General
Mak Hosts Successful AAP Town Hall Meeting
Today Tuesday 19th November, 2019, I represented the Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe at the Town Hall meeting organized by the Alliance for African Partnerships (AAP) founded and hosted at Michigan State University(MSU). The Town Hall meeting was attended by: Hon. Thelma Awori, Honorary Consul of Liberia to Uganda and Chair of the AAP Advisory Board; Prof. Richard Mkandawire, AAP Director for Africa; Prof. Isaac Minde, AAP Regional Coordinator; MSU Representatives, Dr. John Bonnell and Dr. Kate; MSU Fellowship Alumni and Faculty from Makerere University.
Makerere is a founder member of this Consortium that is currently composed of ten member institutions including Michigan State University and nine African universities (Egerton University – Kenya; Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) – Malawi; Makerere University – Uganda; University of Dar es Salaam – Tanzania; Unviersite Cheikh Anta Diop – Senegal; Universite des Lettres et des Sciences Humaines de Bamako – Mali; University of Botswana – Botswana; University of Nigeria, Nsukka – Nigeria; and University of Pretoria – South Africa).
In my remarks, I noted that the world is changing. Africa is changing. Therefore, we must evolve and improve the way we work with partners. Through the AAP, we seek to co-create a new model of mutually beneficial collaboration that will not only help us take on today's problems, but better prepare us for tomorrow's challenges as well. Coincidentally, MSU’s land-grant values provide us with a solid framework as we adapt to the changes that are happening in the region. Building on decades of engagement in Africa, MSU through AAP will develop a collaborative and cross-disciplinary platform to join our efforts to address challenges on the continent.
AAP’s priority areas are; Agri-food systems, Water, Energy and Environment, Culture, Youth Empowerment, Education, Health and Nutrition. These are indeed the key focus of our National
Development Plan III.
The meeting provided us with an opportunity to celebrate the successes; discuss the key metrics including the Key Performance Indicators since inception of AAP. In a more broad sense, we need to
adopt the culture of Town hall meetings as a platform to share strategy because as a matter of fact, Africa and its place in the world—and by extension the nature of the relationships between us and MSU —is rapidly shifting. Today, sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 15% of the world’s population and is projected to quadruple to 4 billion.
African affairs will increasingly affect other areas of the world—economically, politically, demographically, and culturally. Much of Africa is experiencing urbanization, impressive agricultural dynamism, rapidly changing food systems and diets, and shifts in the labor force into growing non-farm economies. We need the skill to anticipate and respond proactively to these trends.
Lately, like any other institution of its stature, Makerere has become a magnet for international collaborations and benchmark visiting teams. Let us collectively and deliberately continue to protect our premier brand!
Article by Professor Buyinza Mukadasi, Director, DRGT & Focal Person AAP, Makerere University
Organised by the Makerere Debating Union – a student-led initiative, the Inter-college Debate Tournament was held on 11th and 12th April 2025 with a vision to leave no student behind by nurturing a community of confident, articulate, and visionary leaders who will drive positive change in society. The tournament was held in three preliminary rounds, followed by semi-finals and a grand finale.
The first round covered democracy and youth participation in politics, while the second round covered inequality and wealth distribution, and the third, the ban on export of raw materials. The semi-final round debated apprenticeship for blue-collar jobs, while the grand finale debated national budget allocations for healthcare and education. In the spirit of inclusivity, all colleges, including the Jinja Campus participated in the tournament.
Commenting on the choice of topics, the organisers noted Makerere University as a bastion of academic excellence has a profound responsibility to cultivate the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of our nation. These leaders, they added, ought to be equipped with 21st century skills of self-expression, critical thinking, and problem-solving so as to navigate the complexities of an ever-evolving world.
On the whole, Makerere Inter-college Debates were conceived as a strategic initiative to foster a culture of intellectual curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The Debating Union aims to empower the future leaders by providing a platform for students to engage in respectful discourse, articulate their thoughts, as well as develop their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
Furthermore, the Debates serve as a platform for not only honing the intellectual prowess of students but also cultivating leadership skills, teamwork, and communication abilities that are essential for success in an increasingly complex and interconnected world. It is envisaged that this initiative will have a lasting impact on the lives of students, by exposing them to debates on topical issues that can shape the mindsets of transformative leaders our nation needs.
After a thrilling two days of debate, Daphine Kemigisha and Jibril Ssekandi from the School of Law (SoL) emerged as winners of the Makerere University Inter-college Debate Tournament 2025, while Olara Emmanuel George from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) was the Public Speech Champion, and Namujuzi Martha Mociita from the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) was the Poetry Champion.
The 2025 Tournament was organized by Mayanja Owen and Nkalubo Oprah – 91st Guild Representative Councils (GRCs) of the Debate Union, Akatwijuka Arthur – Chairperson Debate Union, and Debate Union Representatives from colleges. The Uganda National NGO Forum (UNNGOF) partnered with the Debate Union to deliver the 2025 edition.
Addressing students at the award ceremony, UNNGOF’s Mr. Derrick Baluuku encouraged the youth to step out of their comfort zones and think of solutions to inspire change in their communities.
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