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Press Release: Mak’s Hult Prize 2019-2020 Innovations Challenge a Unique Success

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Over 120 great minds from Makerere University, the epitome of innovation answered the Hult Prize United Nations call to action. They contrived planet-friendly business solutions apropos of the theme: Bold businesses that have a positive impact on the environment with every dollar earned. For a summary, the showcased ideas are categorized into four:

i)                   Removing a step from the supply chain.

ii)                 Creating a radically new product or service to replace an existing one.

iii)               Orders-of-Magnitude Reductions in Resource Consumption.

iv)                Using nature’s own principles to redesign existing goods and services.

Hult Prize Judges listen to a presentation in Pitch Room 1, CTF 2, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda

Due to the high number of innovations, 3 venues were put to use, all at the Makerere University Central Teaching Facility 2 (CTF 2). “The Hult Prize is how students become agents of change. We take them out of the classroom to solve problems in our society,” said Silver Walugembe the Director-Hult Prize Makerere University.

A competitor pitches his idea in Pitch Room 2, CTF 2, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda

Each Idea was pitched in 6 minutes, with 4 minutes for judges to ask questions about the same. High levels of intellect were exhibited throughout the competition.

The winning team VepoxFilter presented a portable water filtration device, which uses natural and environmentally sustainable materials such as bamboo activated carbon, sand, and moringa oleifera seeds (all available in the tropics) to purify water for households to the World Health Organization (WHO) standards for safe drinking water. The VepoX filter is not energy-intensive and water filtered through it doesn't require any extra treatment at all, like disinfection since all the disease-causing organisms are completely eliminated and chemicals reduced to the required WHO standards. It is environmentally friendly with zero carbon emissions during its entire lifetime by the end-user.

The event was organized the Hult Prize-Makerere Directorate in collaboration with the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MoSTI), The Guild Ministry of ICT and Research, Marula Creative Consultancy, Legal Innovation Hub and Katende, Ssempebwa and Company Advocates.  

The Honorable Minister, MoSTI, Dr. Elioda Tumwesigye was represented at the event by Mr. Mugisha Patrick, Assistant Commissioner in charge of Innovations and Intellectual Property Management, MoSTI. ​ "The ministry will further ensure the growth of all competitors' ideas through a workshop that will be scheduled for January 2020 to highlight new avenues of collaboration between Government and innovators."​

Special thanks to the core organizing committee that made it happen:  Silver Walugembe-Campus Director, Kidega Moses-General Secretary, Angel Nagaba-Head of Publicity, Flavia Kiyayi-Innovator Experience Supervisor, Matte Derrick-Innovator Experience Supervisor, Lucky Ahimbisibwe-Head of Protocol, Micah Muhangi-Teams Registrar, Abdul Twaib Magambo-Mentors’ Coordinator and finally Hon. Kiggundu Rodney-85th guild Minister for ICT and Research who helped foster collaboration between the Hult Prize and the Guild Government.

Hult Prize Judges take notes during the Final Round of Pitches on 9th December 2019 in the Auditorium, CTF 2, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.

​The Legal Innovation Hub and Katende, Ssempebwa and Company Advocates initiated a two-year period of pro bono services for VepoxFilter. “We shall save VepoxFilter over US$ 280 in pro bono services,” said Counsel Edwin from Legal Innovation Hub.

​"The Guild Ministry of ICT and Research will continue to support student innovations with all their means" added Hon. Kiggundu Rodney. ​

Youth are the engine of the world. Responsibility and sacrifice is what fuels that engine​.

A CHALLENGE FOR US BY US.

For further details please contact

Silver Walugembe,
Hult Prize campus Director Makerere University,
Erstwhile Legislator- Students' Guild Council,
Makerere University,
Email: walsil.sw[at]gmail.com

 

Mark Wamai

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Special Exam Results -Diploma in Performing Arts 2025/26

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The results for the 2025/2026 special entry examination for the Diploma in Performing Arts held on Saturday 17th May, 2025. Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the Examination and have been recommended to the university’s Admissions Committee for consideration.

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Mature Age Scheme Exam Results for 2025/2026

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The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released full results for the Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations for the Academic Year 2025/2026 held on Saturday 14th December, 2024.

The Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the examination and have been recommended by the Pre-Entry & Mature Age Committee to the University’s Admissions Board for Consideration.

The Aptitude Exam  Results for 2025/2026 Academic Year released in February 2025 can be found here.

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Call for Application: 2025 SNRM session 4 Summer School

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Participants in focused group discussions. Leiden-Delft-Erasmus East Africa Research Network (LEARN) in collaboration with the Urban Action Lab at Makerere University a workshop to deliberate strategies for mitigating the impacts of climate change in urban centres in the East African Region, Theme: “Resilient Urban Futures: Adapting Livelihoods to Climate Change”, 4th-5th September 2024, School of Public Health Auditorium, Kampala Uganda.

