Mr. Biryomumaisho Wiston, 71st Graduation's best overall and best Humanities student poses with the Convocation plaque in the Freedom Square, Makerere University on Day 4, 20th May 2021. He obtained a CGPA of 4.91 out of 5.0 in BBA.
Makerere University Business School (MUBS)’ Mr. Biryomumaisho Wiston has been recognised as the best overall and best student in the Humanities of the 71st Graduation Ceremony during the fourth session of the five-day event. Mr. Biryomumaisho who obtained a CGPA of 4.91 out of 5.0 in the Bachelor of Business Administration becomes the sixth consecutive MUBS graduand to bag the Convocation Award of UGX 1 Million and a plaque.
Addressing the congregation, the Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma commended the MUBS leadership for the various training programs conducted both physically and virtually that mentored the graduates in leadership, creativity, entrepreneurship as well as building both public and private enterprise.
Taking note of the political and economic fluctuations that have affected Uganda over the last 60 years, the Chancellor urged the graduands to never be discouraged. “We must rise up to resolve both the endogenous and exogenous challenges that often come, so that we persevere to build a more peaceful and a more prosperous Uganda.”
Quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the Chancellor equally encouraged the congregation not to wallow in despair, but instead trust in God who is all powerful and able to reconcile, transform hands of war into hands of peace and bring light where there is darkness.
“He is able and He will turn Uganda into a land of love, a land of freedom and a land of prosperity. And you and I will be the instruments that He will use to transform Uganda into a great brotherhood” reassured Prof. Suruma.
In his address, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe lauded the MUBS Management for their determination to improve the engagement of staff in research. MUBS staff secured grants for five projects under the Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF). They include;
Management of polymers waste in slum areas in Kampala: A randomised control experiment;
The Governance Forum (GF): A culturally based model for building grass root governance structures;
The Design and implementation of an innovative Milestone-based program monitoring system for the universities;
Policy and regulatory compliance with Smart Grid Technologies; and
Post electricity sector reform in Uganda.
“Some of the research undertaken will very well support implementation of the Parish Development Model, the brainchild of our Chancellor and I encourage you to get interested in this very important initiative” added Prof. Nawangwe.
The Vice Chancellor concluded his remarks by congratulating the Principal MUBS, Prof. Waswa Balunywa and his Management for ably steering the institution to its current level of success. “I wish to assure all our stakeholders, that Makerere University and Makerere University Business School, one of the best schools of business, are united in purpose.”
Please see Downloads for the detailed speeches.
The recording of Live proceedings from the Fourth Session may be accessed by clicking the embedded video below.
Makerere University School of Public Health, through the Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, is accepting applications for a two-week online short course on Introduction to Decision Modelling for Economic Evaluation.
The course will introduce participants to the principles and practical application of decision modelling in economic evaluation, covering Markov modelling, evidence synthesis, model development, validation, sensitivity analysis and interpretation of results to inform policy and resource allocation.
Convened by Dr. Elizabeth Ekirapa, Associate Professor of Health Economics at MakSPH, the course will feature Dr. Joseph Babigumira, Managing Consultant at GHE Consulting, as Guest Lecturer.
The training targets health professionals, researchers, policymakers, students and other individuals interested in applying decision modelling to economic evaluation.
Dates: 9–20 November 2026 Time: 3:00–6:00 PM EAT Mode: Online via Zoom Fees: UGX 800,000 (Ugandans) | USD 270 (non-Ugandans) Application Deadline: 1 November 2026
Makerere University and Xiangtan University are set to update their close to 20-year academic partnership, with a new focus on launching a joint Master’s degree program in Chemical Engineering and expanding student and staff exchange initiatives.
The commitment was reaffirmed during a recent visit by a delegation from Xiangtan University to Makerere University headed by Professor Dingyu Ou, in the company of Mr. Tang Fei and Professor Gilbert Gumshabe, the Chinese and Ugandan Directors of the Confucius Institute at Makerere University respectively.
While addressing the delegation, Professor Nawangwe highlighted that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to diversify academic offerings and contribute to national development through training in Chemical Engineering. Through this new initiative, the University will better prepare graduates for the petrochemical industry and support the country’s industrial growth.
The meeting in session.
The Vice Chancellor appreciated that the proposed collaboration aims to address Uganda’s growing need for industrial expertise, particularly as the country develops its petroleum sector. The two universities here are working toward a 1+2 training model, which will enable Makerere students to gain practical experience and access advanced laboratory facilities at Xiangtan University.
Professor Nawangwe further reiterated that “our relationship with the people of China, not just for Makerere but also for a big part of Uganda, has been opened wider by the establishment of the Confucius Institute, considering that many other collaborations like one being discussed now have come through this collaboration.”
The head of the Xiangtan delegation, Professor Dingyu Ou, expressed appreciation for the meeting, and acknowledged the history between the institutions. “As mentioned, we have a very long relationship and a very stable friendship between our two universities.”
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (L) presents an assortment of Makerere Souvenirs to Prof. Dingyu Ou (R).
Professor Ou extended appreciation for the support provided to the Confucius Institute at Makerere, the care shown to his colleagues, and looked forward to the successful start of the Chemical Engineering collaboration.
Assuring the delegation of Makerere’s readiness for the collaboration, Ms. Hawa Ndagire Kajumba the Lead, Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement, Makerere University Advancement Office, aligned with the Vice Chancellor’s emphasis of University goal to have both theory and practice imparted to the students.
She said “the curriculum of the university and Uganda as a whole is moving towards competence-based education training to ensure students are equipped to demonstrate those skills in the actual field, particularly regarding petroleum exploration.”
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe (L) presents an assortment of Makerere Souvenirs to Prof. Zhuoqiong Xia (R).
Ms. Ndagire Kajumba also emphasised a shift in strategy for the partnership office, saying, “we are moving away from just signing MOUs that collect dust, and moving towards those that are more collaborative to benefit our faculty and students, just like this one.”
Professor Gilbert Kumushabe aligned his remarks with those of the Vice Chancellor and Ms. Ndagire Kajumba, and described the method used at Xiangtan University as “actually competence-based teaching.”
Based on his recent visit, Prof. Gumoshabe shared that students in China are divided into groups with dedicated teachers to perform practical, hands-on work beyond the theoretical lecturers. He expressed gladness that the same was being adopted for the Ugandan context.
Both institutions are now working to finalise the specific agreements for the joint degree and exchange programs. Beyond academic training, the collaboration will advance cultural and professional exchange.
Makerere University School of Public Health invites applications from suitably qualified candidates for three positions under the Wellcome Trust-supported NETOMA study, which examines the coexistence of health worker shortages and unemployment among qualified health professionals in Africa.
Available Positions
Research Officer To coordinate longitudinal research, data management, quality assurance, and statistical analysis across study sites. Full details and application: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/careers/?view_job=21465
Policy Scientist To undertake health workforce policy research, evidence synthesis, qualitative analysis and knowledge translation. Full details and application: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/careers/?view_job=21468
Research Assistants To support participant recruitment, field data collection, research documentation, and analysis. Full details and application: https://sph.mak.ac.ug/careers/?view_job=21470
Application deadline: Friday, 16 October 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EAT .