General
Mind Education, an Enabler of National Development
In 1962, the GDP per capita of South Korea was US$90. Matters weren’t helped by the fact that country had poor soils, no mineral resources to exploit and hostile neighbours. During the winter when the temperatures dropped to -5 degrees centigrade, it was not uncommon for the less fortunate to either starve or freeze to death.
This vicious cycle of poverty continued until the 1960s when President Park worked hard to introduce Mind Education to help change the mindset of the South Korean population. Mind Education programmes were introduced in school curricula and as the mindsets of people changed, the country evolved. Today, South Korea is ranked highly among developed countries with a GDP per capita above US$30,000.
This picture of South Korea’s remarkable transition was painted by Prof. Johan Kim, Chairman of the International Youth Fellowship (IYF) in East Africa. Prof. Kim made his presentation at the virtual Mind Education Workshop for staff of Makerere University hosted by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe on Friday 6th November 2020. The Workshop was organized by the Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), Assoc. Prof. Josephine Ahikire and the Dean, School of Psychology, Assoc. Prof. Grace Milly Kibanja in partnership with IYF.
Welcoming participants to the workshop, Dr. Kibanja shared that the School of Psychology had been collaborating with IYF since 2015. Together, the School and IYF have organised youth conferences both within and outside the university and reached out to prisons to conduct Mind Education.
“In 2019 we piloted the Mind Education Course among second year students of the Bachelor of Industrial and Organisational Psychaology and this is still ongoing. We are planning to conduct an evaluation of the programme soon” added Dr. Kibanja.
Explaining why the School had taken lead in this initiative, the Dean said that since Psychology is the scientific study of the mind and behaviour, as sure as night follows day, training in upright judgment and clear reasoning would inevitably lead to positive behavioural change. “Mind Education is geared towards strengthening our hearts and minds to overcome resistance to change by rising above our unpleasant desires.”
In her remarks, the Principal CHUSS observed that it is important to generate a network of people who will not just complain about problems but seek to create solutions and forge a way forward. “As Principal, I am happy about Mind Education because I think it will go a long way in creating a generation that will take the future in its hands and craft solutions accordingly.”
In this regard, she thanked the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Nawangwe for always being on the lookout for opportunities that can foster the delivery of Makerere University’s mandate. “The mindset change conversation is very important to us as an institution and we need to mainstream it in the programmes that we teach at Makerere.”
Dr. Ahikire pointed out that although people on the African continent face a number of challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic has illustrated that we have the capacity to come up with appropriate solutions. Strengthening this mindset, she noted, would enable us to train a resilient generation.
“I therefore thank the International Youth Fellowship for this very important collaboration with the School of Psychology and Makerere University in general. We welcome you and we embrace the Mind Education Programme as we build for the future.”
Prof. Johan Kim in his presentation noted that the mindset change in South Korea had spawned a generation of optimistic innovators and researchers who helped to turn their national economy around. This evolution meant that the hitherto disadvantaged country had gradually become a leading global exporter of goods whose raw materials they didn’t even produce.
“Today, South Korea is the seventh leading exporter of refined petroleum, a leading exporter of coffee and for a country that doesn’t have iron ore, home to the largest shipbuilding companies in the world” remarked Prof. Kim.
He concluded his presentation with the illustration of Koi’s law. Koi is a Japanese fish whose growth is proportional to the environment it is kept in. In a fish bowl, it grows to from 5 to 8cm, while in a pond it grows from 12 to 25cm. However, when the same fish is placed in a river it grows to a whooping 90 to 120cm. “The environment in which we keep our minds will determine where (how far) we go.”
Prof. Kim reassured that once the youth acquire a strong and positive mindset through Mind Education, the way they look at their country is bound to change. “Through Mind Education, we shall be able to move the mindset of our young people from the fishbowl to the pond to the river.”
As participants were still absorbing Prof. Kim’s fascinating presentation, it was time to be treated to yet another captivating performance, this time by the Gracias Choir, an orchestra and choral ensemble founded by Rev. Dr. Ock Soo Park in the year 2000. Their melodious and well-assembled performance of the Ugandan National anthem and Yansumulula Nze; a Luganda gospel song, amazed the participants.
Following this spectacular performance, the Keynote Speaker Rev. Dr. Ock Soo Park “took to the stage” to deliver his Special Lecture on Mindset with through his proficient translator. He began by stressing the importance of applying ones heart to scenes that play out daily, noting that people who’d mastered the art of taking care of and using their heart were a world apart.
