General
Pro-Rector Hagen & Delegation Arrive Ahead of 30Year Mak-UiB Collaboration Celebrations
The Pro-Rector, University of Bergen (UiB), Prof. Margareth Hagen together with four members of UiB staff on Tuesday 5th November 2019 visited a number of units at Makerere University ahead of the 7th November 2019 celebrations commemorating 30 years of the Mak-UiB Collaboration programme. The delegation was hosted by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Makerere University Library and the College of Health Sciences (CHS).
The Pro-Rector was accompanied by the Assistant University Director-Mr. Tore Tungodden, Vice Dean for Research-Prof. Marit Bakke, Academic Coordinator Mak-UiB Collaboration (UiB)-Prof. Thorkild Tylleskär and Higher Executive Officer, Communication Services-Ms. Elinor Bartle. They were guided around the Campus by the Academic Coordinator Mak-UiB Collaboration (Mak)-Dr. Ronald Semyalo.
The first stopover for the delegation was CHUSS where they were welcomed by the Acting Principal-Assoc. Prof. Josephine Ahikire. With her were the Dean, School of Languages, Literature and Communication-Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi; Head, Department of Literature- Dr. Mark Okot Benge; Former Head, Department of Literature-Assoc. Prof. Dominica Dipio; and UiB Alumnus-Dr. James Taabu Busimba.
Assoc. Prof. Ahikire in her remarks welcomed the delegation to Makerere University and CHUSS in particular, noting that at 30 years, the collaboration had indeed matured and was worth celebrating. She added that colleagues not only in the Humanities but also in the Natural Sciences had obtained their degrees at UiB and sincerely thanked the Pro-Rector for the generous support extended to staff capacity development at Makerere University.
Complementing the Acting Principal, Assoc. Prof. Mushengyezi noted that the Department of Literature had made significant strides in oral literature, research and publication with support from the Mak-NUFU (Norwegian Programme for Development, Research and Education) Folklore Project under Assoc. Prof. Dipio and Prof. Stuart Sillars.
The Dean added that the Department of Journalism and Communication with funding from the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Development in Higher Education and Research for Development (NORHED) had managed to recruit and train four PhD students. The funding was received under the Strengthening Media in Post-Conflict societies through Education and Research: Bridging Gaps, Building Futures in Uganda, Norway, South Sudan and Nepal project.
Contributing to the discussion, Assoc. Prof. Dipio appreciated the holistic support that her Department had received especially through the PhD training for staff. She also lauded multidisciplinary nature of the UiB Summer Research Schools and prayed that future schools would accord opportunity to more Humanities Scholars keen to share their knowledge with other disciplines.
Dr. James Taabu Busimba is a Lecturer in the Department of Literature who undertook the “madness” Re-language-ing Shakespeare for a Ugandan Readership as part of his PhD study. Recounting his experience, JTB as he is popularly known at the Department thanked UiB for the generous support accorded to him, which involved extensions to his stay as he finalized his thesis. This support, he said, enabled him to graduate with the highest distinction in philosophy, a feat he reckoned would have been hard to repeat elsewhere.
Delivering her remarks, Prof. Hagen thanked Makerere University and CHUSS for the warm reception accorded to her delegation as well as the invigorating discussions. The Professor of Italian Literature could not hide her excitement at being ‘home’. She noted that UiB under its Department of Foreign Languages offers degrees in nine languages namely; Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Spanish.
She commended the Department of Literature for producing 4 PhDs under the NORHED programme added that UiB through its Department of Information Science and Media Studies seeks to address the convergence between journalism, communication and evolving technologies. She added that the UiB joined leading media and technology companies in Norway to form the Media City Bergen cluster, which gives its students all-round exposure to trends in the industry.
As collaboration coordinator on the Mak side, Dr. Semyalo thanked UiB for sending close to 400 students annually to Makerere for short term study opportunities. He noted that almost two-thirds of these students belonged to the clinical sciences and urged other faculties to explore sending their students as well.
