General
Chancellor Calls for Appreciation of Global Interconnectedness at 4th Kampala Geopolitics Launch
The Chancellor, Prof. Ezra Suruma while delivering his remarks at the opening ceremony of the Fourth Edition of the Kampala Geopolitics Conference has called for reflection on how COVID-19 demonstrated our interconnectedness as a human race, hence the need to work more closely together. The ceremony held in the Central Teaching Facility 2 (CTF 2) Auditorium on 10th November 2021 marked the beginning of the three-day conference on the theme; Crisis and Opportunity: Mapping the Geopolitical Importance of Africa.
“I am delighted to note that we indeed have people from many continents and as I was reflecting on this topic, it became clearer to me that indeed we live in one world. We may have lines drawn on the map and say this is Uganda, this is DRC and this is Egypt but these are lines on paper. In reality, we live in one global world” remarked Prof. Suruma.
He observed that the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the globe and the struggle to combat it through vaccination had led to a rise in vaccine nationalism. Prof. Suruma was therefore happy to learn that this topic would be discussed in depth at the conference.
The Chancellor further said that Uganda, given its location as a landlocked nation and the political developments in surrounding countries has a keen interest in geopolitics.
“Our hosting of large numbers of refugees, for example, is clear evidence of this fact. Geopolitics therefore is not a matter of indifference for Uganda. As seen historically and in contemporary history, Uganda has a great deal to ponder” said Prof. Suruma.
He thanked the partners Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the French Embassy in Uganda, French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs, UN Women Uganda and Alliance Française for their commitment to ensuring that this important conference is held annually.
“And thank you especially for choosing Makerere University. We appreciate this vote of confidence at this time that Makerere is celebrating 100 years of service to Uganda and to the world. This year-long celebration through a series of events will be an occasion to reflect on our achievements, our successes and our failures in the past century. It will also an opportunity to lay strategies for the future” shared the Chancellor.
In his address, the Ambasssador of France to Uganda, H.E. Jules-Armand Aniambossou noted that as Makerere University commemorates 100 years of existence, the topic on Re-imagining Higher Education for the Post-COVID-19 Era would be of special interest to the institution and conference.
“This specific panel will open up an opportunity to re-imagine the future of Education for Africa in the context of the global family especially through the lens of digitalisation” added the Ambassador.
H.E. Aniambossou reminded the audience that one of the main ideas behind the Kampala Geopolitics Conference was to promote freedom of speech. “And I believe that as every challenge brings an opportunity, this year’s hybrid edition will enable us to give the chance to more people to enjoy this freedom of speech by interacting both physically and virtually with our guest panelists.”
The opening ceremony was also addressed by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Country Representative, Ms. Anna Reismann who noted that a university does not exist in a vacuum but is embedded into society and has impact on its development, just as society has an impact on the institution’s life.
“Therefore, also my congratulations on successful 100 years of navigating Makerere University through different political challenges, social developments and surely, some administrative constraints. Looking into the future of the university, one is certain the challenges might change but they will also always remain” said Ms. Reismann.
Turning to the Conference theme, she noted that the crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the opportunities that are arising from it have placed Africa as an important region on the global map. She added that Africa is an important player in the peace and security dialogue, as an investment destination and trading partner, as a contender in addressing global challenges as well as an arena where different powers compete for influence.
Still on the topic of influence, Ms. Sylvie Matelly, Deputy Director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) who addressed the conference virtually admitted that it was a source of great pride for her institution, that their annual conference on contemporary international relations held in Nantes, France had birthed the idea of an annual Kampala Geopolitics Conference.
“Moreover, people used to think that because of the complexity of such topics the debate is just a private one but we are privileged that this is a public one and that is exactly why the Geopolitics of Kampala is a success year after year and I hope it will continue for a long time” remarked Ms. Matelly.
“After a very difficult period, we are pleased that we can again hold this event in person at Makerere University as we approach the 100 year celebration of the University as well as the 30th year since the foundation of Makerere University School of Women and Gender Studies” said Ms. Adekemi Ndieli, Deputy Country Representative UN Women, Uganda as she commenced her remarks.
Quoting the former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Ms. Ndieli said “The world is wasting a precious resource as the dramatic underrepresentation of women which results in exclusion of talents and skills in the economy.”
She therefore said that the Kampala Geopolitics Conference is an important opportunity for UN Women to elevate women’s voices and hear their input and solutions across a broad range of topics. The topics range from climate action to feminist movements building to transitional justice and to engagement in outer space. The elevation, she noted, should be viewed in the light that gender equality is not only a pressing moral or social imperative but is a critical economic challenge.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are living in unprecedented times as we all know and the COVID-19 pandemic has presented us one of the greatest challenges of our generation. Beyond the virus itself the response to COVID-19 has exposed deep inequalities in our societies and in global partnerships across the world” she added.