Like a true Evangelist, Rev. Dr. Park delivered his special lecture in storytelling fashion, starting off with his own life as a nineteen year old and the difficulties he faced to the story of the beautiful, well-educated young lady who against all advice chose to marry a crippled uneducated young man.
He captivated his audience by painting a picture of the uphill task faced by the girl in breaking the news to her parents, to the suspicion she aroused from the young man’s family, which suspicion melted into pure bliss when they discovered how serious she was. Rev. Dr. Park had us all eating out of the palm of his hand as he narrated how this love story progressed into marriage, complete with all the facial expressions, appropriate sounds and hand gestures, leading us past blooming flowers up the mountain to the peak.
Suddenly, the beautiful tale veered off, taking a dark ghastly turn. Happily ever after gave way to ominous foreboding as the young man’s envy and rage overwhelmed his sense of reason. Mistaking his beautiful bride’s market errands for moments spent cavorting with other able-bodied men, he resorted to violent assault, shattering body and heart, a sad turn of events, a bitter end.
The Evangelist now had us where he wanted. It was time to deliver his blow, or so we thought. He then switched gears, shifting to a tale of South Korean car manufacturers and how the power of Mind Education had turned this sector’s fortunes around. Having depended on the Japanese to supply car engines for their brands for years, the South Koreans felt that they had gained sufficient experience to assemble their own and therefore asked their former supplier to teach them this skill. This request had been met with persistent “it’s too hard” responses year after year. When the South Koreans threatened to make their own engines, this announcement was received as the joke of the century by the Japanese.
Frustrated and insulted, the South Koreans had returned home, assembled their teams, shared their vision to build their own engines going forward and embarked on the herculean task. As fate would have it, they were pleasantly surprised to learn assembling car engines wasn’t as hard as the Japanese had made it seem. The rest as they say is history. Today South Korean car exports are worth billions of dollars.
“If you think more deeply, you get to think of things other people don’t. Leave behind your first level of thought and try to embrace deep thinking. If you go about life thinking deeply, you will live a blessed glorious life” concluded Rev. Dr. Park.
In the reactions that followed, a participant wondered why mindset change has been less experienced in Africa and whether the environment had any effect on this. In response, Prof. Kim noted that South Koreans too were in the past more concerned about basic living (eating and sleeping), and quitessentially focused more on how to become rich. “Many people in Africa are focusing on the materialistic or hardware more than the software part of our life. We need a lot of awareness through Mind Education especially for the youth so that they can think more in terms of development than daily needs.”
Another participant sought to find out whether frustration plays a role in mindset change. Prof. Kim responded by sharing that a weak heart and mindset are the primary reason why people are easily frustrated or stressed by anything. “This is because such a person is usually avoiding burdens or difficulties of life. When we continuously allow our mindset to collide with burdens and difficulties, our hearts become stronger. As such, we are able to easily overcome hardship when it comes our way.”
Delivering the closing remarks, the Host, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe shared that civilization started in Africa 5,000 years ago and for over 800 years, the Moors occupied Spain. Whereas these ancient civilizations had collapsed, the Vice Chancellor opined that it was still possible for Makerere University to be inspired by the South Korean success and as the top black University lead the mindset change campaign. “For the last few weeks, I have seen a lot coming out of Makerere University in the form of research and innovations from every college. This is commendable.”
Prof. Nawangwe observed that whereas our population is exploding, our resources are not and as such a quick solution is needed to address this. As a first step, the School of Psychology was working closely with IYF to explore how to incorporate Mind Education into the curriculum. The Vice Chancellor also shared that a second workshop was in the offing and staff would be informed about the dates accordingly.
He thanked Rev. Dr. Park for delivering the keynote, as well as Dr. Ahikire, Dr. Kibanja and the IYF representatives, Prof. Kim and Pastor Part for organizing the Workshop. He equally thanked all participants taking time off to attend the workshop. “We cannot continue leaving our fate to chance; we have this fate in our hands.”
Article by Public Relations Office.
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On Wednesday 16th July 2025, Makerere University lost one of its most cherished sons, Professor Livingstone Sserwadda Luboobi. Described as a mathematician, academic leader, and humble servant, Professor Luboobi devoted more than five decades to the university, rising through the ranks to become Vice Chancellor, and leaving a legacy defined by simplicity, service, and scholarship.