Prof. Tylleskär on the other urged more PhD students at Makerere University to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the two-week Summer School at UiB. Six parallel courses with an application deadline set for 1st February 2020 will run from 8th to 18th June 2020 focusing on; climate governance, sustainable cities, sustainable oceans, media and democracy, global food systems, as well as migrant health.
As a way forward, the meeting agreed to lay strategies for the teaching of a short course in Norwegian every summer. This, it is envisaged, will help prospective students to be grounded in the culture and language basics prior to setting off for their studies in Norway.
Under the Ethnomusicology in Uganda Project, the Department of Performing Arts and Film with the support from the Grieg Academy at UiB and other partners established Music Archive in the Main Library Makerere University. This was the first stopover for the UiB delegation as they made their way to meet the Deputy University Librarian, Dr. Ruth Nalumaga.
The Deputy Librarian in her remarks thanked UiB for the support extended in establishing the Library Information System (MakLIBIS) as well as conducting the Learning and Teaching in a Digital World (LATINA) course. She also thanked the Government of Uganda for advancing UGX1.5billion to the Library’s E-Resources budget for this financial year.
The discussions with the UiB team then centered around the increasing struggles by University Libraries the world over; especially in smaller countries, to meet the high subscription fees charged by important international scientific journals. The officials agreed that forming national or regional consortia should be encouraged to advocate for lower annual subscription fees.
As an innovation, Dr. Nalumaga shared the Main Library has plans to digitize its entire newspaper collection, so as to create a paid E-resource accessible to the whole world, a novelty that was welcomed by the UiB delegation. The meeting further discussed the need to conduct information literacy training for not only students but staff as well so as to help fight the growing ‘fake news’ trend.
Article by Public Relations Office
#MakUiB30
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged newly admitted postgraduate diploma and master’s students to take ownership of their academic journey, produce knowledge that addresses Africa’s challenges and use their training to create opportunities for society.
The call was made on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during the orientation of postgraduate diploma and master’s students held at the Main Hall, Main Building, Makerere University. The orientation was conducted under the theme “Harnessing the Power of Graduate Training to Transform Africa’s Research Trajectory.”
Addressing the students, Prof. Sarah Ssali, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said admission to postgraduate education marked an important transition from undergraduate study and should come with greater independence, critical thinking and responsibility.
“Postgraduate study is not just the accumulation of knowledge. You are now active researchers, critical thinkers and creators of your own knowledge,” Prof. Ssali said.
She said postgraduate training should enable students to deepen their expertise, strengthen their analytical abilities and develop solutions to real-world problems.
“Through your projects, dissertations, innovations and professional practice, you have the opportunity to contribute knowledge that can influence policies, improve services and transform lives. Your research matters, and your contribution matters,” she said.
Prof. Ssali urged students to see their studies beyond the pursuit of a degree, encouraging them to ask themselves why they had chosen postgraduate education and what contribution they intended to make to their communities and professions.
“See your coursework as an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills that will help you propose new solutions to real-world challenges,” she said.
She also encouraged students to embrace collaboration with communities and non-academic partners, saying many of them were already coming to the University with professional and community experiences that could enrich their research.
“Don’t think that your scholarship is only for those who look academic. Embrace community, embrace networks,” she said.
Prof. Ssali further cautioned the students against wasting time, noting that many postgraduate students have employment, family and other responsibilities alongside their studies.
“Make the most of your time and don’t waste it,” she said, urging students to use available study time productively even when there are changes in their lecture schedules.
She also emphasised the need for students to take responsibility for their progress instead of waiting for lecturers or supervisors to push them.
“Postgraduate education requires independence, independent inquiry, independent research, independent interrogation and also active participation,” Prof. Ssali said.
Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director of Graduate Training, told the students that their admission was a significant achievement given the large number of applicants seeking postgraduate opportunities at Makerere.
“We received over 12,000 applications to our postgraduate programmes, but we are only able to take just a small percentage of that. That means you are just the few people who are able to do this,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He urged the new students to appreciate the opportunity and understand that graduate education carries responsibilities beyond attending lectures and completing examinations.
According to Prof. Kikooma, Uganda and Africa require highly trained human capital capable of driving national and continental development priorities.
