On April 20, 2022, the Phd Fellows at Makerere University also known as Pf@Mak held a meeting at Senate Building where the outgoing executive members handed over to a new executive.

The purpose of this Fellowship is to cultivate and promote an enriching environment for conducting Doctoral Research that is of both academic and applied nature for Makerere University and the entire globe. Enshrined in the Pf@Mak Constitution, the forum’s mission is:

To bring 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.

The Pf@Mak has 500 registered students from the 10 Mak Colleges and Makerere University Business School (MUBS). The Fellowship Executive is comprised of a President, Vice President, General Secretary, Speaker, Finance Secretary, 11 College Representatives including MUBS, 3 Members of Academic Affairs Committee and 3 Members of Welfare Affairs Committee. The Pf@Mak objectives are to:

• Establish fora for the members to provide academic peer support at University,
• College/School and Departmental levels,
• To cultivate long term relationships that are vital for continued multidisciplinary research and academic work,
• Represent the opinions of the student body to the appropriate authorities,
• Assist one another to identify potential funders/research grants,
• Serve as an avenue/platform through which PhD fellows can network (academically and socially), share ideas, engage in collaborative research/ and access relevant information.

The Fellowship’s Patron and Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza said that the University acknowledges and appreciates this Forum as a springboard for Peer Learning where students take stock of shared challenges and benchmark amongst themselves best practices. He promised to continue engaging University Top Management to support PhD students with a Common Room for PhD Colloquium and provide orientation to new students. He thanked the outgoing executive for the many achievements despite the COVID-19 pandemic. He wished the incoming executive the best of success in their tenure.

The outgoing Pf@Mak Speaker Mr Nathan Tumuhamye thanked his colleagues for providing extra effort in advancing the Fellowship’s objectives and urged the incoming executive to leverage on the goodwill of University Management to ensure PhD Students learning landscape is enhanced.

The incoming Pf@Mak President Mr. Gerald Zihembire Ahabwe, a PhD Fellow in the Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences, on behalf of the Executive Committee promised to build on previous successes to work tirelessly towards a vibrant PhD Community at Makerere University in line with the University’s strategic direction of being a research-led institution. He promised to constructively engage Management and other stakeholders within Academia, Government and Industry for a turn-around in the way PhD students are organized and supported in their doctoral journeys for the socio-economic transformation of their communities.

The meeting ended with the outgoing executive members receiving certificates of appreciation from Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza for their efforts in steering the Fellowship .

The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-DVCAA, Prof. Umar Kakumba, has this afternoon presented trophies to the Guild Electoral Commission (EC) 2021 and the 86^th Guild Speaker, in recognition of their contribution and efforts that delivered a Petition-Free Election.

In her remarks, the Dean of Students, Mrs. Winifred Kabumbuli thanked the DVCAA for accepting to present trophies to the outgoing Guild Electoral Commission 2021, for their outstanding performance, the first of its kind in a long time at Makerere. She noted that the team’s efforts were exemplary to the University community, most especially the students. She emphasized how proud she was of the team’s performance and noted that the brief ceremony was in fulfillment of the DVCAA’s recommendation that outstanding performance should be acknowledged and appreciated. Members of the team that received trophies included;

1. Mr. William Kananga, Chairperson
2. Ms. Angel Kampi, 86^th Guild Speaker
3. Ms. Tracy Kirabo, Vice Chairperson
4. Mr. Martin Wambona, Commissioner for Finance
5. Mr. Saad Ddumba, Public Relations Officer

The DVCAA in response thanked the Dean of Students for her passion and vigour towards nurturing and instilling a great sense of responsibility amongst the young leaders. He noted that managing student affairs is never easy, especially since the students emerge from different backgrounds. He observed that the University is a point of congregation for students from all walks of life originating from close to a thousand secondary schools across the entire country. This congregation, he noted, is characterised by varying behaviour, cultural orientation and aspirations.

Prof. Kakumba therefore applauded the outgoing Guild Electoral Commission 2021 and the 86^th Guild Speaker for exemplifying good leadership. He paid tribute to the tem for their focus and pointed out that leadership is about thoughtful decisions and that any leader should never suffer from indecision. He stated that every decision whether good or bad is a learning experience.

Echoing the Dean of Students, the DVCAA further applauded the team for being exemplary. He informed them that the University Council had infact commended the Students’ Affairs Committee headed by Dr. Hellen N. Nkabala and the student leadership for effectively and successfully managing the student guild electoral process. Prof. Kakumba concluded that together, the Dean of Students, Students’ Affairs Committee and the Guild Electoral Commission 2021 had indeed left an indelible mark. He therefore commended the Dean of Students organising the award ceremony despite several competing interests.

In his acceptance speech, the Chairperson, Mr. William Kananga thanked the DVCAA and the Dean of Students for appreciating their efforts. He noted that the team neither had any clashes nor intrigue during the guild electoral process. He said that his team followed the law and guidelines, received a lot of goodwill to deliver a successful election.

He was also happy to inform the DVCAA and the Dean of Students that the entire team of the Guild Electoral Commission 2021 and the 86^th Guild Speaker would be graduating this May, which was a rarity with student leaders.

The DVCAA congratulated the team upon achieving such matching their exemplary leadership with good academic performance. 

Written by: Doreen Tazwaire, Personal Assistant, Office of the DVCAA

The Grants Administration and Management Support Unit (GAMSU) invites you to complete a Grant Administration and Management Needs Assessment for faculty and other staff survey form.

GAMSU was established by Makerere University Grants Administration and Management Policy of 2020, to streamline the administration and management of grants and contracts within the various units of the University as well provide a supportive eco-system for grants preparation, mobilization and management. This will contribute to the University’s vision and repositioning as a research-led institution to deliver a highly productive workforce and research to address humanity’s challenges and being aligned to National development plans. 

GAMSU has organize a Survey to establish the Capacity Needs of faculty and other staff in the respective Colleges, Schools, Departments and Units within the University to inform and guide the grants administration and management support activities.

This is to therefore to invite you to complete this Needs Assessment Survey Form in the link provided bellow.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScS-EdUg3_sTJ_A9jXfhozXwB26G97wzmAH8Ij_7X3ltD0EXQ/viewform?usp=pp_url

Your views are invaluable to this survey evaluation, to plan appropriately in order to address capacity need and gaps within Makerere University.

Please note the following:

· All responses are confidential and will be only be used for the said purpose above.

·If you have any questions about this survey, difficulties in completing the survey or technical problems please contact GAMSU secretariat via Email: gamsu@mak.ac.ug. Tel no. +256- 414673855 Or visit the GAMSU Office at Makerere University, Quarry House No.70.

Here is the link to the survey form

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScS-EdUg3_sTJ_A9jXfhozXwB26G97wzmAH8Ij_7X3ltD0EXQ/viewform?usp=pp_url

“YOUR VIEWS COUNT”