Born to Lameka Serwadda and Sanyu Serwadda on 25th December 1944 in Mitondo, Kalisizo, Kyotera District, Professor Luboobi’s academic career begun as a third-year student at Makerere and continued with unwavering loyalty until his passing. His life’s work reflected not only a commitment to mathematics but also nurturing generations of scholars and leaders across Uganda and beyond.
A funeral service was held in his honour at St. Francis Chapel, Makerere University on 18th July 2025. It was a moment of solemn remembrance and heartfelt tribute. Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi delivered the sermon titled “Only God Knows,” reminding mourners of the mystery and grace of life’s journey. Rev. Canon Geoffrey Byarugaba represented the Kampala Diocese at the service, while former St. Francis Chaplain, Rev. Dr. Canon Johnson Ebong thanked Professor Luboobi for spearheading the Chapel’s expansion. Friends, colleagues, and family members filled the chapel, joined in mourning but also in gratitude for a life that had deeply touched theirs.
Mrs. Lorna Magara, Chairperson of the University Council, spoke movingly about Professor Luboobi’s faithfulness, likening his life to the biblical call in Mark 10:43, “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant.”
In his condolence message, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, hailed Professor Luboobi as a visionary leader whose legacy is deeply woven into Makerere’s identity as a research-led institution. He credited Professor Luboobi with laying the groundwork for a culture of inquiry—championing graduate programmes, encouraging doctoral training, and fostering international collaborations that strengthened the university’s research profile. “He believed in building systems, not just structures,” noting that many of Makerere’s current research policies stem from his leadership. Even in retirement, Professor Luboobi remained a source of wisdom and guidance, quietly shaping the future of the university he so deeply loved.
Speaker after speaker painted a portrait of a man who led not by pomp, but by quiet strength and deep conviction. The Principal, Professor Winston Tumps Ireeta, speaking on behalf of the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), described Professor Luboobi as a foundational figure whose influence is deeply etched in the structures and spirit of the college. He spoke with emotion about Luboobi’s unwavering commitment to academic integrity and his belief in the power of mentorship.
“He was not just a mathematician,” Professor Ireeta said, “he was a visionary who understood the soul of the university. Even in retirement, he remained an advisor, a guide, and a quiet force of wisdom.” He concluded by saying that the college would continue to draw from his example as it navigates the future of science and innovation in Uganda.
Professor Luboobi’s illustrious career at Makerere University included serving as Head, Department of Mathematics from 1990 to 1991. The current Head of Department, Dr. Ismail Mirumbe remembered him as a pillar in the teaching and development of mathematics in Uganda
Professor John Mango, who served as Head, Department of Mathematics during Professor Luboobi’s term as Vice Chancellor from 2004 to 2009 described him as a towering figure of integrity and principle, someone who not only upheld the highest standards of academic conduct but insisted that others around him do the same. “He was a pillar in the department,” Prof. Mango remarked, “and his moral compass was unwavering.”
He recalled instances where Professor Luboobi made firm decisions, including terminating contracts when integrity was compromised, setting a tone that shaped the department’s reputation for honesty and excellence. Even as Vice Chancellor, he remained deeply involved in the department’s affairs, teaching, supervising students, all the while handling top administrative duties punctually. Prof. Mango spoke with great admiration of a man who led by example, mentored many, and whose contributions to mathematics education, research, and policy-making continue to shape the future of the discipline in Uganda and beyond.
According to an article from 1990 written by Dr. Vincent Ssembatya and Andrew Vince at the University of Florida, the Uganda Mathematical Society (UMS), which was formally established on 25th November, 1972 has since inception enjoyed major support from Makerere University and Kyambogo University in terms of infrastructure and leadership. Professor Paul Mugambi, who was also present at Professor Luboobi’s funeral service was elected first president of the UMS. Dr. Saul Nsubuga from the Department of Mathematics represented UMS at the service, honouring Professor Luboobi’s pioneering role in the discipline.
The service also featured tributes from close friends and family. Loved ones shared stories of a man who remained grounded no matter how high he rose, a man who valued relationships and walked closely with his faith. His children and grandchildren remembered him as a father who was ever-present, a listener, and a source of steady guidance.
Professor Daniel Kibuule, son of the late Professor Luboobi and Dean, Faculty of Health Sciences at Busitema University, delivered a deeply personal tribute that painted a full portrait of his father’s life, values, and final days. He expressed gratitude to the University leadership, family, friends, and medical professionals who stood with them during a challenging period. He particularly thanked his siblings, Dr. David Kimera and Dr. Irene Nakiyimba for their unwavering role in caring for Professor Luboobi through illness.
