General
Shandong Province Delegation Visits Mak, Presents Nishan House
A delegation from the Shandong Province of the People’s Republic of China on Tuesday, 11th November 2019 visited Makerere University and presented the Nishan House; a symbolic representation of the birth place of Confucius, the great philosopher after whom Confucius Institutes are named. The delegation was led by Honourable Fu Zhifang, President of the Shandong Provincial Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPC).
Earlier, the delegation had visited the Confucius Institute (CI) at Makerere University where they unveiled the Nishan House. According to the Shandong Friendship Publishing House website, Nishan House has since establishment served as an important platform to collect and exhibit the excellent achievements of human civilizations and to promote the cultural exchanges between China and other countries. The Nishan House at Makerere University will add to the 25 Nishan Houses located in 14 countries worldwide.
Welcoming the delegation, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Dr. Umar Kakumba extended warm greetings from the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe who is away on official duty. He thanked the President and his delegation for taking time off their visit to Uganda to meet the University Management, tour the Confucius Institute and unveil the Nishan House.
“We are delighted to host the Confucius Institute at Makerere University as a platform for cultural exchange, sharing Chinese literature and books and promoting cooperation between our people and Chinese institutions” remarked Dr. Kakumba.
He noted that China through the Confucius Institute was reaching out to the wider section of the Ugandan community by offering Chinese language classes to secondary school students and members of the public. He shared that Makerere University had responded by “offering the Bachelor of Chinese and Asian Studies as a way of giving our students certified degrees for their linguistic knowledge of Mandarin.”
The Director, Confucius Institute at Makerere University, Prof. Xia Zhuoqiong in her presentation to the delegation shared that her Institute was hailed as the best worldwide on 5th December 2018 during the 13th Confucius Institute Conference held in Chengdu, China. She added that to help extend services closer to the population CI currently has seven teaching sites in Uganda.
Prof. Zhuoqiong added that CI conducts training for Chinese teachers in Ugandan secondary schools and in September 2019, held its first Seminar for the educators. The Seminar held at Luyanzi College Bweyogerere, was aimed at improving Ugandan Chinese teachers’ understanding of Chinese teaching and enhancing their level of instruction in the same.
Honourable Fu Zhifang in his remarks expressed heartfelt thanks to Makerere University for the warm reception and hospitality extended to his delegation. He also lauded the University Management for maintaining an atmosphere that is conducive to pursuit of academic excellence and promotion of cultural exchanges at the campus.
He assured the young people that they would enjoy boundless opportunities in the future if they went on to master Mandarin through the degree programme and courses offered by the Confucius Institute. President Zhifang also noted that Confucius Institute belongs to the world and serves as a great opportunity to promote people to people exchanges. He then presented the DVCAA with a gift of the Shandong people, depicting important historical figures.
The day would have been incomplete without a demonstration of linguistic mastery of Mandarin. This was provided by way of a vote of thanks moved by Ms. Eunice Nakina aka Yang Sisi on behalf of the students of the Bachelor of Chinese and Asian Studies. Going by the nods of approval from the President and his delegation, Ms. Nakina did a splendid job.
The delegation’s visit was crowned with a song performance by Confucius Institute students.
Article by Public Relations Office
The Director of Makerere University Jinja Campus, Associate Professor Ronald Kakungulu-Mayambala, has urged students to familiarise themselves with the Safeguarding policy aimed at creating a safer and more inclusive learning environment.
Speaking during the safeguarding policy sensitization meeting held today Tuesday, April 15, 2025 at the Civil Service College, Jinja, Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, emphasized the importance of awareness and adherence to the policy, which seeks to protect students, staff, and other stakeholders from all forms of abuse, harassment, exploitation, and discrimination.
“As Management we want every student to enjoy their stay at the University without being tormented and that can only happen, if students know their rights by reading about different policies on our website. You are meant to be living in a safe environment. We do not want anybody’s dream to be shattered or somebody to drop out from University,” Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, said.
In his speech, Prof. Kakungulu-Mayambala, also called upon students who have complaints but do not know the reporting lines, to approach staff safeguarding champions to make sure that they live in a safe environment.
Addressing guests, Emmanuel Muchake, the Guild Administrator at Jinja Campus, pointed out that the launch of the safeguarding policy is timely because as a University, without creating a conducive environment for teaching and learning, they will not have students graduate.
On Friday, April 4,2025, the Third Deputy Prime Minister and Minister without Portfolio, Right Honourable Lukia Isanga Nakadama, officially launched the Safeguarding Policy and commended Makerere University for crafting a policy that lays out the University’s framework for embedding viable safeguarding measures into its ethos and all institutional activities and processes to: Identify, detect, and act swiftly on safeguarding risks.
The Safeguarding Policy was developed in response to the growing need for institutions of higher learning to implement proactive measures that address concerns related to student welfare, mental health, gender-based violence, and power imbalances in academic settings.
Some of potential safeguarding risks in Institutions of higher learning include emotional distress, Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH); material loss, financial exploitation, discrimination and neglect, unfair and illegitimate response to civic engagements, cyber security/threats, psychological and emotional harm, substance abuse and physical assault. Discrimination and neglect which are often high risks for students with disabilities and international students.
The safeguarding policy sensitization meeting in Jinja Campus brought together students and staff in a meaningful dialogue on safeguarding issues affecting learning.
The event was graced by Dr. Rodney Rugyema, from the Dean of Students Office, who emphasized the University’s commitment to the well-being of all its members. In his remarks, he highlighted the importance of safeguarding policies in preventing abuse, harassment, exploitation, and other forms of misconduct within the Jinja Campus community.
“Safeguarding is not a one-time action, but a continuous culture of care and accountability. We all have a role to play in ensuring a safe and respectful space for learning and growth,” Dr Rugyema, said.
The sensitization session covered key topics including; recognizing signs of abuse, understanding reporting procedures on the MakSafeSpace and fostering mutual respect among peers.
Participants were encouraged to actively engage and reflect on their roles in upholding safety standards both on and off campus.
Students who attended the sensitization welcomed the initiative, with many expressing optimism that the policy would improve campus safety and encourage victims to come forward without fear of retaliation.
“We have seen issues go unreported in the past because students didn’t know where to turn. This policy provides clarity and assurance that the university is taking these matters seriously,” noted, a third-year student.
The University plans to conduct a series of sensitization workshops and distribute printed copies of the policy to ensure that every member of the campus community is well-informed. This initiative is part of Makerere University‘s broader strategy to reinforce its values of integrity, respect, and protection for all.
The Safeguarding Sensitization Meeting concluded with a collective pledge to uphold safety, dignity, and mutual respect within the University community.
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