Ms. Ndieli continued to say that whereas COVID-19 had had disproportionate and devastating effects on social and economic life, these effects were more pronounced among the most vulnerable and as such, had tested the ability of states to come together to address the global challenges. “However, it has also presented us with unprecedented opportunities to build back better.”
The opening ceremony was followed by a panel discussion on Re-imagining Higher Education for the Post-COVID-19 Era, where the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe was joined by Ms. Sylvie Matelly, Mr. Benjamin Rukwengye, Founder and CEO – Boundless Minds Uganda and Moderator Mr. James Kassaga , ED and Co-Founder – Teach for Uganda.
The Vice Chancellor shared that through partnerships with international collaborators, Makerere University had built a formidable force of academics that do research in all areas, and in the case of COVID-19, were very much aware of issues to do with online education.
“Online education is the future, even without the pandemic” said Prof. Nawangwe. “If Uganda’s population doubles, with the infrastructure we have now, we cannot take in all those children who will be seeking higher education” he added.
Prof. Nawangwe said the university had taken advantage of the resources it had to train all staff in online education as well as alternative methods of education. This, he said, had ensured that Makerere had not suffered as much as the rest of the Ugandan education sector during COVID-19.
“We as the leading university have got the responsibility and obligation to support the other universities and other institutions to come out of this. And we are currently working with organizations around the world to train our colleagues at other universities on online education” said Prof. Nawangwe.
This panel was followed by another on Vaccine Nationalism and Diplomacy in the Times of the Pandemic, moderated by Dr. Milton Mutto, a Global Health Research Scientist. Panelists included Ms. Anne Senequier (IRIS), Dr. Alfred Driwale (MoH), Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dean, Makerere University School of Public Health, Dr. Olaf Wientzek (KAS Geneva) and Mr. Andrew Bakainanga (WHO).
Prof. Wanyenze in her submission had noted that the struggle of who wins the vaccine war had given rise to a vaccine infodemic characterized by misinformation about the efficacy of some vaccines, resulting in their rejection by some sections of the public.
Touching on vaccine equity, she noted that up to 90% of the world vaccine market is controlled by a few companies, resulting in scarcity of vaccines such as the Covid-19 one, even for nations that had the money to purchase them.
“We talked about test kits for COVID-19. At the beginning you could hardly get them and buy them even when you had the money on the table. It was just the same dynamics as what you see for the COVID-19 vaccines. The same is true for the new COVID-19 drugs” she shared.
The Fourth Edition of the Kampala Geopolitics Conference that runs until Friday 12th November 2021 has adopted the format of Twitter Spaces at 12:30 PM on Day 1 and Day 2 as well as at 7:00 PM on all three days.
Join the Conversation using the #KampalaGeopolitics hashtag.
College of Health Sciences Quality Assurance (QA) Training in Assessments, Pedagogy and Competence Based Curriculum Held 18–19 June 2026 at Esella Hotel.
Pedagogy, Assessment and Supervision Training Workshop
The College of Health Sciences has embarked on the journey to improve the teaching, assessment and preparation for the adoption of the competence-based curriculum.
The training was held on 18-19 June 2026, at Esella Hotel, Kira, the training targeted the teaching assistants, lecturers’ senior lecturers’ key administrators and some PhD fellows, generally the early career academic staff that are yet growing in the ranks.
Objectives
- Equip participants with modern pedagogical approaches for effective teaching and learning.
- Review and harmonize assessment strategies to ensure quality and fairness in academic evaluation.
- Enhance supervisory competencies for guiding graduate students in research and academic progress.
- Foster collaboration and shared experiences among facilitators, supervisors, and administrators.
The key focus areas for the training
- Guidelines in Assessment & Course Outlines- Dr. Cyprian Misinde -Chief Quality Assurance Officer.
- Competence Based Education and Assessment- Dr. Mike Kagawa
- Advancing continuous improvement in teaching, learning through teaching styles -Dr. Ssebowa Dorothy.
- Teaching methods Knowledge production and acquisition- Dr. Peter Ssenkusu
- Graduate Supervision Challenges and Opportunities- Prof. Grace Ndeezi.
- Competence Based Curriculum in line with the NCHE- Dr. Innocent Besigye.
- Feedback mechanisms in training- Dr. Irene Rebecca Namatende.
Key Outcomes for this training
- The participants gained the understanding of learner-centered teaching approaches and pedagogical principles.