He spoke of a man who, despite great academic accolades, remained deeply humble and committed to discipline, simplicity, and faith. From instilling punctuality and responsibility to ensuring his children charted their own paths, none bearing his surname “Luboobi”, Prof. Luboobi was intentional in every lesson he passed on. Kibuule recalled his father’s insistence on being at home even in his final moments, his strong connection to Christ, and his quiet strength despite his failing health.
Former students and mentees echoed the same sentiments, of a teacher who was generous with his time and invested deeply in others’ growth. The community that gathered was not only there to grieve but to celebrate the quiet legacy of a man whose example continues to live on.
Among the mourners were public figures and leaders, including Hon. Abed Bwanika, Member of Parliament for Kimanya-Kabonera, Hon. Nyombi Thembo, the Executive Director Uganda Communications Commission, and Hon. Dr. Ham-Mukasa Mulira, former Minister of ICT, among others.
In his passing, Makerere University has lost a pillar, but his life reminds us that greatness lies in consistency, in humility, and in service to others. Professor Luboobi’s memory will continue to live on in the minds he shaped, the systems he built, and the values he embodied. He ran his race with grace.
The Writer is a Volunteer in the Public Relations Office, Makerere University
Please click the embedded video below to view the service livestream
Legal and accounting officers from public universities across Uganda have convened, for a high-level training workshop organized by Makerere University. The three-day training, taking place from July 16th to 18th, 2025, is aimed at strengthening legal frameworks, improving institutional governance, and ensuring compliance with public finance and procurement laws within higher education institutions.
Ms. Lorna Magara, Chairperson of the Makerere University Council and Guest of Honour at the opening session, commended the initiative as timely and necessary. She addressed the growing backlog of court cases affecting Makerere and other public universities and outlined measures already taken to mitigate legal risks. These include the establishment of a Legal Rules and Privileges Committee and the Directorate of Legal Affairs, part of a broader strategy to improve legal compliance and foster good governance.
Representing the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Winston Tumps – Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), described the training as both strategic and practical. “It is imperative that we learn from each other, especially in how we handle employee litigation and institutional legal risks,” he remarked. He added that the program is designed to promote experience-sharing across universities and enhance collective institutional growth.
In his address, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, University Secretary at Makerere University, emphasized the urgent need for robust legal oversight and more effective case management mechanisms within public universities.
The training featured a keynote address by the Attorney General of Uganda, Hon. Kiryowa Kiwanuka, who provided critical insights into legal expectations for public institutions. He warned that failure to heed legal advice could result in personal liability for accounting officers, citing a precedent involving the Uganda Cancer Institute. “Universities must consult the Attorney General’s chambers before entering into major contractual obligations,” he advised, urging legal officers to document decisions meticulously as proper record-keeping forms the first line of defense in legal disputes.
Hon. Kiwanuka further discussed the government’s ongoing efforts to recentralize legal services to ensure alignment with the Attorney General’s office. He cautioned in-house counsel against becoming overly entangled in decision-making processes, stressing the need for objectivity. Other key issues he addressed included contract approvals, misuse of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and lapses in procurement processes, particularly at the close of financial years.
Participants also benefited from insights by Hon. Justice Musa Ssekaana of the Court of Appeal, who offered an in-depth analysis of judicial review and its significance in promoting lawful, transparent university governance. He called on university legal officers to act with clarity, timeliness, and accountability.
Lady Justice Joyce Kavuma, Judge of the High Court, delivered a comprehensive presentation on dispute and claim management involving public universities. She addressed emerging trends in civil litigation, emphasizing the importance of due process, transparency, and clear communication in resolving employment, student, and contractual disputes. Drawing on real case examples, she urged institutions to strengthen internal systems, embrace participatory governance, and adopt regional best practices to minimize litigation and protect institutional reputation.
The training reflects a shared commitment among public universities to build a more accountable, legally sound, and strategically aligned higher education system in Uganda. Through peer learning and collaboration, participating institutions aim to reduce litigation, enhance institutional autonomy, and uphold the rule of law.
Participating universities include Makerere University, Kyambogo University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Busitema University, Mountains of the Moon University, and Lira University.
The training concludes on July 18th 2025, with sessions focusing on employment dispute management in public universities and the implications of recent PPDA Appeals Tribunal decisions on procurement and disposal practices within public entities.
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