_{By Moses Lutaaya}

KAMPALA, April 17, 2026 — The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) at Makerere University has taken a decisive step toward strengthening graduate training and accountability following a comprehensive hands-on Research Information Management System (RIMS) training by a team from the Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) and Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS)  held yesterday, April 16, in the CHUSS Smart Room.

Opening the session, the Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, underscored CHUSS’s central role in producing graduate students and contributing to Uganda’s development agenda. He cautioned that the college’s leading position could easily be overtaken if vigilance wanes.

“I’m glad we are back here to focus on something that can propel CHUSS to its rightful position,” Prof. Kikooma said. “Your contribution to graduate student production is highly envied across the university, but if you sleep even briefly, that position can be taken.”

He emphasized that beyond competition, the real goal is national transformation. According to Prof. Kikooma, increased graduate output directly supports Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV), which prioritizes building relevant human capital.

“More than ever before, the country needs human resources from the humanities and social sciences,” he noted.

Prof. Kikooma explained that the RIMS platform builds on CHUSS’ pioneering cohort-based PhD model by introducing a digital solution to track student progress, enhance supervision, and improve completion rates. The system, developed in collaboration with the Directorate for ICT Support, allows both supervisors and students to log and monitor academic activities in real time.

“This is not optional,” he stressed. “By the end of this month, we must report on who is using the system. It is a strategic priority of the University Council.”

Welcoming participants, the Deputy Principal of CHUSS, Assoc. Prof. Eric Awich Ochen, described the training as timely and necessary in a rapidly digitizing academic environment.

“Makerere today is very different from the Makerere of 15 or 20 years ago,” he said. “We are moving from an analogue past to a digital future.”

He noted that while the college has improved its graduate output in recent years, gaps in tracking student progress remain a concern.

“We celebrate the numbers we graduate, but we may still have many students in the pipeline whom we cannot fully account for,” he said. “This system will help us track supervision and improve accountability.”

The training drew participation from the CHUSS Principal and Deputy Principal, senior lecturers, lecturers, and registrars from the School of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, School of Liberal and Performing Arts, and the School of Languages, Literature and Communication.

In an interview after the session, Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo offered a more reflective perspective, welcoming RIMS as a timely innovation while highlighting key realities in graduate training.

“I think RIMS is a good idea with strong potential,” he said, noting that the system could help address long-standing supervision gaps by ensuring that interactions between students and supervisors are tracked and visible.

However, he pointed out that delays in graduate completion are not solely the fault of supervisors. According to him, student-related factors—particularly lack of consistency and self-discipline during the research phase—play a significant role.

“At the coursework level, students are guided by timetables and structured assessments, which keeps them active,” he explained. “But once they transition to research, much depends on their own discipline. Some students simply become unresponsive.”

Dr. Ssentongo observed that RIMS could help counter this by introducing a level of accountability on both sides. If properly used, the platform would enable students to track feedback from supervisors while also making it clear when they themselves have delayed progress.

He also noted that the system’s monitoring aspect could encourage improved completion rates, as both supervisors and students become more conscious of timelines and expectations.

At the same time, he cautioned that implementation would be key. He explained that while systems that enhance accountability are beneficial, they must be introduced in a way that supports rather than intimidates users.

“There is an element of monitoring, which is good,” he said, “but it should be balanced so that it does not create an environment where people feel over-policed.”

Dr. Ssentongo further emphasized that RIMS should be seen as part of a broader strategy to strengthen research culture at the university. Beyond improving completion rates, he said, there is need to encourage publication, collaboration between students and supervisors, and greater visibility of research outputs.

“If it is implemented well and supported by other initiatives, it can contribute not just to completion, but also to improving research productivity and impact,” he added.

The RIMS training marks a significant step in Makerere University’s efforts to modernize graduate education, improve accountability, and align academic output with national development priorities.

The Academic Registrar, Makerere University invites applications from Ugandan, East African, and international applicants for the undergraduate programmes under the private sponsorship scheme for the 2026/2027 Academic Year for ‘A’ Level Leavers Only.

Each applicant should:

Have the Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) with at least five (5) passes, or its equivalent and at least two (2) principal passes at Uganda Advanced Certificate of Education (UACE) obtained at the same sitting. For day programmes only candidates who sat A’ Level in 2025, 2024 and 2023 are eligible to apply. For evening, afternoon, and external programmes, a candidate is not restricted on the year of sitting A’ Level. Detailed information on the weighting system can be accessed by following this link.

Other relevant information can be obtained from UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS OFFICE, LEVEL 3, SENATE BUILDING OR CAN BE found on the University Website https://www.mak.ac.ug. Effective Monday 20^th April 2026. 

A non-refundable application fee of shs.50,000/= for Ugandans, East African and S. Sudan applicants or $75 or equivalent for internationals  plus bank charges should be paid in any of the banks used by Uganda Revenue Authority.                                           

 Candidates who hold grades X, Y, Z, 7 and 9 of ‘O’Level results should not apply because they are not eligible for admission. Below are the availble courses including respective fees structure.

