_{By Moses Lutaaya}

Makerere University has intensified efforts to strengthen graduate supervision and research excellence through a dynamic three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop in Advanced Research Methods held from April 28 to 30, 2026 at the Senate Building Telepresence Hall.

The high-impact training, organized by the Directorate of Graduate Training with support from iCARTA and funding from the NORHED Project, brought together lecturers from across colleges including the School of Law, College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), College of Natural Sciences (CONAS), College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (COVAB), and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS).

The training aimed to build institutional capacity to enhance supervision of graduate students and improve doctoral completion rates, a long-standing challenge in many universities.

Opening the workshop, Prof. Julius Kikooma underscored the strategic importance of continuous staff development in responding to evolving academic demands.

“This particular training is one of the routine tools that we use as the Directorate of Graduate Training to continuously re-tool and re-engage with staff in response to the requirements of the new policy of teaching and learning,” he said.

Prof. Kikooma highlighted that the training is anchored in the university’s shift toward competence-based education, a model increasingly being adopted globally and nationally.

“We are going to be engaging with very important issues on how to redesign and support learners in this new dispensation of competence-based teaching and learning,” he added.

He also pointed to recent reforms in doctoral training, including the introduction of a structured framework for PhD-by-research programmes aimed at addressing delays in completion.

“The expectation is that all staff should be aware of that framework and appreciate that it is designed such that the student picks up a range of skills and knowledge that gives them competence,” he explained.

The workshop also serves as preparation for lecturers who will facilitate upcoming cross-cutting PhD courses, with a long-term vision of decentralizing doctoral training to individual colleges.

Sharing his perspective, Dr. Robert Kakuru a Lecturer at the department of Philosophy described the training as both necessary and timely for strengthening the university’s academic core.

“By all standards, all academic staff are required to do research and supervise graduate students. Therefore, a ToT in Advanced Research Methods becomes important,” he said.

He noted that while the initiative is commendable, more staff still need to be reached.

“This is still a drop in an ocean we have more than 1,000 academic staff who all need these skills,” he observed.

Dr. Kakuru emphasized that improved understanding of research methods by both lecturers and students could significantly ease doctoral journeys. “Once the lecturers know the methods and the students know the methods, then the job is well cut out,” he said.

He further linked the training to Uganda’s broader development agenda, noting that research plays a central role across sectors. “Research has a multiplier effect… every programme area requires research,” he added.

From the participants’ perspective, Dr. Sarah Nakijjoba, a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Linguistics, English Language Studies & Communication Skills described the training as transformative and aligned with global shifts in higher education.

“We are being encouraged to move away from the traditional knowledge-based methods of teaching and embrace competence-based pedagogy,” she said.

Dr. Nakijjoba explained that the training emphasized learner-centered and practical approaches such as peer review, simulations, case studies, and role play. “Research methods is a practical course and requires learners to go out and do as opposed to just knowing,” she noted.

 “This training is timely, it prepares us as instructors to deliver our content effectively,” she said, adding that the knowledge gained would be cascaded to other staff and students.

She also highlighted the wider implications for national development and employability. “If we have graduates who have the ability to problem-solve, they will devise practical solutions to real challenges,” she said, emphasizing the potential for evidence-based policymaking.

Dr. Nakijjoba further described research methods as central to the university’s agenda of being research led. “Research is the engine, the backbone and everything rotates around it,” she said, reinforcing Makerere’s ambition of being a research-led institution.

Participants were also equipped with skills in curriculum design, research ethics, academic writing, and the use of statistical tools, all within a competence-based framework. A key focus was on authentic assessment that measures what learners can do.

The training marks a significant step in Makerere University’s broader strategy to enhance graduate education, strengthen supervision, and produce competent researchers capable of addressing national and global challenges.

The Academic Registrar Makerere University invites applications for the Special University Entry Examinations for admission to the Diploma in Performing Arts.

The examination will take place on Saturday 16^th May, 2026.

Application process is online for those intending to sit the examination. Kindly note that there is payment of a non-refundable application fee of Shs. 110,000/- excluding bank charges in any (Stanbic Bank, Dfcu Post Bank, UBA and Centenary Bank). After filling the online application, you will be provided with 2 Past Papers.

To be eligible to sit the examinations, the candidate must possess an O’ Level Certificate (UCE) with at least 5 Passes.

The deadline for receiving the online applications is Tuesday 12^th May 2026.

How to Apply

• Application is online for ALL applicants.
• Other relevant information can be obtained from Undergraduate Mature Age Office, Level 5, Room 505, Senate Building, Makerere University or can be accessed from https://see.mak.ac.ug
• A non refundable application fee of Shs. 110,000= for Ugandans, East Africans Applicants (Including S. Sudan & DRC) OR US $ 75 or equivalent for international applicants plus bank charges should be paid in any of the banks used by Uganda Revenue Authority.
• Apply through the application portal https://see.mak.ac.ug

Please see download below for the application portal user guide.

Further inquiries may be sent to email: see@mak.ac.ug

Prof. Mukadasi Buyinza
ACADEMIC REGISTRAR

The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released lists of Diploma holders admitted under the Government Sponsorship Scheme for the Academic Year 2026/2027.

Under the Diploma Holders Government Sponsorship Scheme admission does not exceed 5% of the intake capacity to the respective Degree Programme.

The list can be accessed by following the link below: