concurred that collaborations at this new level of worth exploring.
Mr. Steven Heimlich, the in-Country DAAD Office Representative shared that there are currently 60 students studying German as a subject at undergraduate level. He nevertheless noted the need to offer more flexible subject combinations so as to enable even more students study German as a language.
The Vice Chancellor concurred with the need to offer a diversity of options especially in languages to undergraduate students and promised to look into the matter. He also touched on the upcoming Public Lecture on the Brexit and Regional Collaboration by the German Ambassador to Uganda, H.E. Dr. Albrecht Conze, noting that this would an interesting topic for debate. The lecture is due to be hosted by Makerere University on 10th December 2019 in the Central Teaching Facility 2 (CTF 2) Auditorium.
Article by Public Relations Office
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The Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has today, Friday, 26th June 2026 handed over the CCE (Complex) Hall of Residence Site to National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) Managing Director and CEO, Lieutenant General James Mugira for renovation and overhaul works. The UGX 12billion Government of Uganda-funded works, expected to be completed within a year, are the fourth project to be undertaken by NEC. They were preceded by; construction of the University Perimeter Wall, Renovation of Lumumba Hall, and Renovation of Mary Stuart Hall.
NEC’s Record Lauded
Prof. Nawangwe in his remarks at the handover ceremony lauded these projects. “The quality of work done by NEC makes us proud because we can finally say that we have Ugandans who can do the things, which we previously depended on foreigners to do.” He therefore thanked the Government of Uganda for fully funding the projects and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Museveni, whose visit set the renovation projects in motion.
The Vice Chancellor added that as the Alma mater for most members of both the Contractor and Project Management Teams, this was a moment of great pride as their expertise and skills have saved the country billions of taxpayers’ money. “Thank you for being patriotic”, he commended.
Prof. Nawangwe concluded by noting that CCE Hall, by virtue of its location, provides a first impression of Makerere University as a whole. He therefore urged the contractor to ensure that upon renovation, CCE Hall would create a memorable and lasting first impression, exceeding even that of the renovated Mary Stuart Hall.
A Project Fueled by Nostalgia
Speaking of impressions, Lt. Gen. Mugira, with nostalgia recalled that close to 42 years ago, he not only attended his first lectures in Hall 1 of the CCE Complex but also, on a more personal note added, “my wife was a resident, and so I have every motivation to put in a lot of effort and make sure that I deliver more than was done with Mary Stuart and Lumumba.”
He therefore extended heartfelt appreciation to his Alma mater Makerere University for the trust and confidence bestowed in NEC, which underscored their ability to deliver. “Trust is earned through performance, through integrity and consistency, and your decision to engage us motivates us to work even harder to exceed your expectations.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Prof. Henry Alinaitwe reechoed the need to ensure that the project is executed with adherence to the cost, quality, specifications and safety related issues as earlier shared by the Acting (Ag.) Chief Engineer of Estates and Works, Eng. Ezra Sekadde.
“NEC has already demonstrated this (with previous projects), and that is why we have all the confidence that you can deliver this project within 12 months” remarked Prof. Alinaitwe. He equally lauded the Project Management Team (PMT) led by Arch. Dr. Kenneth Ssemwogerere whose supervision ensures timely project completion.
Relatedly, Arch. Dr. Semwogerere was on 25th June 2026, the eve of the handover, promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, a milestone Prof. Alinaitwe attributed to his track record as Head of PMT. He therefore, on a light note, urged him to keep up the good work as this could equally contribute to his promotion to the rank of full Professor.
Also present at the handover ceremony was the Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES) Prof. Anthony Mugagga, whose unit will be greatly affected by the renovations. He nevertheless welcomed and reiterated his full support for the project, noting that just as renovation of Lumumba and Mary Stuart Halls had resulted in many alumni revisiting, the CCE Complex would upon renovation attract former residents and teaching professionals to give back or forge new partnerships.
Student Welfare at the Forefront
On her part, the Dean of Students Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli lauded the renovations of Halls of Residence as a clear demonstration of Government’s dedication to the improvement of student welfare, and creating an environment conducive for nurturing responsible citizens who can contribute to national development. She pledged her Office’s and the Student Leadership’s readiness to ensure that the renovated facilities used responsibly for the benefit of future generations.
As a resident of the recently renovated Mary Stuart Hall, 92nd Guild President H.E. Kadondi Gracious could not help but appreciate how impactful the renovation of CCE Hall would be to student welfare. “The female students will be very excited (to occupy CCE Hall) but the male students will be left complaining – so we shall be expecting more renovations, not just for the female but also the male students,” she amiably concluded.
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