General
Mak Deans Forum to Promote Vibrant Grants and Partnerships
The Makerere University Deans Forum (MUDF) on Friday 3rd September, 2021 held a training session during which newly appointed Deans were inducted and the members of the new Executive Committee elected. Organised by the Interim Executive Committee, the training held at Hotel Africana was presided over by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-DVCAA and Patron MUDF, Dr. Umar Kakumba.
Welcoming both physical and virtual participants to the launch, the Chair of the opening session Dr. Sarah Ssali congratulated the Chairperson of the Interim Executive Committee and Dean School of Public Health (MakSPH), Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze and her team upon the strides made since they volunteered to serve MUDF. She equally thanked the Patron for hatching the MUDF idea and his untiring support to the Interim Executive Committee and individual Deans.
On 14th June 2019, the Office of the DVCAA in collaboration with the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) organised the Inaugural Deans’ Workshop. One of the outcomes of that workshop was the formation of MUDF.
In his opening remarks, Dr. Kakumba said that the MUDF was platform for Deans to engage and share experiences for the advancement of research, teaching and learning beyond Senate meetings where the business of the day and formalities cannot permit.
“The objective of MUDF is to promote academic excellence through collective action, capacity building and harnessing each other’s expertise, experiences and best practices” noted Dr. Kakumba. He added that the day’s training would specifically recapture momentum of MUDF that was interrupted by COVID-19, foster implementation of the Forum’s work plan, and build cohesive leadership especially between new Deans and their senior colleagues.
In the training’s first session, Dr. Ronald Naluwairo, Acting Deputy Principal at the School of Law presented the revised constitution of MUDF, which provides for the composition, leadership, functions of the Executive Committee, meetings of the Forum, among other articles.
Under article 4, Dr. Naluwairo outlined the core values of MUDF as; (i) Leadership, (ii) Integrity, (iii) Equality, (iv) Transparency and Accountability, and (v) Solidarity. Equality, he said, was particularly important in ensuring that members have the confidence that their Schools have the same say in Forum matters as their bigger or older peers.
Furthermore, MUDF’s Constitution Article 5 on Leadership makes provision for an Executive Committee that will comprise of “a Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and three other members all of whom shall be elected by members of MUDF.”
The constitution was debated by members present both physically and online, and the changes agreed upon will be incorporated into the final document. Members nevertheless unanimously agreed that election to the Executive Committee shall be by simple majority of members voting, an exercise that was conducted at the end of the training to appoint the first office bearers.
“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of America is quoted to have said in 1736. It was in line with these wise words that two Deans who had each served two consecutive terms were asked to share their experiences in delivering on their mandate.
Prof. Johnny Mugisha the outgoing Dean (2013-2021) of the School of Agricultural Sciences shared that his leadership on the whole brought good feelings that he looked forward to.
“I always felt good to see staff getting promoted, winning research grants and other awards, graduate students passing their viva voce examinations especially at PhD level, and students graduating in large numbers” remarked Prof. Mugisha.
He shared a few pointers on how to maintain this ‘good feeling’ as highlighted below.
- Deanship is full-time service. Make yourself accessible to staff, students and guests but delegate a lot, especially where circumstances don’t allow
- Strengthen team building activities such as social gatherings and recognise achievers
- Involve each staff in different assignments based on their strengths
- Hold informal interactions with all categories of staff in their offices, corridors, etc.
- Hold formal and informal interactions with students especially those facing challenges
- Establish close working relationships with offices and Managers that are a priority to your School
- Regularly conduct self-assessments on whether you are delivering on your mandate
“Always lead by example; teach, supervise students, do research, publish and manage your time” concluded Prof. Mugisha.
Continuing with the pointers based on his terms of office, Dr. Andrew Ellias State, the Dean School of Social Sciences shared that one of the most taxing responsibilities leaders at this level have to deal with is curriculum review. “Curriculum review is a very tedious process that can take its toll on you. However, I am happy that all the programmes we submitted were considered, reviewed and passed by the National Council for Higher Education.”
He equally cautioned colleagues to always look at examinations as an intricate process with various stages of preparation of scripts, rooms, invigilation all the way to submission of final scores from marking exercises. The latter, he noted, ought to be handled expeditiously as it is one of the triggers of unrest. Dr. State on this note agreed with Prof. Mugisha’s position of maintaining formal and informal interactions with student leaders, as a way of putting out feelers to preempt any unrest.
“Allow yourself to serve outside the School, especially on committees constituted by the university leadership,” Dr. State further advised. “Your service to Makerere University is service to community and the experience you acquire should be shared with colleagues at the School” he added.
