General
Persuasion-an effective tool to communicate research for social change
The Executive Director for National Planning Authority (NPA) Dr. Joseph Muvawala has highlighted the importance of using persuasion to communicate research for social change. This was during the Makerere University PhD Convention held on 14th November 2019 under the theme; “Communicating Research for Social Change.”
Speaking to Makerere University Postdoctoral Fellows, Dr. Muvawala said that while research is an instrumental factor in causing social change for development, its communication and delivery can either yield positive or negative results. He was much concerned about the vast amount of research that remains unutilized largely due to weak communication procedures when he suggested persuasion as an effective communication tool, researchers can adopt during the dissemination process of their findings.
“Persuasion can shape and reinforce the response of your audience by altering their beliefs, attitudes, intentions, motivation and behaviors. It also helps the researcher to drive his or her audience towards a certain direction,” he said.
He pointed out the critical modes of persuasion developed by Aristotle and how they can be used to effectively communicate research for social change: The three modes are;
Pathos: emotional appeals designed to arouse feelings among the recipients. Emotional appeals are effective when you are trying to influence a behavior or when you want your audience to take immediate action.
Ethos: the credibility of a researcher/ speaker. This includes three dimensions; competence, trustworthiness and dynamism.
Logos: the reasoning, logic and rationality behind the research paper and answers to questions of what is stated.
“To anticipate the reader’s expectations, the author must ensure credibility and authority while undertaking research. His work should reflect well contextualized and evidence based recommendations. the information to be disseminated should have relevant, specific, unbiased and credible facts which are also warranted by citations,” he stated.
Dr. Muvawala outlined some of the research communication strategies for social change and these included;
- Providing a clear, concise and defined thesis
- Providing a clear, organized and conceptualized structure/framework
- Ensuring logical and well-controlled progression of ideas
- Using meaningful transitions and strong sentence-to sentence connections
- Building strong introductions
- Constructing a well-developed argument with strong evidential support
- Building strong conclusions
- Using purposeful and precise word choice
The PhD Convention is an annual event organized by the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training in conjunction with the PhD Forum at Makerere University. According to Mr. Simon Peter Okiror, the President of the PhD Fellows, the PhD Convention presents a platform for both late and early stage PhD students to reflect on their identified research topics.
“The convention also aims at establishing a supportive worldwide community of doctoral students and promoting social and intellectual interactions among students and researchers from academia, industry and government,” he said.
The Director of Research and Graduate Training Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi who is also the Patron of the PhD Fellows at Makerere University recognized the PhD Convention as an important platform to discuss how the on-going research output at Makerere University can be translated into policy that will socially, economically and politically empower the citizens of Uganda to lead better lives. He stressed that the day’s theme; “Communicating Research for Social Change” rightly depicts the role that Makerere University has to play in national and regional development.
“The challenges to society today are increasingly becoming more complex in a world that is witnessing emerging and re-emerging development challenges resulting from health-related epidemics and pandemics, climate change, energy and renewable energy concerns, natural disasters, food insecurity, human rights abuse and conflict and insecurity among others. Makerere University continues to address these challenges through impact oriented research,” he said.
According to Prof. Buyinza, the current drive by Ugandan Public Universities to quickly transition into centre of excellence in graduate training is a commendable sustainability plan. He mentioned that the ultimate benefit of research lies not only in the generation of new knowledge but also in the translation of knowledge into technologies, interventions and strategies effectively and appropriately delivered to the communities.
He applauded the Government of Uganda for recognizing the crucial role of Universities as vital sources of new knowledge and innovative thinking when he said, “The government-funded initiative to strengthen doctoral training and supervision and to develop the institutional capacity of participating universities to conduct and lead internationally-competitive, cutting-edge research will go a long way in supporting Makerere University to realize its vision and strategic goals, 2020-2030.”
Over 100 students presented their research work, proposals and research topics for constructive feedback.
