Education
Education Minister Expresses Readiness to use Scientific Findings to Revive Sector
The First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataaha Museveni while presiding over the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF) College of Education and External Studies (CEES) Open Day has expressed Government’s and her Ministry’s preparedness to learn from the scientific evidence generated by research and innovations to guide the sector’s recovery from the effects of COVID-19.
The Open Day held physically in the Central Teaching Facility 1 (CTF1) and streamed online to a virtual audience on 7th October 2021 was based on the theme “Education Research for Sustainable Development”. It was graced by the Chairperson of Council Mrs. Lorna Magara, Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Chairperson Mak-RIF Grants Management Committee (GMC) Prof. William Bazeyo, University Secretary Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, Principal CEES Prof. Fred Masagazi Masaazi, Deputy Principal CEES Assoc. Prof. Paul Birevu Muyinda, Staff as well as Students.
“The Government is committed to supporting research and innovations in Universities, as you really now know, to provide high quality data to inform policy decisions. I want to encourage you to prioritise projects that are crucial to social and economic transformation” remarked the Honourable Minister.
She particularly took note of the “Inter-disciplinary Enhancement of Science Education in the Uganda Primary Thematic Curriculum” project as timely. The project among other objectives sought to appraise the importance of folklore in the teaching and learning of science in lower primary education.
“I think it is time that we find a way to bring out those issues in science that make sense to each child at a primary level in their mother tongue. That is when science will make sense to us and we will become transformational” urged the First Lady.
She lauded the researchers and University for the individual and institutional efforts to support the Education sector’s development and review of curricula at various levels, development of a National Teacher Policy as well as the Early Childhood Development Framework. She equally acknowledged Makerere’s support to the establishment of the Uganda National Institute of Teacher Education as well as to the ongoing development of the Digital Agenda of the Education and Sports sector.
“The Ministry appreciates all these contributions and I call upon you to continue supporting the Ministry in all possible ways – you must understand that a strong Ministry of Education is a strong sector of National Education throughout the country” she said.
The Minister commended the Mak-RIF GMC for identifying projects with the capacity to influence national development, noting that “the showcase projects are testimony that the funds are being properly utilised and it is my prayer that universities continue to do more and indeed live the purpose for which they exist as knowledge hubs for development.”
She applauded the University Council and Management for the efforts to support continuity of learning for students, and urged all in attendance to join hands and mobilize staff and students to get vaccinated in preparation for the reopening of tertiary institutions on 1st November using a staggered approach.
The seven presentations by CEES at the dissemination included;
- Investing in Data and Research to Inform Education Policy by Prof. Anthony M. Mugagga,
- Resilient Communities for Quality Primary Education in Uganda (ReCoPE) by Mr. Philemon Mukisa & Mrs. Alice Nankya Ndidde,
- Enhancing Continued Learning to Rural Contexts during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Case of Kyotera District Rural Contexts by Dr. Tom D. Balojja,
- Mapping Makerere University’s Capacity to Mainstream e-Learning in University Education by Dr. Michael Walimbwa,
- Pedagogical Leadership for Academic Staff in Higher Education Institutions to Enhance Graduate Work Readiness and Transition to work (PLASHE-WILL) by Dr. Ronald Bisaso,
- Using Blended Learning to Fast Track Capacity Development for Teachers Implementing the Lower Secondary School Curriculum (BL4CD) by Dr. Paul Birevu Muyinda and
- Inter-disciplinary Enhancement of Science Education in the Uganda Primary Thematic Curriculum by Dr. Henry Busulwa.
The Chairperson of Council Mrs. Lorna Magara in her remarks welcomed the First Lady to CEES her college where she is a treasured alumna, and thanked her for the charismatic leadership of Uganda’s Education sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She noted that the Open Day had been made possible with generous support from Government to Research and Innovations at Makerere University to the tune of UGX 30 Billion annually and on behalf of the University leadership sincerely appreciated the gesture.
