General
Stakeholders meet to establish Mak Forensic Institute
Stakeholders and experts convened at Imperial Golf View Hotel, Entebbe on the 9th to 10th March for a workshop held to finalise curriculum and set-up of the Institute of Forensic Sciences and Medicine at Makerere University. Participants at the meeting were drawn from Makerere University (College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), College of Health Sciences (CHS), Academic Registrar’ Department), Uganda People Defence Forces (UPDF), Uganda Police, Government Analytical Laboratory (GAL), Uganda Law Society and Internal Security Organisation (ISO) and Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA).
The Government of Uganda is working in partnership with the Government of Turkey to establish the Institute. It is envisaged that the Institute will serve as a Centre of Excellence for forensic science and medicine in academics and service in Uganda, East & Central Africa region and beyond. Makerere University is collaborating with Cukurova University, Adana Turkey in this endeavour. Forensic Science is defined as ‘the application of scientific principles and techniques to matters of criminal justice especially as relating to the collection, examination, and analysis of physical evidence’.
The coordinator of the Institute, Assoc. Professor Tumps Ireeta thanked members for honouring the invitation to the workshop. He explained that ‘the idea of setting up the Institute was mooted in 2019 with a directive from H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni arising from the need for an Institute of Forensic Science and Medicine as a joint initiative by the CoNAS and CHS of Makerere University in view of the specialities required’. In 2019, a delegation from Makerere University visited Cukurova University in Turkey to benchmark work accomplished there. He further said ‘government has allocated funds to facilitate the process of developing the curriculum and plans are underway to build a state of the art facility to house the institute with the necessary equipment’.
In his remarks, the Principal – College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) welcomed the participants to the meeting. He said, ‘it is a pleasure to work with all the institutions represented as we recognise the importance of working with all stakeholders for crime prevention and justice’. We recognise the specialities of all members involved and we hope to develop a rich curriculum at the institute from your contributions, he further noted.
Some of the resolutions from the meeting included: fast-tracking development of curriculum and set-up of the Institute of Forensic Sciences at Makerere University which require approval through the University structures; design a framework to guide work at the institute in lieu of the multiple players involved; partnership with other government departments and agencies already handling forensics; the importance of practical skills in the training; finalisation of the curriculum of the programmes and cross-cutting training courses; embedding the laws that support forensics use for justice to provide contextual background for the trainees; short courses and fellowships as tracks for training at the institute among others.
A core team from CoNAS and CHS is now working to finalise the curriculum for the programmes proposed at the workshop. Three training programmes are proposed to start with: Master of Science in Forensic Chemistry & Toxicology; Master of Science in Forensic Biology & Genomics and Master of Science in Forensic Medicine.
In his remarks, Dr John Wasswa – Head of Chemistry Department and Chairperson of Committee working on the development of the Institute thanked members for the deliberations, contributions and guidance provided at the meeting which will guide the work ahead.
In his closing remarks, Assoc. Prof. Ireeta thanked all the participants for the time and contributions given at the workshop. He reiterated that ‘this is work we are doing for the nation thus laying a foundation for forensic sciences in Uganda’. He thanked Prof. William Bazeyo, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor – Finance & Administration for the commitment and negotiating to ensure that Makerere University will host the Institute of Forensic Sciences and Medicine in Uganda.
General
Makerere University and Xiangtan University Advance Strategic Partnership in Chemical Engineering
Makerere University and Xiangtan University are set to update their close to 20-year academic partnership, with a new focus on launching a joint Master’s degree program in Chemical Engineering and expanding student and staff exchange initiatives.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a recent visit by a delegation from Xiangtan University to Makerere University headed by Professor Dingyu Ou, in the company of Mr. Tang Fei and Professor Gilbert Gumshabe, the Chinese and Ugandan Directors of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University respectively.
While addressing the delegation, Professor Nawangwe highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify academic offerings and contribute to national development through training in Chemical Engineering. Through this new initiative, the University will better prepare graduates for the petrochemical industry and support the country’s industrial growth.
The Vice Chancellor appreciated that the proposed collaboration aims to address Uganda’s growing need for industrial expertise, particularly as the country develops its petroleum sector. The two universities here are working toward a 1+2 training model, which will enable Makerere students to gain practical experience and access advanced laboratory facilities at Xiangtan University.
Professor Nawangwe further reiterated that “our relationship with the people of China, not just for Makerere but also for a big part of Uganda, has been opened wider by the establishment of the Confucius Institute, considering that many other collaborations like one being discussed now have come through this collaboration.”
The head of the Xiangtan delegation, Professor Dingyu Ou, expressed appreciation for the meeting, and acknowledged the history between the institutions. “As mentioned, we have a very long relationship and a very stable friendship between our two universities.”
Professor Ou extended appreciation for the support provided to the Confucius Institute at Makerere, the care shown to his colleagues, and looked forward to the successful start of the Chemical Engineering collaboration.
Assuring the delegation of Makerere’s readiness for the collaboration, Ms. Hawa Ndagire Kajumba the Lead, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, Makerere University Advancement Office, aligned with the Vice Chancellor’s emphasis of University goal to have both theory and practice imparted to the students.
She said “the curriculum of the university and Uganda as a whole is moving towards competence-based education training to ensure students are equipped to demonstrate those skills in the actual field, particularly regarding petroleum exploration.”
Ms. Ndagire Kajumba also emphasised a shift in strategy for the partnership office, saying, “we are moving away from just signing MOUs that collect dust, and moving towards those that are more collaborative to benefit our faculty and students, just like this one.”
Professor Gilbert Kumushabe aligned his remarks with those of the Vice Chancellor and Ms. Ndagire Kajumba, and described the method used at Xiangtan University as “actually competence-based teaching.”
Based on his recent visit, Prof. Gumoshabe shared that students in China are divided into groups with dedicated teachers to perform practical, hands-on work beyond the theoretical lecturers. He expressed gladness that the same was being adopted for the Ugandan context.
Both institutions are now working to finalise the specific agreements for the joint degree and exchange programs. Beyond academic training, the collaboration will advance cultural and professional exchange.
-
General2 weeks agoStatement on Concerns Circulating Regarding a Member of Academic Staff
-
General1 week agoTimothy Khabusi: From Barefoot Walks to shaping Uganda’s Eye health Future
-
General2 weeks agoBeyond Map Size: Africa’s Agency Should Not Be Funded by Other People
-
Health1 week agoUganda’s HIV Treatment Gains Bring the Youth Gap into Focus
-
Agriculture & Environment1 week agoMakerere University Welcomes 50 Youth Skilling Program trainees under the Africa Climate Collaborative, Supported by Mastercard Foundation