General
Mak PhD Forum to Spur Completion Rates
World over, the role of a university has been expanding from teaching to research, innovation and outreach activities owing to the need for the contribution of Universities towards national and global development agenda. In Uganda, university graduate students have played a significant role in generating research outputs to drive national development. Despite the high enrolment of graduate students at Makerere University, completion rates have remained unsatisfactory.
Unlike the undergraduates, the graduate students seemed to receive less attention in terms of activity financing and supervision. This leaves the graduate students to face a lonely, more challenging and longtime and frustrating study journey.
The Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) in conjunction with the PhD Forum at Makerere University (PF@MAK) together with the Association of Ugandan-German Alumni (AUGA), with support from the DAAD Regional Office for Africa has organized a 2-day workshop on “Enhancing graduate completion rates and relevant research output at Makerere University. The first workshop had over 50 Ph.D. students participating.
The workshop is running from Thursday 5th to Friday 6th March 2020 at the Senate Conference Hall. This workshop is targeting current graduate scholars. The workshop is designed to contribute to capacity building of graduate students and create enhanced completion rates through sharing the knowledge and skills; create capacity to provide peer support to graduates students; create network and collaboration of researchers for peer support, and cultivate the culture of supervision and mentorship in research development and dissemination.
At the opening ceremony, the Director of Research and Graduate Training Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza decried the low completion rates despite the increasing doctoral enrollment. Prof. Buyinza reiterated that the situation has been compounded by the low motivation of staff, limited research facilities, and students based self-help projects.
These workshops will enable the PhD students to reflect on their PhD journey, learn from their peers, and engage with the supervisors and programme administrators. It is expected that upon completion of the workshops, DRGT shall be in position to map out the enablers/drivers of fast completion and the limiting factors as we strive to improve the Doctoral training landscape at Makerere.
About AUGA
There are about 1,400 DAAD Alumni in Uganda who were funded either in Germany or the Africa region who today successfully serve in the academic, business and political spheres. Many of them are ideal contacts for anyone interested in pursuing higher education studies or research in Germany. The Alumni have joined together to form the “Association of Ugandan-German Alumni” (AUGA).
About PF@MAk
The PhD scholars at Makerere University have a forum that brings together PhD fellows to actively provide each other with mutual academic support, producing timely high-quality research through networking, peer-reviewing, sharing funding opportunities and timely study completion. There are currently about 400 PhD students
Business & Management
PIM Centre Holds 9th Steering Committee Meeting, Set to Benefit from World Bank Support
The Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence at Makerere University today, October 10th, 2025, held its 9th Steering Committee Meeting to review progress made in the first quarter of the financial year and plan for the months ahead.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Getrude Basiima, who represented Mr. Hannington Ashaba, Director Budget at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED). Ms. Basiima commended the Centre for its continued commitment to strengthening public investment management capacity across government institutions.
In her remarks, Ms. Basiima applauded the Centre for successfully hosting the Public Investment Management Conference held in August at Makerere University. The conference attracted key policymakers, development partners, and academics who deliberated on how to enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and impact of public investments in Uganda.
She further shared exciting news that the Government of Uganda has secured funding from the World Bank to support the public investment management function. The PIM Centre, she announced, will be among the key beneficiaries of these funds — receiving support for the construction and acquisition of a permanent home to enhance its institutional sustainability and training capacity.
Reviewing the Centre’s quarterly performance, Ms. Basiima congratulated the team for successfully conducting three specialized trainings in the first quarter, reaching officials from various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. These trainings continue to strengthen the technical competencies required for effective project preparation, appraisal, and implementation in line with Uganda’s National Development Plan.
She encouraged the Centre to integrate climate change considerations into its future training programmes, noting that sustainable public investment must now account for environmental resilience and climate adaptation.
The centre team presented the proposed structure/ organogram, the financial performance of 2024/2025, research areas for 2025/2026 and the strategic plan for 2025 – 2030.
The Steering Committee reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the PIM Centre’s vision of becoming a regional leader in building capacity for efficient, transparent, and sustainable public investment management.
A significant development unfolded at Makerere University during a strategic, hour-long meeting in the vice chancellor’s boardroom on 7th October 2025, marking a deepening bond with the University of Groningen in the Netherlands. The primary goal was to move beyond existing collaborations and formalize a new Double Doctorate (PhD) program. Prof. Sarah Saali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, set the tone by emphasizing that institutional partnerships are crucial to Makerere University, which she proudly called the leading research and most collaborative university in the world.
The discussion promptly formed the core structure of the program: a four-year PhD (or three if the master’s was research-based), with supervision duties split 50-50% between the two institutions. A key feature is the mobility requirement, stipulating that PhD candidates would spend a total of six months in the Netherlands, potentially divided into two three-month periods. Crucially, the University of Groningen confirmed there would be no teaching requirement during this stay, allowing students full access to focus on their research. A major financial hurdle was overcome with the adoption of a fee-waiver policy; Makerere would waive tuition for incoming Groningen candidates, and Groningen would reciprocate for Makerere‘s students, significantly boosting the program’s financial viability.
However, the critical issue of the stipend remained. Dr. Anita Veltmaat explained that to meet the required living standard of approximately €1,875 per month in Groningen, the incoming candidate must secure a partial external scholarship of around €250 per month. The positive news is that if the candidate secures this minimum scholarship, the University of Groningen is prepared to top up the amount to the full living standard for the six months the student spends in the Netherlands. It was noted that this initial financial hurdle might be simplified for Makerere students, as many are already staff members receiving a salary, which could help cover the required €250.
The path forward was clear: it was to complete the agreement template guided by the setup committee from both institutions. The plan culminated in scheduling an online follow-up meeting for Tuesday, November 11th, to review the first revision of the agreement, capping a highly constructive discussion that solidified the two universities’ shared future in graduate education.
Makerere University was represented by Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics Affairs; Dr. Ruth Nsibirano, Head of the Department of Gender Studies; Dr. Patricia Ndugga, School of Statistics; Dr. Stella Achen and Dr. Joseph Watuleke, School of Distance and Lifelong Learning; Agatha Ainemukama, School of Engineering; Racheal Nuwagaba, School of Psychology; Awel Uwihanganye, Martine Rugamba, and Hawa Ndagire from the Advancement Office; and Muhammad Kiggundu from the Institute of Gender and Development Studies.
The University of Groningen was represented by Dr. Dinie Bouwman, Senior Policy Advisor, Internationalization and Quality Assurance; Dr. Anita Veltmaat, Faculty of Social Behavior and Social Sciences, Department of International Studies, involved in mentorship programs for women; and Dr. Alette Arendshorst, Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, working on graduation/collaboration for students/staff.
-
General2 weeks agoADVERT: Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations – 2026/2027
-
General2 weeks agoDFCU Bank Uganda Supports the Mastercard Foundation Scholars’ Giveback Initiatives
-
General7 days agoVice Chancellor Updates Media on DVC AA Appointment, Acquisitions, Research & Various Issues
-
Computing & IS1 week agoICT Bootcamp for Vacists (P7, S4 & S6), Students & Professionals
-
General6 days agoStrengthening Collaboration between Makerere University and the University of Groningen