“The College of Education and External Studies has been a centre of excellence in pedagogy since the founding of the School of Education. Presently we have challenged the college to deliver research and innovations that prepare responsive professionals for the emerging realities in teaching and learning including globalization and technology and the COVID-19 situation and I can say that they have responded well” remarked Mrs. Magara.
The Chairperson of Council added that Makerere has relied on CEES for leadership through the Institute of Open, Distance and e-Learning (IODeL) to deliver the blended learning model, which enabled teaching and student assessment to continue during the COVID-19 lockdown.
The Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe in his remarks prior to the Chairperson’s welcomed the First Lady and Honourable Minister “home” and sincerely thanked her for the support in obtaining Cabinet approval for funds to reconstruct the University’s iconic Main Building.
He noted that Makerere was already taking giant steps one year into implementing her ten year strategic plan aimed at making her a research-led University, thanks to the generous support from the Government of Uganda through Mak-RIF and the Presidential Scientific Initiative on Epidemics (PRESIDE).
“The two interventions by Government have enabled us to improve our research infrastructure and avail funds to our researchers. Practically every College, School and Department is now engaged in research and development activities” appreciated Prof. Nawangwe.
The Vice Chancellor acknowledged the central role played by CEES in enabling the University to continue conducting teaching and assessment despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. “We are happy to share the expertise developed at Makerere with our sister universities in Uganda.”
He added that the seven research projects presented at the Open Day were proof of Makerere’s enormous capacity to find solutions to the challenges that face Uganda’s Education system right from Pre-Primary to Universities, especially in the wake of COVID-19. The Vice Chancellor renewed the University’s call to Government to fund graduate student education, noting that this would help the country to develop faster.
“Honourable Minister, Makerere is ready to support you in your enormous task of enabling recovery of the Education sector from the effects of COVID-19, and I would like to believe that the presentations that you have listened to and seen are testimony to that readiness” affirmed the Vice Chancellor.
Speaking on behalf of the Mak-RIF GMC, the Chairperson Prof. William Bazeyo paid tribute to Hon. Janet Museveni for being that Minister of Education and Sports that inspired Makerere to become a research-led University. “We responded to your call and here we are to show the fruits of what you inspired us to do and we sincerely thank you.”
He thanked the Chairperson of Council for embracing the Minister’s vision for Makerere University to become research-led and the Vice Chancellor for taking up the mantle. “Getting Makerere to have this research and come up with findings that help Government and respond to national development goals is not easy and I want to thank you Professor Nawangwe.”
Prof. Bazeyo equally paid tribute to the College Principals and researchers for coming up with projects that will impact the Ugandan society saying, “I want to thank my colleagues and congratulate the Principal and your team for the great job done.”
On this note, he was pleased to inform the Honourable Minister that findings from one of the projects “Enhancing Continued Learning to Rural Contexts during the COVID-19 Lockdown: Case of Kyotera District Rural Contexts” revealed that the greatest impact on teaching and learning during the COVID-19 lockdown had been as a result of the teaching materials whose distribution she strongly advocated for.
“And now we have evidence to show that what the Ministry (of Education and Sports) did was the right thing” added Prof. Bazeyo.
The Principal Prof. Fred Masagazi Masaazi in his address thanked the First Lady and Minister for accepting the invitation to grace the Open Day. “This is an important day in many ways; first, we are proving our capacity as a College in contributing to National Development through posing questions on Education issues and providing answers to some.”
He added that as Makerere University marks 100 years of service and contribution to the world, CEES had commenced her celebrations with the Open Day, and preparations were underway to host a reunion day for the College’s alumni adding, “We are hopeful that our Chief Guest will join us.”
Prof. Masagazi Masaazi shared that their research findings had indicated that the education sector was not likely to go back to the pre-COVID-19 school setting, but was well primed for change through innovative re-imagination. He cited curriculum, instructional materials, assessment, teacher preparation, retooling of teachers, leadership, and leadership development as some of the areas that would need to be innovatively re-imagined.