Article by Mak Public Relations Office
General
Makerere University and Xiangtan University Advance Strategic Partnership in Chemical Engineering
Makerere University and Xiangtan University are set to update their close to 20-year academic partnership, with a new focus on launching a joint Master’s degree program in Chemical Engineering and expanding student and staff exchange initiatives.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a recent visit by a delegation from Xiangtan University to Makerere University headed by Professor Dingyu Ou, in the company of Mr. Tang Fei and Professor Gilbert Gumshabe, the Chinese and Ugandan Directors of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University respectively.
While addressing the delegation, Professor Nawangwe highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify academic offerings and contribute to national development through training in Chemical Engineering. Through this new initiative, the University will better prepare graduates for the petrochemical industry and support the country’s industrial growth.
The Vice Chancellor appreciated that the proposed collaboration aims to address Uganda’s growing need for industrial expertise, particularly as the country develops its petroleum sector. The two universities here are working toward a 1+2 training model, which will enable Makerere students to gain practical experience and access advanced laboratory facilities at Xiangtan University.
Professor Nawangwe further reiterated that “our relationship with the people of China, not just for Makerere but also for a big part of Uganda, has been opened wider by the establishment of the Confucius Institute, considering that many other collaborations like one being discussed now have come through this collaboration.”
The head of the Xiangtan delegation, Professor Dingyu Ou, expressed appreciation for the meeting, and acknowledged the history between the institutions. “As mentioned, we have a very long relationship and a very stable friendship between our two universities.”
Professor Ou extended appreciation for the support provided to the Confucius Institute at Makerere, the care shown to his colleagues, and looked forward to the successful start of the Chemical Engineering collaboration.
Assuring the delegation of Makerere’s readiness for the collaboration, Ms. Hawa Ndagire Kajumba the Lead, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, Makerere University Advancement Office, aligned with the Vice Chancellor’s emphasis of University goal to have both theory and practice imparted to the students.
She said “the curriculum of the university and Uganda as a whole is moving towards competence-based education training to ensure students are equipped to demonstrate those skills in the actual field, particularly regarding petroleum exploration.”
Ms. Ndagire Kajumba also emphasised a shift in strategy for the partnership office, saying, “we are moving away from just signing MOUs that collect dust, and moving towards those that are more collaborative to benefit our faculty and students, just like this one.”
Professor Gilbert Kumushabe aligned his remarks with those of the Vice Chancellor and Ms. Ndagire Kajumba, and described the method used at Xiangtan University as “actually competence-based teaching.”
Based on his recent visit, Prof. Gumoshabe shared that students in China are divided into groups with dedicated teachers to perform practical, hands-on work beyond the theoretical lecturers. He expressed gladness that the same was being adopted for the Ugandan context.
Both institutions are now working to finalise the specific agreements for the joint degree and exchange programs. Beyond academic training, the collaboration will advance cultural and professional exchange.
Makerere University on October 8, 2026 commemorated Nkrumah Day with a Public Lecture at the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium. The Lecture gathered students, academics, historians and distinguished guests to discuss Kwame Nkrumah’s contribution and its relevance to Africa.
Organised by Nkrumah Hall under the theme “Leadership, Self-Reliance and Transformation: Reimagining Nkrumah’s Vision for the 21st Century African Youth,” the lecture explored how Nkrumah’s ideals of Pan-Africanism, self-reliance and African unity can guide the continent beyond political independence.
Endorsing Nkrumah’s Vision of Investing in Africa
The First Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of Makerere University, Rt. Hon. Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga, was the chief guest.
In remarks delivered on his behalf by Dr. Charles Kahigiriza, Dr. Kiyonga said the day was a moment to reflect on Nkrumah’s views on Pan-Africanism and the lessons on self-reliance still held for Africa today and emphasised the importance of keeping Africa’s young talent at home (in Africa).
He then discussed ways of encouraging young people to achieve Nkrumah’s vision, pointing out that Africa is losing skilled people to brain drain as many go abroad to work.
He encouraged young Africans to stay and contribute to the continent’s growth, describing Africa’s potential as a promising asset.
Transformation Requires Discipline
The keynote address was delivered by Prof. Gerald Karyeija, a political analyst and Head of Quality Assurance at the Uganda Management Institute (UMI).
