Environment for Development Initiative (EfD-Mak) Centre Uganda has acquired an assortment of IT equipment worth over $20,000 funded by the project funds from Sida.
The acquired equipment includes a video conferencing facility, 65” screen, camera and other accessories including a 30-seater conference table and 20 chairs. The centre procured six laptop computers for the core administrative staff, a four-seater workstation, projector, printer, scanner and photocopier as well as a water dispenser, file cabinets, still photo camera and a recorder.
The equipment was handed over to the centre by the Principal, Makerere University College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) Prof. Eria Hisali on behalf of the university management on 24th August, 2020.
Prof. Hisali thanked the Centre Director for inviting him to the EfD-Mak Office Premises. The centre was allocated space on the fifth floor of the University Centralized Teaching Facility Two (CTF 2).
“It is true that I have been one of the people following the activities of the centre quite closely and I want to say that, on behalf of the university and college management, we most sincerely appreciate all initiatives like this one.
This are very important for the visibility of the university first and foremost, but also for purposes of capacity building for the university staff through research that is being undertaken through participating in different networks” Prof. Hisali remarked.
The Principal expressed the college and university’s commitment to continue supporting this initiative and to create a good environment that enables the centre to grow an even into a bigger self-sustaining entity.
“These are important contributions to not only the development of our country but to the continent and indeed the world as a whole. My purpose of coming was to not only see the equipment but also thank and encourage you to continue working harder” , The Principal appreciated.
Prof. Hisali however noted that the centre’s limited office space and advised the leadership to look at the possibility of having the video conferencing facility allocated its own home.
“I think the immediate thing is for you to consult the Estates and Works department because ordinarily, this video conferencing facility can be used by quite a number of people and the space here will limit the value we can get from accommodating a bigger number of participants”, the Principal advised.
The Centre Director Prof. Edward Bbaale thanked the EfD Secretariat and Sida for the financial support.
“Having this video conferencing facility is very much welcome and we thank EfD and Sida for the grant that led to the procurement.
We have now a fully furnished video conferencing facility that is going to help us in exchanging ideas locally and interacting with other researchers globally via zoom and other modern communication channels. This is very great to us as a young centre”, Prof. Bbaale expressed.
R-L: EfD-Mak Centre Director-Prof. Edward Bbaale, Research Fellow-Nick Kilimani and Data Manager-Fred Kasalirwe, during the 24th August 2020 handover ceremony, CTF2, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.
Prof. Bbaale also said, with such a fully furnished centre, researchers were going to enjoy managing huge data sets that require more processing power and computers with the latest software.
He thanked the Principal for the support rendered to the centre and his personal engagement in a number of EfD activities right from the proposal writing stage to date.
“The main reason we have invited you is to account for the equipment and furniture that the centre has acquired given the roles in your docket. This is Council space and you can allocate any user available.” The director explained.
The EfD-Mak is a new Centre at Makerere University established in Hanoi, Vietnam in 2018, under the Environment for Development Initiative (EfD), a global network of environmental economics research centres sponsored by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida)
EfD-Mak started its full operations in the financial year 2019/2020. The centre is headed by Prof. Edward Bbaale, from the School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) as the Director, deputized by Prof. Johnny Mugisha, from the School of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).
Report Compiled by: Jane Anyango, Principal Communication Officer, CAES.
72 undergraduate students of Makerere University have successfully been admitted to the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2026, an initiative of the Millennium Campus Network (MCN) and United Nations Academic Impact. Makerere’s Fellows were selected from a record-breaking 76,000 applicants from over 6,000 campuses across 174 countries to participate in the ambitious programme.
According to the Fellowship website, the programme aims to make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UN Academic Impact Principles a reality on campuses, in classrooms and throughout communities. Millennium Fellows are university undergraduates selected for their leadership on sustainable development projects in their communities. As Fellows, they complete a semester-long leadership development programme that strengthens their student organizing, partnership-building and community-impact skills.
In his congratulatory message to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Sam Vaghar the Executive Director, MCN shared that Over 330 campuses across 60 nations have been selected to host 2026 Millenium Fellows. “Congratulations to you and Makerere University for having a cohort of Millennium Fellows from your student body again this year!”
Below is a sample of the work of the Class of 2026.
At Harvard University, a UN Academic Impact member institution in the United States of America, Millennium Fellows are expanding OpenDoor, an AI-powered platform that helps people navigate retraining, job opportunities and pathways into high-demand careers. The project grew from their work with people experiencing homelessness and from seeing how difficult workforce programmes can be to navigate even when support exists. Advancing SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, it expects to reach about 7,500 people during the Fellowship.
At the University of Ilorin, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Nigeria, Millennium Fellows are building what they describe as Africa’s first green AI policy framework, helping policymakers and developers understand how artificial intelligence can advance while reducing energy use, pollution and material waste. Aligned with SDG 13: Climate Action, it expects to reach about 75 people during the Fellowship.
At BRAC University, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Bangladesh, a Millennium Fellow is advancing SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production through a start-up replacing single-use products with environmentally friendly alternatives. Its current focus is a paper pen that uses roughly 90 per cent less plastic than a conventional pen, with a seed built in so it can grow into a plant when properly disposed of. The project expects to reach about 450 people.
At Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Moldova, a Millennium Fellow is advancing SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by studying how environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity may affect recovery after brain surgery. By bringing simple digital monitoring tools into postoperative care, the project aims to help doctors make timelier decisions.
We wish our Millennium Fellows an impactful fellowship.
The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released admission lists of candidates admitted under the Talented Sports Men & Women, Disability and District Quota Schemes with Government sponsorship 2026/27 Academic Year including appeals and remarked cases.
Other admission lists released include A-Level Applicants with Ugandan and those with Foreign Qualifications, Diploma in Performing Arts, Mature-Age Entry and Bachelor of Education (EXTERNAL Batch 2) for the Academic Year 2026/2027 under self sponsorship.
Makerere University‘s position in the July 2026 edition of the Webometrics Rankings has improved from 925th to 776th globally and from 13th to 11th on the Continent, compared to the January 2026 edition. Makerere remains the top-ranked University in Uganda and East Africa.
The new rankings are as a result of improved performance in the Impact Rank, which measures the number of external domains referring/linking to Makerere (from 1,593 to 1,185) and the Excellence Rank, which measures Research papers in the top 10% most cited between 2019 and 2023 (from 1,095 to 715).
Please see the attached screenshots for details or view Makerere‘s rankings online using the link below:
The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities aims to recognize and promote the digital transformation of higher education institutions by evaluating how effectively they reflect their academic, research, and societal contributions online.
We remain committed to ensuring that all our good work in teaching and learning, research, knowledge transfer, and partnerships continues to be reflected online through various journals and other platforms.