- Acquired new skills supervisory skills, particularly in guiding research and addressing student challenges.
- Consensus on adopting standardized assessment tools across graduate programmes.
- Practical exposure to teaching models and interactive learning methods.
- Development of action plans for continuous professional development in pedagogy and supervision.
- The participants also acquired more skills in line with the competence-based curriculum as required by the National Council for Higher Education.
During the Discussion Key important Questions emerged as follows:
- Who supervises the supervisor?
- What is the difference between notion hours and contact hours?
- The 60/40 way of assessments—can it be independent for every course unit taught or allocated differently?
- How do we manage difficult supervisors?
- How do we Coerce PhD students to be fully involved in departmental activities without them feeling Coerced?
- How much time do we need to prepare for the review of the programmes in line with the competence-based curriculum as required by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and the World Health Organization (WHO)?
We truly thank the facilitators and the participants who made this training very informative and enlightened. We also appreciate the Principal/Deputy CHS, the Chief QA Officer, Makerere University and the University Management for the enormous support and for making this activity possible.
Dr. Irene Rebecca Namatende
Quality Assurance 0ffice
College of Health Sciences,
Makerere University
The Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs (DVCAA) Prof. Sarah Ssali on 15th July 2026 commended the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU)’s Industrial Trainee Program, describing it as the perfect hands-on intervention for the future workforce. She made the comments while on a guided tour of RENU’s on-campus Lab facility where ten undergraduate students from Makerere and other Universities are undergoing a two-month practical training.
Origin of tour
The tour was prompted by a 24th June 2026 meeting with a RENU delegation led by CEO, Mr. Nicholas Mbonimpa, aimed at broadening the existing partnership with Makerere University beyond internet service provision to supporting teaching, learning and research activities. During the said meeting, Prof. Ssali expressed Makerere‘s desire to produce graduates that are not only academically grounded but also cognizant of the needs of the job market.
In his response then, Mr. Mbonimpa expressed RENU’s readiness to continue advancing digital transformation through advancing resilient connectivity, research infrastructure, and innovative initiatives that enhance teaching, learning, and research. He shared that the Senate Building’s computer network had been revamped in line with advancing resilient connectivity, and the initiative would be expanded to the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) buildings and other premises subsequently.
The RENU CEO further highlighted that resilient connectivity forms a good basis for the proposed Open Radio Access Network (RAN) Architecture deployment set to be done within six months, so as to boost training of students in 5G and other technologies. Other initiatives discussed included training staff and students on acquisition of Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID) to improve visibility of their publications and research output.
Training Program Lauded
Addressing student interns during the 15th July guided tour, the DVCAA who was accompanied by the 92nd Guild Speaker Rt. Hon. Trevis Mutatiina Muhwezi urged beneficiaries to harness all the technical and social opportunities accorded by the Program. “Not all students in your respective academic programmes had the benefit of being exposed to this kind of training so please make the most of it and utilize skills gained here beyond the classroom setting”.
The 2026 Industrial Trainee Program is equipping students with skills on how to diagnose and repair ICT equipment based on old and disused stock.
Prof Ssali was also toured the makerspace where solar-powered routers are manufactured and deployed to extend internet connectivity to both rural and urban locations. In 2023, RENU partnered with Mesh++, a Chicago-based connectivity solutions manufacturer, to manufacture solar-powered internet routers in Uganda. Since inception, over 200 units have been manufactured and deployed across various sites in Uganda, while over 80 units have been shipped to various African countries such as Malawi, Rwanda and South Sudan under the RENUMESH Technologies joint venture.
Partnerships Inspiring New Prototypes
The RENU CEO nevertheless pointed to a long turnaround time for shipping parts from the U.S. as one of the drawbacks hindering the product’s rapid deployment. As a result, RENU, in response to the Ugandan Government’s call for import substitution and local capacity development is developing a solar-powered internet router with some of the components sourced from Ugandan companies Innovex and Chloride Excide.
“Innovex will supply the Internet of Things (IoT) component to help RENU remotely monitor and control the router while Chloride Excide will provide the batteries” Mr. Mbonimpa explained. He added that some of the current lot of trainees were already running simulations on the prototype and proposing how the device can be further refined so as to increase its portability and reduce its price.
A call for Expansion
At the conclusion of the tour, Prof. Ssali who commended the use of modular Ugandan components for the prototype thanked the RENU team to exposing students to real-world technological deployments. She nevertheless urged the CEO and his team to expand the program’s intake beyond ten trainees and duration beyond the current two months so as to give students a richer experience.