“The country needs more highly trained people if it is going to achieve its aspirations and priorities for national development,” he said.
He challenged the students to consider what Uganda and Africa would look like in the coming decades and to question whether the continent would continue relying on ideas, innovations and creations generated elsewhere.
“Will it still be a country that always depends on ideas, innovations and creations that come from outside?” he asked, before urging the students to become part of the generation that develops home-grown solutions.
Prof. Kikooma said much of what Uganda would need in the future would depend on what the country invests in today, particularly in human capital and research.
He also explained that the Directorate of Graduate Training works with colleges, schools, departments and central University units to strengthen the quality of graduate education.
“We want to make sure that what you are taking away from here is of a certain quality,” he said, adding that the University has established policies, standards and systems intended to create an environment in which postgraduate students can succeed.
However, Prof. Kikooma stressed that the University cannot take responsibility for the entire academic journey on behalf of students.
“We will not replace your programme. We will not replace your lecturers. We will not replace your supervisors. Each of those has a different role to play along your journey,” he said.
He encouraged students to be proactive by understanding their programmes, colleges and the various support services available to them.
“Successful graduates tend to be proactive rather than reactive. So don’t wait until you have a problem, then you start running from it,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He further urged the students to work within the stipulated programme period, noting that most master’s programmes take about two years while postgraduate diploma programmes generally take one year.
Prof. Robert Wamala, Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, urged the newly admitted students to use their graduate training to produce knowledge capable of addressing challenges facing their communities, Uganda and Africa.
He challenged them to move beyond consuming knowledge generated elsewhere and instead become producers of knowledge and solutions.
Prof. Wamala emphasised the importance of connecting research to society, innovation and professional practice, encouraging students to identify problems within their workplaces and communities that could become areas for meaningful research.
He said Africa needed researchers capable of generating evidence, innovations and practical solutions to support development rather than simply importing solutions from other parts of the world.
The Director encouraged the students to build collaborative networks during their studies and to regard the University as an ecosystem in which researchers, professionals, communities and other partners can work together.
Dr. Kizito Ongaya, Deputy University Librarian, introduced the students to Makerere’s extensive library and information resources, urging them to make the library a central part of their postgraduate studies.
He said the University Library operates a hybrid system combining physical collections with electronic resources.
“We have over 200,000 types of books in our library, with 45 e-journal databases,” Dr. Ongaya said.
He encouraged students to make use of the University’s electronic databases, noting that substantial resources are invested in providing access to scholarly journals.
“If you don’t use e-journals, you are unacceptable,” he told the students, emphasising that postgraduate research requires extensive engagement with scholarly literature.
Dr. Ongaya also highlighted the University’s archival collections, specialised libraries and information centres located across its colleges.
He said students would be guided on how to access both physical and electronic resources and encouraged them to explore specialised collections that could support their individual research areas.
Dr. Mike Barongo, Team Leader ICT, Department of the Academic Registrar, told the new students that Makerere had increasingly digitised its academic and administrative processes and urged them to complete their online registration as an immediate priority.
He said students could access their provisional admission letters through the online application system and use the student number provided to activate their student portals.
“The student portal is very, very critical,” Dr. Barongo said.
He explained that students must enrol and register in order to access key University services, including institutional email and Wi-Fi.
“Once you enroll, you create an institutional email address. That institutional email address is the gateway for you to access so many things, like Wi-Fi,” he said.
Dr. Barongo also informed students that ICT support centres were available to assist those experiencing challenges with enrolment, registration or access to digital services.
He urged students to ensure they enrol and register every semester so that the University systems can accurately capture their academic and financial information.
Others senior members in attendance include the Deputy University Bursar Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba and Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre.
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged its newly admitted PhD students to go beyond pursuing academic qualifications and become independent scholars capable of generating knowledge, solving societal problems and contributing to Africa’s transformation.
The call was made by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, during the orientation of the 2026/2027 PhD cohort at Makerere University’s Main Hall in the Main Building on 10th August 2026.
Prof. Ssali told the new scholars that a PhD marks a fundamental shift from previous levels of education, requiring students to take greater responsibility for their academic progress rather than depending entirely on lecturers and supervisors.