Context:
Natural resources in Africa are being depleted at an alarming rate due to several factors, including unsustainable human activities, climate change, and population growth. A primary condition of sustainable development is to ensure that the pressures do not exceed the environmental limits, and that demand for the resources does not exceed levels that can be sustainably provided by nature. Therefore, there is a pressing need for transformative, systems-thinking approaches and tools that can tackle the diverse challenges facing these systems. In Africa, this need is compounded by a lack of data and monitoring, which significantly hinders sustainable decision-making.

Investing in young scientists who are committed to take lead in sustainable management of Africa’s natural resources is very important. Capacity building of young scientists will enhance their knowledge and skill on sustainable natural resources and their involvement for implementation of the sustainable development goals (SDG’s) in Africa. To this effect, SNRM summer schools have been implemented in three sessions in 2019, 2020, and 2022 with support from Volkswagen Foundation; to build a critical mass of skilled and competent young natural resource scientists in Africa through training, capacity building and mentorship. Session 4 (2025) will target competent young scientists (MSc and PhD students) in Africa and Germany to further develop their knowledge and skills in systems thinking, advanced data collection and analysis, and application of emerging digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), internet of things (IoT), and embracing transdisciplinary approaches. In addition, we include an ideation workshop where students can work on real problems to come up with solutions for sustainable transformations in natural resource use.

Organizers: Leibniz Universität – Hannover (Germany), University of Antananarivo, University of Abomey Calavi (Benin), Makerere University (Uganda), University of Ghana (Ghana), University of Parakou (Benin), The Technical University of Kenya, with financial support from the Volkswagen Foundation (Germany).

Venue and dates: Nairobi, Kenya, 16-28 November 2025

Target: MSc and PhD students, early in the program of less than 35 years of age from any university/research institution in either sub-Saharan Africa or Germany with an interest in natural resources management.

Participants and Scholarships: The course is fully funded and open to 20 MSc and PhD students from Africa, and 5 from Germany. Funding will cover the costs of air ticket, accommodation, meals, visa, and transportation. However, participants will cover the cost of their travel health insurance.

Topics

SNRM Summer School Session 4: Transformative pathways in biodiversity management and conservation.
This summer school is designed to deliver four modules over a two-week period. The modules are designed to enable the students to acquire new ways of designing data collection protocols and analysis for transformative sustainable natural resources management.

Module 4.1: Data collection I
Skills in data collection for a transformative and sustainable management of natural resources (water, wildlife, forest, land, livestock, crops) monitoring and data collection techniques; remote monitoring tools, earth observation system data, e.g. satellite data sources, LIDAR, and UAV aerial images. Collect and analyse In-situ data on biotic and abiotic parameters, map and analyse data using R or Google Earth Engine, field data collection and retrieving data from online databases.

Module 4.2 Data management and processing
Introduction to tools and methods of managing large and diverse data sets of natural resources such as time series, spatial, directional, and multivariate data. Practicals will include data storage, organization and conversion into various formats using databases such as PostgreSQL and statistical programming software such as R and Python; scripts.

Module 4.3 Ecological monitoring, modelling and management
This module aims to teach participants how to anticipate and validate trends that can be observed in various ecosystems. Lectures include ecological monitoring and its design; population monitoring studies; metrics in population monitoring; methods for monitoring and assessing marine ecosystems; human ecology to socio-ecological systems; climate change impact of ecosystems; suitability assessments; overview of the principles underlying wildlife monitoring and prediction systems for climate change adaptation. Practicals will include field data collection (individual and group); ecological data analysis using R or PAST; modelling and experiencing the behaviour of complex systems using Vensim.

Module 4.4 Natural habitat restoration ideation lab
This module is designed to spur students’ innovation and creativity, and to help students comprehensively identify interdependencies across the 17 SDG goals. Participants will be trained on ideation processes for solutions and intervention for transformative natural resource management. They will work collaboratively in small groups on case studies and develop pathways of transformative sustainable natural resource management. Examples of projects include forest (mangrove) ecosystem and habitat restoration, improved technologies for agricultural production, nature-based solutions for improving water quality, and reversing land degradation.

Language: The course will be delivered in English. Participants are expected to be fluent in writing and speaking the English language.

How to apply

Applicants are kindly requested to fill in the application form available from https://snrmafrica.com/ and submit the following documents in English through the system.

  • a curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages)
  • a letter of motivation (maximum 1 page)
  • a confirmation of university enrolment
  • a reference letter from the academic supervisor
  • project summary of MSc/ PhD project (1 page including objectives, methodology
    and key findings or expected outcomes).

Important dates
Application deadline: 30th June 2025.
Announcement of accepted applicants: 15th August 2025.
Confirmation of attendance by selected participants: 12th Sept 2025.
Summer school held: 16 – 28 Nov 2025.

Further information is available from

The secretariat info@snrmafrica.com
Dr Lydia Olaka lydiaolaka@tukenya.ac.ke
Prof. Dr. Hartmut Stuetzel stuetzel@gem.uni-hannover.de

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