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Engineering, Art & Tech

How a Researcher is Using Art to Create HIV Awareness

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By Betty Kyakuwa & Isaac Abaho

Researchers have been called upon to increase awareness about HIV among the population. The call was made by Rtd. Maj. Rubaramira Ruranga, during the opening of Mr. Robert Ssewanyana’s art exhibition that sought to create HIV awareness and prevention in slum areas of Kampala. Maj. Rubaramira said the biggest reason for the increase in HIV is lack of knowledge and information by the population especially in the rural areas.  The exhibition was attended by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Dr. Josephine Nabukenya as well as organisations doing HIV treatment and rehabilitation.

Maj. Rubaramira said there was no reason as to why people should contract HIV even if raped. He pointed to the existence of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP), an emergency treatment to prevent HIV after exposure. This treatment is given before 72 hours after exposure or rape.

The spread of HIV has been on the rise especially among the young people aged between 15 and 24 years.  This has been due to lack of knowledge about HIV especially among the rural communities. In the urban centres, HIV increase has been attributed to a number of factors, including, poverty, illiteracy, ignorance, a thriving commercial sex industry and lack of knowledge of matters relating to the spread of HIV. To this end, Mr. Robert Ssewanyana, an artist and lecturer at the Margaret Trowell School of Industrial and Fine Art set out to work with communities in an effort to create awareness and prevent the spread of HIV. He worked with communities of Bwaise, Ndeeba and Katwe.

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Betty Kyakuwa
Betty Kyakuwa

Engineering, Art & Tech

CEDAT embarks on revolutionizing Teaching, Research, and Innovation to Meet Societal Needs

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The College of engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) embarked on the process for reviewing the ways of teaching and learning, research and innovation in order to produce graduates that are well shaped to meet the needs of the society.A two-day strategy workshop was convened from 14th to 15th April 2025 at Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Entebbe, bringing together academia and others stakeholders, under the Theme; ‘Advancing Education, Research, Innovation for a transformative Future in Engineering, Design, Art and technology’.

The engagement was aimed at advancing the institution’s leadership, management practices, and its core academic functions and discussed strategies for driving excellence and preparing graduates for the job market.  It centered on three main objectives: promoting a better understanding of the roles of Academic Leaders and Administrative Heads in carrying out the University’s core functions, enhancing college management through effective customer care, communication, and documentation practices, and advancing teaching, research, and innovation to produce job-ready graduates.

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Alex Isemaghendera

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Engineering, Art & Tech

Industry Academia Exchange: Strengthening Collaboration for Skills Development and Innovation

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Realizing a gap between the Academia and Industry, the School of Engineering hosted a workshop on 16th, April 2025 aimed at strengthening the collaboration for Skills Development and Innovation to ensure that the engineering graduates have the relevant skills needed for the labor market and can contribute effectively to national development.

The workshop was officially opened by the Dean, School of Engineering Dr. Dorothy Okello who emphasized improving the relationship between the academia and industry by having continuous engagement and regularly inviting industry representatives to contribute to the curriculum. She proposed this engagement to be happening every two to three years, with a focus on regular discussions to enhance opportunities and align more closely with market needs aiming on collaboratively increasing productivity and improve the ultimate development for the involved parties.

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Alex Isemaghendera

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Engineering, Art & Tech

Navigating the Future, Through Academia and Industry Partnerships

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The School of Engineering at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) has hosted a 2-day Expert Group workshop from 14th-15th April 2025 with the participation of the academia, and industry representatives

Dr. Roseline Akol, who kick started the workshop with the opening remarks acknowledged that Makerere university was not in the race alone and neither was  it a sole trainer since other universities are also training in engineering and hence the need for collaboration. She also stated that there has to be a collaboration with industries because they have the ability to cause change through their research and development, feedback, industrial training and others. As a research led university, Dr. Roseline Akol said that Makerere wants to enhance knowledge generation, access and innovation for basic and applied research. “We want to go beyond innovation and maximize research by translating it into tangible works that is products and resources that can impact the community”, said Dr. Roseline Akol. She stated that most of the research conducted and the good reports written by the university students remains in shelves and was not being translated into a tangible products , and that this was the reason as to why Makerere University wanted to provide support to the researchers to attract funding from international sources through the project.

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Alex Isemaghendera

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