The Principal pledged his college’s commitment to continue providing innovative education solutions through the establishment of the Makerere University Institute of Teacher Education Research, “which will mainstream and further institutionalize cutting-edge research on teacher education in Uganda and beyond.”
On 17th June 2025, the Principal of the College of Education and External Studies at Makerere University, Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga hosted a meeting with Dr. Hanan Al Malki, the Director of Program and Centre Planning and Management at the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language, aimed at building institutionalized partnerships in language education in Uganda and globally.
The proposed collaboration presents Makerere University with a golden opportunity to increase the number of students studying the Arabic language at the Undergraduate and Masters’ degree levels respectively through provision of scholarships, as well as, staff and student exchange programmes.
With reference to the 2024/2025 academic year, over 40 students are studying Arabic Language studies under the Bachelor of Arts with Education degree programme, and two (2) students studying the Arabic language at the Masters degree level at the College of Education and External Studies.
Welcoming Director Malki to the College, Prof. Mugagga expressed the readiness of staff members to collaborate with reputable partners to promote language education in Uganda and globally. He was delighted that through this meeting, the College had embarked on a fruitful discussion to partner with an international academy established to teach, promote and preserve the Arabic language.
The meeting brought on board the following academic staff at Makerere University: Dr. Muhammad Kiggundu Musoke-Head, Department of Humanities and Language Education, Dr. Ayoub Twahir Sekitto-Coordinator Arabic Languages at the School of Education, and Dr. Ibrahim Ssali- Coordinator Arabic Language, College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Committed to forging collaboration with the College of Education and External Studies at Makerere University, Dr. Malki disclosed that partnering with universities was one of the most effective strategies in the promotion of the Arabic language, and revival of the Arabic culture in Uganda. In line with advancing the Arabic culture and values globally, Dr. Malki emphasized the academy’s focus on language planning, computational linguistics, education, and culture.
Contributing to the discussion on examining proficiency in the language, Dr. Malki recommended the use of digital testing to measure students’ proficiency in Arabic language.
During the meeting, both parties agreed to actively participate in the rejuvenation of Arabic studies at Makerere University and Uganda at large, through frameworks and institutionalized approaches guided by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU would set parameters for the collaboration integrating the proposed hosting of an Arabic Centre at Makerere University, provision of scholarships, staff and student mobility programmes, joint lectures and supervision, and establishment of teaching and learning facilities.
The College Principal supported the proposal to establish a specialized Arabic Institute with a Language Auditorium. According to Prof. Mugagga, the facility would provide one-stop centre for the teaching of the Arabic language and cultural exchange.
The Head of the Department of Humanities and Language Education, Dr. Kiggundu Musoke stressed the need to prioritize teacher training in the Arabic language field. He explained that through its degree programmes, the College of Education and External Studies trains a number of students/teachers, who on completion of their studies, contribute to the teaching, promotion and dissemination of the Arabic language in Uganda and beyond. However, the demand to enroll for the Arabic language studies is curtailed by the financial limitations faced by some of the prospective applicants.
Convinced that if the prospective students are supported financially to access University education the student enrollment in Arabic language studies would increase to the desired levels, Dr. Kiggundu Musoke urged members to expedite the finalization of the MoU to boost collaboration and provision of scholarships to both staff and students.
Makerere University has taken a significant step toward transforming its digital education landscape with the unveiling and stakeholder review of its Draft Master Plan for Open, Distance, and e-Learning (ODeL). The consultative workshop, held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at Hotel Africana, brought together university leadership, academic staff, student representatives, and development partners to review the 10-year roadmap aimed at scaling access to quality, affordable, and inclusive education.
The workshop was officially opened by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Professor Buyinza Mukadasi, who represented the Vice Chancellor. In his remarks, Prof. Buyinza underscored the transformative potential of the KOICA-supported initiative.
