General
Mak & Semmelweis Sign MoU to Deepen Collaboration
Makerere University and the Medical University of Budapest, “Semmelweis”, Hungary on Monday 25th October 2021 held discussions and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration between the two institutions. The MoU was signed on behalf of Makerere University by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and on behalf of Semmelweis by the Rector, Prof. Béla Merkely and Vice Rector, Prof. Attila Szabó. The visiting delegation was accompanied by the Ambassador H.E. Dr. Janos Tereyi and Staff from the Embassy of Hungary in Uganda.
Welcoming the delegation, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe observed that the visit and MoU signing were timely, as Makerere embarks on the year-long celebrations to mark 100 years of contributing to building the region’s human resource among other milestones.
“We have also recently embarked on the implementation of our 10-year strategic plan which seeks to make us more research-led and so as to contribute to national development and produce more innovations and spinoffs to provide employment for our growing population” remarked the Vice Chancellor.
Prof. Nawangwe noted that Makerere, given its location in the tropics, is a vibrant centre for research in the clinical disciplines particularly infectious diseases, with malaria posing some of the greatest challenges. “Just this morning I addressed ten universities meeting in Entebbe, leading a consortium to eradicate malaria in Africa.”
He added that with funding from the Government of Uganda, Makerere was conducting a lot of research on COVID-19 and had been instrumental in the supporting government’s management of the disease in the country. The Vice Chancellor clarified that despite the dominance by health sciences, the University’s research output cuts across all disciplines such as agriculture, engineering, veterinary medicine, the arts and humanities, among others and is renowned for producing some of the best writers.
Speaking on behalf of the delegation the Rector, Prof. Béla Merkely thanked the Vice Chancellor and Members of Management for the warm welcome to the world renowned Makerere University. Continuing from where Prof. Nawangwe had left off, he added that his University equally played a key role in Hungary’s fight against COVID-19 and as Rector, he is the Main Advisor to the Prime Minister in that field.
The Rector shared that Semmelweis’ staff and student COVID-19 vaccination ratios stand at over 90%, including international scholars who make up over 31% of the total student population, and 52.9% of students in the University’s Faculty of Medicine. Hungary has to date vaccinated 6million (63%) of its population.
Prof. Merkely is a clinician who still performs diagnostic coronarographies, pacemaker, Mitraclip and other implantations reported that Semmelweis University is ranked among the top 100 institutions in the “Cardiology and Cardiovascular System” field.
“Semmelweis University achieved the best ranking this year and improved twenty-five places to become the 87th best higher education institution in the world in this field” added the Rector.
Prof. Merkely shared that Semmelweis University had in the past worked with the Uganda Heart Institute and supported the Hungarian Goverment to implement a project to modernise the Cardiology Department of Mulago National Referral Hospital.
In terms of potential collaboration, Prof. Merkely said that Semmelweis has a strong PhD programme and has over the years developed a lot of innovations in the health sciences and trained the majority of its staff in specialised fields of medicine. This, he attributed to the presence of a University-owned 2,100-bed teaching hospital that offers continuous professional development to staff.
Prof. Nawangwe concluded the discussions by acknowledging that we had the rare opportunity to collaborate with a Rector who is a clinician. He added that the Government of Uganda was fully aware of the importance of Makerere University having its own teaching hospital and was keen to address the matter.
Present during the discussions and MoU signing ceremony were the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-Dr. Umar Kakumba, University Secretary-Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, Director Human Resouces-Dr. Davis Malowa Ndanyi, University Bursar-Mr. Evarist Bainomugisha, and Academic Registrar-Mr. Alfred Masikye Namoah.
Also present were the Director Internal Audit-Mr. Walter Yorac Nono, Director Research and Graduate Training-Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, Dean of Students-Mrs. Winifred Kabumbuli, Ag. Director Quality Assurance-Prof. Sarah Kiguli, Manager Procurement and Disposal Unit-Mr. Paul Agaba, Deputy Principal College of Health Sciences-Prof. Isaac Kajja and Principal Legal Officer-Ms. Esther Kabinga. The visit was coordinated by the International Relations Officer-Ms. Martha Muwanguzi.
The Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe has today, Friday, 26th June 2026 handed over the CCE (Complex) Hall of Residence Site to National Enterprise Corporation (NEC) Managing Director and CEO, Lieutenant General James Mugira for renovation and overhaul works. The UGX 12billion Government of Uganda-funded works, expected to be completed within a year, are the fourth project to be undertaken by NEC. They were preceded by; construction of the University Perimeter Wall, Renovation of Lumumba Hall, and Renovation of Mary Stuart Hall.
NEC’s Record Lauded
Prof. Nawangwe in his remarks at the handover ceremony lauded these projects. “The quality of work done by NEC makes us proud because we can finally say that we have Ugandans who can do the things, which we previously depended on foreigners to do.” He therefore thanked the Government of Uganda for fully funding the projects and the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Museveni, whose visit set the renovation projects in motion.
The Vice Chancellor added that as the Alma mater for most members of both the Contractor and Project Management Teams, this was a moment of great pride as their expertise and skills have saved the country billions of taxpayers’ money. “Thank you for being patriotic”, he commended.
Prof. Nawangwe concluded by noting that CCE Hall, by virtue of its location, provides a first impression of Makerere University as a whole. He therefore urged the contractor to ensure that upon renovation, CCE Hall would create a memorable and lasting first impression, exceeding even that of the renovated Mary Stuart Hall.
A Project Fueled by Nostalgia
Speaking of impressions, Lt. Gen. Mugira, with nostalgia recalled that close to 42 years ago, he not only attended his first lectures in Hall 1 of the CCE Complex but also, on a more personal note added, “my wife was a resident, and so I have every motivation to put in a lot of effort and make sure that I deliver more than was done with Mary Stuart and Lumumba.”
He therefore extended heartfelt appreciation to his Alma mater Makerere University for the trust and confidence bestowed in NEC, which underscored their ability to deliver. “Trust is earned through performance, through integrity and consistency, and your decision to engage us motivates us to work even harder to exceed your expectations.”
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration) Prof. Henry Alinaitwe reechoed the need to ensure that the project is executed with adherence to the cost, quality, specifications and safety related issues as earlier shared by the Acting (Ag.) Chief Engineer of Estates and Works, Eng. Ezra Sekadde.
“NEC has already demonstrated this (with previous projects), and that is why we have all the confidence that you can deliver this project within 12 months” remarked Prof. Alinaitwe. He equally lauded the Project Management Team (PMT) led by Arch. Dr. Kenneth Ssemwogerere whose supervision ensures timely project completion.
Relatedly, Arch. Dr. Semwogerere was on 25th June 2026, the eve of the handover, promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, a milestone Prof. Alinaitwe attributed to his track record as Head of PMT. He therefore, on a light note, urged him to keep up the good work as this could equally contribute to his promotion to the rank of full Professor.
Also present at the handover ceremony was the Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES) Prof. Anthony Mugagga, whose unit will be greatly affected by the renovations. He nevertheless welcomed and reiterated his full support for the project, noting that just as renovation of Lumumba and Mary Stuart Halls had resulted in many alumni revisiting, the CCE Complex would upon renovation attract former residents and teaching professionals to give back or forge new partnerships.
Student Welfare at the Forefront
On her part, the Dean of Students Dr. Winifred Kabumbuli lauded the renovations of Halls of Residence as a clear demonstration of Government’s dedication to the improvement of student welfare, and creating an environment conducive for nurturing responsible citizens who can contribute to national development. She pledged her Office’s and the Student Leadership’s readiness to ensure that the renovated facilities used responsibly for the benefit of future generations.
As a resident of the recently renovated Mary Stuart Hall, 92nd Guild President H.E. Kadondi Gracious could not help but appreciate how impactful the renovation of CCE Hall would be to student welfare. “The female students will be very excited (to occupy CCE Hall) but the male students will be left complaining – so we shall be expecting more renovations, not just for the female but also the male students,” she amiably concluded.
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