Some of the 43 Phd Graduands from the College of Education and External Studies and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences after receiving their awards at the second session of #Mak71stGrad held in the Freedom Square on 18th May 2021.
The second session of the 71st Graduation Ceremony of Makerere University held on Tuesday 18th May 2021 has produced a record 44 PhD graduates, the highest to ever be conferred upon their awards in a single session. The Chancellor Professor Ezra Suruma conferred 23 and 21 PhDs upon candidates from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) respectively.
In his congratulatory remarks, the Chancellor noted that although agriculture is indispensable to our survival as a nation, a lot remains to be done to improve agricultural productivity and marketing. He urged graduands to embrace the parish model which is currently being popularized by the Government so as to increase agricultural productivity and improve the overall management of the agricultural, infrastructural and financial sectors at the grass root level.
“I pray that the students and researchers in agriculture, education, financial services, agricultural processing, storage and infrastructure will come alive and take advantage of this opportunity to rescue our economy from poverty and stagnation. The challenge is to you and me to go to our parish, our roots and make a difference” urged Prof. Suruma.
Earlier, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe had thanked the Chancellor for coining the parish development model and urged graduands not to shy away from getting their hands dirty. “That is what has made the farmers of Israel, from where many of our students return with thousands of dollars after working on their farms, millionaires.”
The Vice Chancellor noted that graduands from CEES had embraced one of the noblest professions and urged them to serve with diligence if they were to succeed.
“Teaching is a calling and only those with the passion to enlighten society choose this noble profession. Our joy is in seeing the many successful people who go through our hands. Money has never been the motivating force behind our passion, but the desire to serve and improve society” said Prof. Nawangwe.
Recognized during the second session were three first class graduands of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program (MCFSP) and one beneficiary of the Female Scholarship Foundation (FSF) supported by the Chinese Embassy in Uganda.
MCFSP beneficiaries Mr. Oyo Timothy-B.A with Education, Ms. Agaba Viola-B.A with Education and Mr. Mukasa Arthur-BSc. with Education scored CGPAs of 4.59, 4.45 and 4.41 respectively. FSF beneficiary Mr. Opendo Thomas-BSc. in Agricultural and Rural Innovation scored a CGPA of 4.57.
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.
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.
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.