“This project is a significant milestone in our journey to enhance the university’s capacity in ODeL,” he noted. “With support from the people of the Republic of Korea, KOICA’s grant will enable us to strengthen our ODeL infrastructure, develop high-quality digital content, and build staff capacity. This investment will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on our institution and the wider education sector in Uganda.”
Prof. Buyinza also paid tribute to the late Prof. Sung Seyeoung, the head of the Project Management Consultant team in Seoul, who passed away earlier this year, describing him as “a dedicated partner in this transformative journey.”
The project, which began in 2024, is being implemented with technical support from the Korea National Open University (KNOU) and the Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS). It focuses on three core components: development of a strategic and contextualized ODeL masterplan; capacity building for academic, administrative, and technical staff; and enhancement of ODeL infrastructure, including a new Learning Management System (LMS), Content Management System (CMS), ICT equipment, and the construction of a dedicated ODeL building.
Professor Henry Alinaitwe, the Project Investigator, emphasized the forward-looking nature of the initiative. “Through this masterplan, we are not only expanding access to higher education across Uganda and beyond, but also redefining how knowledge is delivered in the 21st century,” he said.
The workshop aimed to disseminate information about the masterplan, gather stakeholder feedback, and prepare the document for preliminary approvals by the University Senate and Council. The draft was developed by a joint task force composed of Ugandan and Korean experts, including representatives from KNOU, KDS, Makerere’s Institute of Open, Distance and e-Learning (IODel), and the Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS).
Prof. Alinaitwe noted that all three project components are progressing steadily. Training sessions are underway both in Uganda and Korea, and the design for the Mak-ODeL building is currently 60% complete, with construction expected to commence later in the year.
The ODeL Master Plan (2025–2035) envisions Makerere as a regional hub for digital education. It outlines strategies to increase the number of accredited ODeL programmes, enhance ICT infrastructure, improve content development, and ensure that distance learners can access high-quality and flexible education through the university’s Moodle-based MUELE platform.
Speaking at the workshop, KOICA Country Director Ms. Ahn Jihee commended Makerere for its commitment to digital transformation. “We believe education is a powerful driver of national development, and we are proud to partner with Makerere University on this ambitious journey,” she said. “Our partnership is not just about technology, but about building resilient systems and empowered people who can shape the future.”
She also recognized the efforts of both Ugandan and Korean teams and encouraged continued dialogue and knowledge sharing.
Currently, only 8 of Makerere’s academic programmes are offered through ODeL. However, the university’s Strategic Plan (2020–2030) envisions a substantial increase in that number. The new masterplan draws from international best practices including models from KNOU, Hanoi Open University, and the Africa Virtual University.
Prof. Alinaitwe extended special thanks to KOICA and its Kampala-based experts Prof. Kim Hyunjoo and Mr. Kim Kihun for their ongoing support, and acknowledged the contributions of the Makerere team—Prof. Paul Muyinda, Dr. Godfrey Mayende, Dr. Harriet Nabushawo, Dr. Richard Kajumbula, Mr. Samuel Mugabi, and Co-PI Dr. Venny Nakazibwe.
“We are laying the foundation for a future where Makerere University can provide education that is not just accessible, but also adaptable to the needs of learners wherever they may be,” he concluded.
The masterplan, once finalized and approved, is expected to usher in a new era of blended, learner-centered education that meets both local and global demands.
In his closing remarks, Professor Anthony Mugagga, who represented the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), applauded participants for their insightful engagement. He emphasized the need for academic units to take ownership of ODeL implementation.
“The future of education is blended and borderless,” Prof. Mugagga said. “We must collectively embrace this shift—not just through policy, but through action: by developing new programmes, supporting learners, and investing in infrastructure that will carry us into the next generation of higher education.”
He also expressed appreciation to KOICA for its continued support and funding, which he said is helping to shape a more resilient and inclusive education system for Uganda and the region.
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