He discussed Nkrumah’s role in championing Pan-Africanism and the formation of the African Union. He acknowledged that “his legacy was also very complex” due to a number of challenges.
Regarding leadership, the professor argued, “leadership does not begin with the title. It begins with responsibility,” adding that “leadership is not only about power, privilege, entitlement, or status. It’s about service. It’s about stewardship.”
He encouraged attendees to emulate Nkrumah by using their knowledge and power for good.
“Don’t get the intellectual power from Makerere to become evil,” he cautioned, stressing that transformation requires discipline.
Universities Turn Knowledge into Action
Associate Professor Gorettie Nabanoga, the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, represented Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University.
She aligned herself with the previous speakers and urged participants to move beyond simply celebrating Kwame Nkrumah’s memory and begin implementing his vision.
She called for practical action, urging the mobilisation of Pan-Africanism beyond slogans. “Perhaps the Pan-Africanism of this generation must therefore move from solidarity to capacity, from rhetoric to institutions, from potential to production, and from aspirations to implementation,” she said.
On the role of universities, she reiterated that Makerere University is a hub for innovation rather than just a degree-granting institution.
“We are building for the future when we develop people who can think critically, when we generate knowledge, when we challenge perceived knowledge and wisdom, and when we innovate,” she said.
Addressing the students present, she said, “You are not simply the leaders of tomorrow; you are citizens of Africa today. The opportunity you enjoy at Makerere University comes with responsibility.”
Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli, the Dean of Students at Makerere University, set the tone at the 2026 Nkrumah Day Public Lecture.
She revealed that this lecture organised under Nkrumah Hall highlights its significance as a symbol of Makerere University‘s commitment to Pan-Africanism. “The name Nkrumah Hall has stood the test of time and sounds like a horn beautifully over the African continent and beyond,” she said.
She elaborated on the lecture’s theme of leadership, self-reliance and transformation, noting its alignment with the university’s mission to nurture future leaders.
Direction of Pan-Africanism
During a panel discussion, speakers questioned how far Africa has come. Associate Professor Zahara Napeewo, Deputy Dean of the School of Law at Makerere University, stated that the continent was still lagging behind the progress Nkrumah would have wanted.
She shared that while educational institutions provide knowledge, they must go further and encourage graduates to become problem-solvers who can create employment for themselves rather than wait to be employed.
Dr. Zaid Sekitto, a Lecturer in the Department of History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies at Makerere, added that the structures of colonialism that Nkrumah fought against were still in place. “They must be addressed”, he said, or Africa would remain trapped in colonialism and lose sight of Nkrumah’s vision.
The Youth and the Unfinished Struggle
The students also had an opportunity to share their perspectives on the unfinished struggle for Pan-Africanism.
Nkrumah Hall Chairperson Joseph Sekabira noted that the Africa Nkrumah fought for was not the Africa that exists today.
He urged young people to take up leadership now rather than wait until they were older.
Mark Kwikiriza, a final-year Bachelor of Arts in Music student and resident of Nkrumah Hall, said Nkrumah’s legacy remained relevant because the problems he faced in Ghana were similar to those society faces today.
He recommended that society could rejuvenate the spirit of “Osagyefo,” the title meaning “redeemer” by which Nkrumah was known.
Honouring 13 Years of Service
The event also recognised Mr. John Kamya for his 13 years of outstanding service as Warden of Nkrumah Hall, a position he held from 2007 to 2020.
He received an appreciation award presented by the Chief Guest’s representative in the presence of the Hall Chairperson and other dignitaries.
In his acceptance remarks, Mr. Kamya noted that the 2018 visit to the Hall by Kwame Nkrumah’s daughter, Ms. Samia Yaba Nkrumah, was one of the fondest memories of his time in office. He thanked Makerere for the opportunity to serve the University community and its stakeholders.
At the peak, the event concluded with tree planting and cake-cutting activity in front of Nkrumah Hall. The audience was left contemplating one message of Kwame Nkrumah’s vision of a united, self-reliant Africa, freed first in the mind, that remains unfinished and in the words of some speakers, has been handed to the current generation as a task to accomplish.
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