Making the day’s final presentation on how to maintain a vibrant grants and partnerships portfolio, Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze emphasised the need for Deans to ensure that the pursuit of research funding goes hand in hand with the teaching and learning experience. “You cannot move grants forward if you are neglecting education.”
She explained that students, especially those at graduate level, are in some instances already well-placed in Government and other organisations, whose funded activities could be in line with Schools’ research interests. In this regard, she stressed the need for teaching staff to treat students as assets and prospective collaborators.
Prof. Wanyenze further noted that maintaining a vibrant grants and partnerships portfolio calls for striking a delicate balance between large and small grants, as well as staff’ and funders’ interests. “As Dean, you should be ready to perform the uncomfortable task of asking colleagues, who in some instances might be senior, to step aside from the role of Principal Investigator for the sake of maintaining a good relationship with the funder.”
On how to ensure a good mix of both large and small grants, Prof. Wanyenze asked Deans to deliberately equip everyone in their Schools, particularly the smart young ones with grant proposal writing skills. “At my School, we expanded the base of people bringing in grants by equipping our students with these skills. This paid off when two of them under the mentorship of a colleague won a grant worth 100,000 Canadian Dollars.”
She additionally urged Deans to use their offices to knock on the doors of line ministries and organisations whose work relates to their disciplines. Citing a Memorandum of Understanding signed between MakSPH and the WHO Uganda country office in 2019, Prof. Wanyenze shared that this collaboration born out of a deliberate effort had resulted in 29 projects being conducted between the two institutions in the last three years.
“We ought to partner with our line ministries and community. We need to step out and engage at the highest level and expand our collaboration networks” she concluded.
At the close of the training, a new MUDF Executive Committee was elected in a brief ceremony conducted by Dr. Grace Kibanja. Following a unanimous simple majority vote, the following four officials and three members were elected as the new Executive Committee.
- Chairperson – Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean MakSPH
- Vice Chairperson – Prof. Edward Bbaale, Dean School of Business
- Secretary – Dr. Grace Kibanja, Dean School of Psychology
- Treasurer – Prof. Robert Tweyongyere, Dean School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources
- Member – Dr. Ronald Naluwairo, Ag. Deputy Principal School of Law
- Member – Dr. Gilbert Maiga, Dean School of Computing and Informatics Technology
- Member – Dr. Dorothy Okello, Dean School of Engineering
The DVCAA and Patron MUDF, Dr. Umar Kakumba in his concluding remarks thanked the New Executive Committee for accepting the call of duty as well as Dr. Aaron Mushengyezi for his service to the Interim Executive Committee. He requested members of the MUDF to draft a memorandum from the action points raised in the training, which he pledged to present before Senate.
By Moses Lutaaya
Makerere University has challenged newly admitted postgraduate diploma and master’s students to take ownership of their academic journey, produce knowledge that addresses Africa’s challenges and use their training to create opportunities for society.
The call was made on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, during the orientation of postgraduate diploma and master’s students held at the Main Hall, Main Building, Makerere University. The orientation was conducted under the theme “Harnessing the Power of Graduate Training to Transform Africa’s Research Trajectory.”
Addressing the students, Prof. Sarah Ssali, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said admission to postgraduate education marked an important transition from undergraduate study and should come with greater independence, critical thinking and responsibility.
“Postgraduate study is not just the accumulation of knowledge. You are now active researchers, critical thinkers and creators of your own knowledge,” Prof. Ssali said.
She said postgraduate training should enable students to deepen their expertise, strengthen their analytical abilities and develop solutions to real-world problems.
“Through your projects, dissertations, innovations and professional practice, you have the opportunity to contribute knowledge that can influence policies, improve services and transform lives. Your research matters, and your contribution matters,” she said.
Prof. Ssali urged students to see their studies beyond the pursuit of a degree, encouraging them to ask themselves why they had chosen postgraduate education and what contribution they intended to make to their communities and professions.
“See your coursework as an opportunity to develop knowledge and skills that will help you propose new solutions to real-world challenges,” she said.
She also encouraged students to embrace collaboration with communities and non-academic partners, saying many of them were already coming to the University with professional and community experiences that could enrich their research.
“Don’t think that your scholarship is only for those who look academic. Embrace community, embrace networks,” she said.
Prof. Ssali further cautioned the students against wasting time, noting that many postgraduate students have employment, family and other responsibilities alongside their studies.
“Make the most of your time and don’t waste it,” she said, urging students to use available study time productively even when there are changes in their lecture schedules.