The CEO RENUMESH Technologies Mr. Brian Masiga thanked the DVCAA for following up their 24th June meeting with the visit, which demonstrates that the University Management values students’ development of practical skills. He equally thanked Prof. Ssali for Management’s support to RENU activities and pledged to further refine the prototype to produce a cheaper and more portable proudly Ugandan product.
General
Makerere University Launches First Writing Summer School to Strengthen Professional Writing Skills.
KAMPALA, UGANDA, EAST AFRICA| July 6, 2026.
Makerere University has officially launched its inaugural writing summer school, a week long professional development program aimed at equipping students, graduates, researchers and staff with practical writing skills required for academic excellence and success in today’s competitive job market. The program jointly organized by the Makerere University Writing Centre and Makerere University Press (MakPress), reflects the University’s commitment to nurturing graduates with not only academic knowledge but also the communication skills needed to thrive professionally.
Held virtually, the launch attracted more than 280 participants from Makerere University and other higher education institutions, demonstrating the growing demand for structured writing support beyond the classroom.
Building the Next Generation of Writers.
Speaking at the launch, the Director of Makerere Writing Press, Prof. William Tayeebwa, said the summer school represents an important investment in developing writers before their work reaches publication.
“The press has traditionally focused on publishing books, journals and scholarly work. Today, we are expanding that mission by helping and develop the writers who will produce tomorrow’s publication.
He noted that MakPress continues to support the publication of books and scholarly works produced by members of the Makerere Community. Using recently published books authored by a member of staff and a student as examples, he encouraged participants to submit manuscripts for publishing support rather than relying solely on self publication.
Writing as a Foundation for Academic and Professional Success.
Chairperson of the Makerere University Writing Centre, Prof. Frederick Muyodi, said the center was established to strengthen the writing competences among students, researchers and university staff.
” The Writers Center is here to support every stage of the writing process from CVs and application letters to research manuscripts, grant proposals, reports and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in writing.”
He explained that the Centre supports writing across multiple disciplines and professional contexts, adding that its long term vision is to extend writing support beyond Makerere University to institutions across Uganda and the East African region.
Equipping Graduates for the Labour Market.
Officially launching the summer school, the First Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Sarah Ssali, described the initiative as a strategic investment in preparing graduates for an increasingly competitive labour market.
She observed that while universities successfully impart disciplinary knowledge, many graduates leave campus without the practical writing skills required to secure employment and other professional opportunities.
“We teach content very, but many students are never taught how to write an effective CV, application letter, motivation statement or scholarly essay. Yet these are the documents that often determine whether someone secures an opportunity.”
Prof. Ssali said the writing summer school would bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional practice by equipping participants with market ready communication skills.
Reaffirming her office’s commitment to the initiative, she added:
“My office is pleased to support this initiative as we institutionalize the Writing Summer School to ensure that Makerere graduates leave not only with degrees but also with practical competencies needed to thrive professionally,”
She officially declared the inaugural Writing Summer School open and expressed optimism that future editions would attract even more participants and resources.
Participants Gain Practical CV Writing Skills.
The first technical session was facilitated by Mr. Abdul Noor Luttamaguzi, a PhD student in the Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences within the School of Bio sciences at Makerere University, a Senior Fisheries Officer with Luweero District Local Government, and the founder and director of the ANL Foundation, an organization that supports youth employment and capacity building.
During the session, he guided participants on developing competitive CVs tailored to specific professionals and employer expectations. He emphasized that applicants should customize their CVs to suit each opportunity instead of submitting the same document for every application. Participants also learned how effectively present their education, work experience, leadership roles technical competencies and professional achievements, while avoiding unnecessary personal information. Practical demonstrations using professional specific CVs provided participants with hands on examples of preparing competitive job application documents.
Looking Ahead.
The Writing Summer School continues throughout the week sessions on application letter writing, responsible use of artificial intelligence, professional communication and other essential writing skills aimed at improving academic productivity and employablity.
Through initiatives such as the Writing Summer School, Makerere University continues to strengthen its commitment to producing graduates who are not academically accomplished but also equipped with practical communication skills that enable them to compete and lead in today’s global workplace.
-
General2 weeks agoRE-ADVERT: Admission to Undergraduate Programmes 2026/27
-
General2 weeks agoStakeholders of Mastercard Foundation Initiatives at Makerere University Convene to Review Progress and Strengthen Collaboration
-
General7 days agoPress Release: Updates on Makerere University’s Staffing, 2026/7 Academic Calendar, Ebola Response Leadership
-
General2 weeks agoMakerere Strengthens Capacity to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Gender-Based Violence
-
General5 days agoDVCAA Commends RENU Industrial Training Programme, Calls for its Expansion