How to submit your application                                            

1. Applicants should access the Institution’s Admissions URL https://apply.mak.ac.ug/
2. Sign up by clicking on the REGISTER NOW. Use your full name, e-mail and Mobile No.  Please note that your name must be similar to the one on your supporting academic documents for your application to be considered valid.
3. A password will be sent to you on your mobile phone and email.                                      
4. The system will prompt you to change the password to the one you can easily remember.
5. To fill an application form, click on the APPLY NOW button displayed on the appropriate running scheme.                                              
6. Obtain a payment reference number by clicking on “Pay for Form” Button
7. Make a payment at any of the banks used by Uganda Revenue Authority                                            

MOBILE MONEY PAYMENT STEPS:                                                 

1. Dial *272*6# on either MTN or Airtel                                                             
2. Select option 3-Admission                                                     
3. Select option 3-Pay Fees
4. Enter reference number obtained from Application portal 
5. Details of Application form will be confirmed                                                              
6. Enter PIN to confirm payment                                                            

The closing date for receiving applications shall be Friday 22^nd May 2026.

WARNING:                                                             

1. Applicants are strongly warned against presenting forged or other people’s academic documents to support their applications for admission.  The consequences, if discovered, are very grave indeed.
2. Do not buy any other documents not originating from the Academic Registrar’s Office.  Those who buy them do so at their own risk. 
3. The Academic Registrar has not appointed any agent to act on his behalf to solicit for additional funds other than the application fee stated above.    
4. Applicants are advised to use the right programme names and codes. the university will not be responsible for any wrong information entered in the system by applicants.                                               

Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi
ACADEMIC REGISTRAR

_{By Moses Lutaaya}

The College of Health Sciences (CHS) at Makerere University has taken a significant step toward strengthening graduate training and research oversight following a hands-on training in the Research Information Management System (RIMS) held on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at the CHS premises.

The training brought together over 25 Heads of Departments and College Registrars from the School of Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, School of Health Sciences, School of Dentistry, and School of Public Health, in a strategic push to digitize and streamline graduate supervision.

Leading the CHS team, Associate Professor Annettee Olivia Nakimuli, Dean of the School of Medicine, described RIMS as a transformative tool that will redefine how graduate students are tracked and supported.

“RIMS is definitely the way to go. It will help us track students in real time,” she said. “We have struggled to know how well students are progressing, and sometimes we are not even sure who needs help along the way.”

Prof. Nakimuli emphasized that the system will enhance accountability on both sides of the supervision divide.

“It will facilitate supervision for both the supervisor and the student. Supervisors will be more accountable, but students too will be more accountable. At any one time, we shall know exactly what is happening between student-supervisor pairs.”

Addressing concerns about possible resistance or tension arising from increased transparency, she noted that RIMS would instead clarify longstanding challenges affecting completion rates.

“Completion challenges are multifactorial—sometimes it is the supervisor, sometimes the student, and sometimes both. This system will make it clear where the problem is so it can be addressed,” she explained, adding that mindset change—not technical ability—remains the biggest hurdle for some staff transitioning from analog systems.

She further aligned RIMS with Makerere University’s broader agenda of becoming a research-led, graduate-focused institution.

“This is how we begin to walk the talk of being a graduate training university,” she added.

Representing the Director of Graduate Training, Mr. Nestor Mugabe underscored that RIMS is part of a larger, evolving digital ecosystem aimed at strengthening research management across the university.

“RIMS is a comprehensive system that captures the entire research process, but today we are focusing on the e-supervision component,” he said.

He noted that the system has been rolled out progressively across colleges, with CHS engagements tailored to accommodate the demanding schedules of health professionals.

“A student cannot progress if their supervisor is not on the system. That is why we are bringing everyone on board—supervisors, administrators, and students—so that the system works seamlessly,” Mugabe emphasized.

To ensure sustainability, he revealed that dedicated technical personnel have been deployed to provide on-site support.

“We now have resident technical staff who can support you directly in your offices, ensuring that no one is left behind in this transition.”

From a technical standpoint, Arthur Moses Opio of the Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS) highlighted RIMS as a critical pillar in Makerere’s digital transformation journey.

“This system is about bridging the gap between supervisors and students,” he said. “It logs activities, tracks feedback, and ensures that no academic guidance is lost or disputed.”

He explained that RIMS allows students to upload research milestones—from concept notes to final theses—while enabling supervisors and examiners to engage within a transparent, traceable system.

“Before, a student could get lost in the process. Now, every comment, every revision, every step is recorded. It brings clarity and accountability.”

Opio also noted that RIMS is integrated with key university systems, including the Human Resource Management System and the Academic Management Information System (ACMIS), ensuring data consistency and institutional oversight.

CHS College Registrar Mr. Herbert Batamye welcomed the initiative, describing it as a timely intervention in addressing inefficiencies in graduate supervision.

“RIMS is going to be a wonderful addition to our academic processes. It will accelerate supervision and improve efficiency if fully adopted,” he said.

He observed that the system had already received strong buy-in from participants.

“We brought together over 25 Heads of Departments and registrars, and the response has been very positive. Staff appreciate its potential.”

Mr. Batamye pointed out that one of the key strengths of RIMS is its ability to synchronize multiple supervisors on a single student’s progress.

“If a candidate has several supervisors, each will clearly see what the other is doing. It ensures that everyone is accountable and that delays are minimized.”

As Makerere University continues to digitize its academic and research processes, the CHS RIMS training signals a growing institutional commitment to improving graduate completion rates, enhancing supervision quality, and positioning research at the heart of its mission.