She also emphasised the need for students to take responsibility for their progress instead of waiting for lecturers or supervisors to push them.
“Postgraduate education requires independence, independent inquiry, independent research, independent interrogation and also active participation,” Prof. Ssali said.
Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director of Graduate Training, told the students that their admission was a significant achievement given the large number of applicants seeking postgraduate opportunities at Makerere.
“We received over 12,000 applications to our postgraduate programmes, but we are only able to take just a small percentage of that. That means you are just the few people who are able to do this,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He urged the new students to appreciate the opportunity and understand that graduate education carries responsibilities beyond attending lectures and completing examinations.
According to Prof. Kikooma, Uganda and Africa require highly trained human capital capable of driving national and continental development priorities.
“The country needs more highly trained people if it is going to achieve its aspirations and priorities for national development,” he said.
He challenged the students to consider what Uganda and Africa would look like in the coming decades and to question whether the continent would continue relying on ideas, innovations and creations generated elsewhere.
“Will it still be a country that always depends on ideas, innovations and creations that come from outside?” he asked, before urging the students to become part of the generation that develops home-grown solutions.
Prof. Kikooma said much of what Uganda would need in the future would depend on what the country invests in today, particularly in human capital and research.
He also explained that the Directorate of Graduate Training works with colleges, schools, departments and central University units to strengthen the quality of graduate education.
“We want to make sure that what you are taking away from here is of a certain quality,” he said, adding that the University has established policies, standards and systems intended to create an environment in which postgraduate students can succeed.
However, Prof. Kikooma stressed that the University cannot take responsibility for the entire academic journey on behalf of students.
“We will not replace your programme. We will not replace your lecturers. We will not replace your supervisors. Each of those has a different role to play along your journey,” he said.
He encouraged students to be proactive by understanding their programmes, colleges and the various support services available to them.
“Successful graduates tend to be proactive rather than reactive. So don’t wait until you have a problem, then you start running from it,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He further urged the students to work within the stipulated programme period, noting that most master’s programmes take about two years while postgraduate diploma programmes generally take one year.
Prof. Robert Wamala, Director of Research, Innovations and Partnerships, urged the newly admitted students to use their graduate training to produce knowledge capable of addressing challenges facing their communities, Uganda and Africa.
He challenged them to move beyond consuming knowledge generated elsewhere and instead become producers of knowledge and solutions.
Prof. Wamala emphasised the importance of connecting research to society, innovation and professional practice, encouraging students to identify problems within their workplaces and communities that could become areas for meaningful research.
He said Africa needed researchers capable of generating evidence, innovations and practical solutions to support development rather than simply importing solutions from other parts of the world.
The Director encouraged the students to build collaborative networks during their studies and to regard the University as an ecosystem in which researchers, professionals, communities and other partners can work together.
Dr. Kizito Ongaya, Deputy University Librarian, introduced the students to Makerere’s extensive library and information resources, urging them to make the library a central part of their postgraduate studies.
He said the University Library operates a hybrid system combining physical collections with electronic resources.
“We have over 200,000 types of books in our library, with 45 e-journal databases,” Dr. Ongaya said.
He encouraged students to make use of the University’s electronic databases, noting that substantial resources are invested in providing access to scholarly journals.
“If you don’t use e-journals, you are unacceptable,” he told the students, emphasising that postgraduate research requires extensive engagement with scholarly literature.
Dr. Ongaya also highlighted the University’s archival collections, specialised libraries and information centres located across its colleges.
He said students would be guided on how to access both physical and electronic resources and encouraged them to explore specialised collections that could support their individual research areas.
Dr. Mike Barongo, Team Leader ICT, Department of the Academic Registrar, told the new students that Makerere had increasingly digitised its academic and administrative processes and urged them to complete their online registration as an immediate priority.
He said students could access their provisional admission letters through the online application system and use the student number provided to activate their student portals.
“The student portal is very, very critical,” Dr. Barongo said.
He explained that students must enrol and register in order to access key University services, including institutional email and Wi-Fi.
“Once you enroll, you create an institutional email address. That institutional email address is the gateway for you to access so many things, like Wi-Fi,” he said.
Dr. Barongo also informed students that ICT support centres were available to assist those experiencing challenges with enrolment, registration or access to digital services.
He urged students to ensure they enrol and register every semester so that the University systems can accurately capture their academic and financial information.
Others senior members in attendance include the Deputy University Bursar Mr. George Mugabi Turyamureeba and Mr. Henry Nsubuga, the Manager Makerere University Counselling and Guidance Centre.
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