“You will have to push yourself and also push your supervisor to move with you,” Prof. Ssali said, urging the students to take ownership of their doctoral journey.
She acknowledged that many PhD students have to balance their studies with employment, family responsibilities and community leadership, making doctoral training demanding. However, she urged them to remain focused on completing their programmes within the prescribed three, four or five years.
Prof. Ssali said Makerere expects its doctoral training to produce scholars who can create knowledge, challenge existing ideas and develop solutions to societal problems.
She encouraged the students to embrace ambiguity and become comfortable questioning what they already know, noting that doctoral education requires scholars to identify important questions, investigate them and generate answers that advance knowledge.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor also urged the students to develop interdisciplinary collaborations and scholarly networks rather than confining their research to their individual disciplines.
She said the success of doctoral education should not be measured merely by the number of dissertations completed or papers published, but by the extent to which research contributes to society.
With Africa facing complex challenges, including climate change, disease, population growth and development pressures, Prof. Ssali said PhD scholars have a responsibility to generate evidence that can influence policy, strengthen institutions and advance innovation.
She challenged each scholar to continually ask what problem their research addresses, what solution it advances and whether that solution can create sustainable value.
The Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, said the new cohort was joining Makerere at a time when the University is implementing reforms aimed at strengthening graduate education and improving completion rates.
Prof. Kikooma revealed that Makerere received close to 12,000 applications across its master’s, postgraduate and PhD programmes but admitted about 6,000 students.
He said graduate education has been placed at the centre of the University’s efforts to strengthen research capacity and prepare scholars to contribute to knowledge production and innovation.
Under the reforms, PhD students will undertake compulsory cross-cutting courses designed to provide foundational knowledge and skills for doctoral research. They will also be required to undertake teaching in either their second or third year under the guidance of their supervisors.
In addition to completing their theses, students will be required to produce at least two publications before graduation, a requirement intended to prepare them to become the next generation of researchers, innovators, inventors and creators.
Makerere has also introduced a digital system to monitor the progress of every PhD student each semester. The system is intended to enable students, supervisors and university officials to identify challenges early and intervene in real time.
Prof. Kikooma urged the scholars to write regularly, think critically, maintain open and constructive relationships with their supervisors and protect their academic integrity and professional reputation.
He also encouraged them to build scholarly networks and remain resilient, noting that rejected papers, disappointing data and unexpected challenges are normal aspects of doctoral training.
The Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, Prof. Robert Wamala, challenged the scholars to ensure that the knowledge they produce is trustworthy, responsible and ethically sound.
Prof. Wamala emphasized the importance of respecting the dignity, rights, safety and autonomy of research participants, particularly where studies involve individuals, communities and personal information.
He highlighted informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, justice and accountability as critical principles of ethical research and urged students to maintain transparency throughout the research process, from developing research questions and collecting data to analyzing and reporting findings.
Prof. Wamala also cautioned the students on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in research.
He said although AI can assist researchers with activities such as language improvement, it does not remove the researcher’s responsibility for the final product.
Researchers, he said, must verify AI-generated information and remain accountable for inaccurate statements, misleading interpretations and incorrect references.
He further urged students involved in international and other research collaborations to establish clear agreements on roles, authorship, data ownership, access and intellectual property before commencing their research.
The Deputy University Librarian, Dr. Kizito Ongaya, meanwhile, urged the new scholars to make full use of Makerere’s library and information resources throughout their doctoral journey.
Dr. Ongaya said the University operates a hybrid library system combining physical and electronic resources, with more than 200,000 books, 45 e-journal databases and over 16,000 archival materials available to researchers.
He encouraged the students to participate in library training to learn how to access and effectively use electronic resources and to explore specialized libraries and information centers across the University’s colleges.
These include resources covering natural sciences, agriculture, veterinary medicine, health sciences, education and humanities, as well as museums, botanical gardens, specialized collections and other research facilities.
The newly admitted doctoral students were also addressed by Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre, Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba, the Deputy University Bursar and members of Makerere University Convocation.
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