The Guest of Honour-Prof. Mary J N Okwakol (C) and the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-Dr. Umar Kakumba (3rd R) are joined by R-L: Deputy Principal CEES-Dr. Paul Birevu Muyinda, the Principal Investigator Dr. Arthur Mugisha, UCU Chair ODeL-Dr. Stephen Kyakulumbye, Dr. Alex Okot and Ms. Juliet Nabirye during the launch of the Comprehensive Evaluation of Blended Learning Uptake at Makerere University on December 14, 2021, CTF2 Auditorium, Makerere University.
The College of Education and External Studies (CEES) has launched research to evaluate the processes and outcomes of blended learning at Makerere University. Blended learning is a teaching approach that combines physical classes with online learning.
Blended learning uptake at Makerere University has since become a necessity following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic which saw the closer of all learning institutions.
Speaking during the launch, Dr. Arthur Mugisha, the Principal Investigator of the project said his team will evaluate the learners’ satisfaction and the different modes of delivery.
The Principal Investigator, Dr. Arthur Mugisha.
“We shall document the learners’ challenges, establish solutions to the challenges and document proposed ideal blended learning approaches which take care of the learners needs and expectations,” Dr. Mugisha said.
It was noted however, that although blended learning became popular during the pandemic, the pedagogy had started in 1991 with student of Bachelors of Education External of B. Commerce External, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academics Affairs, Prof. Kakumba Umar revealed.
Professor Kakumba noted that the Open Distance e-learning system (MUELE) is something that should have been embraced and taken seriously when it was first introduced in the University in 1991.
The Chief Guest Prof. Mary J.N. Okwakol (L) and DVCAA Dr. Umar Kakumba (R).
Prof. Kakumba said after the senate approval of the e-learning module in 2014, the office of academic affairs saw it fit to institutionalize e-learning hence the creation of the Institute of Online and Distance E-learning (IODEL) which was approved in 2015. The DVC noted that before the pandemic, 30% of the University colleges were enrolled on the Makerere University E-Learning Environment, but this has changed, seeing 100 % enrollment by colleges.
With the growth of blended learning update, the university has engaged in various activities to ease the uptake of e-learning at Makerere. Some of the things the university is doing, according to Prof. Kakumba include;
IODeL benchmarking on online course design.
Staff capacity building in online utilisation of emergency ODeL courses development.
Student capacity building for emergency ODeL awareness and practicability.
Needs assessment for staff and students in the use of ODeL for teaching and learning.
NCHE Approval of emergency ODeL
The Deputy Principal CEES, Dr. Paul Birevu Muyinda addresses participants.
As revealed by Dr. Mugisha, the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic forced the university to implement blended learning across all programmes in the university. “For sustainability and to ensure the full potential of blended learning is achieved, the project proposes to comprehensively evaluate the adoption and utilization of blended learning with focus on students’ participation, expectations and benefits accruing from the mode of teaching,” Dr. Mugisha said.
In order to ensure proper findings and evaluation for the blended learning pedagogy, Dr Mugisha said the project intends to use primary data collected from 380 respondents in 10 colleges of the University and this will be from a cross-sectional survey design employing a mixed research approach. Focus group discussions shall be held with system administrators while face-to-face discussions will be held with key informants.
Prof. Mary J. N. Okwakol addresses the participants.
This kind of survey will enable them develop long lasting strategies to ease the use of blended learning at the University as it is the new normal in the academic sphere.
The occasion was graced by the Executive Director of National Council for Higher Education, Prof. Mary J. N. Okwakol, who said it is high time the country started an open and e-learning university.
“At some point I thought we were almost there; I don’t know what happened. Countries like Tanzania, Malaysia and the University of Nigeria that have open learning, have a student enrollment of over 70,000 students,” she noted.
Dr. Stephen Kyakulumbye, Chair Centre for Open Distance Learning and CPD, Office of the DVCAA, UCU.
Most of the things to be put into consideration for a successful blended learning as pointed out by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) of Uganda Christian University (UCU), Rev. Dr. J. Kitayimbwa, included the attitude both from students and lecturers, skilled personnel, internet accessibility, possession of tools or gadgets to use, efficiency among others.
Makerere University Guild President-elect Shamim Nambassa speaking on behalf of the student community called upon the stakeholders to lobby the Ministry of ICT to scrap off the 3% tax on internet bundles to enable students easily access their classes because “the bundles are already expensive.”
87th Guild President, H.E. Shamim Nambassa.
The project team include Dr. Arthur Mugisha as the principal investigator, Dr. Harriet Najjemba co-Principal Investigator, Dr. Paul Birevu Muyinda, Dr. Jessica N, Aguti, Mr. Joshua Bateeze, Dr. Aine Robert.
Web-based correspondence or distance education was pioneered in South Africa by the University of South Africa in 1946 a thing that shows that blended learning has been in existence for many years but its uptake has been slow until the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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.
Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, CEES Principal, delivering his opening remarks.
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.
Dr. Hanan AL Malki, the Director of Program and Center Planning and Management at the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language.
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.
Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, Principal CEES receiving a sovereign gift from the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language.
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.
Professor Buyinza Mukadasi enjoys a light moment.
“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.”
Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, Ms. Ahn Jihee and part of the audience at the event.
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.
Professor Henry Alinaitwe.
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.
Left to Right: Part of the Makerere team—Co-PI Dr. Venny Nakazibwe, Dr. Harriet Nabushawo, PI Prof. Henry Alinaitwe, and Prof. Paul Birevu Muyinda.
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.
Ms. Ahn Jihee.
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.
Professor Anthony Muwagga Mugagga.
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.
The escalating fight between veteran US President Donald Trump and the powerful American institutions like Harvard University is politics, it’s bare-faced incursion into intellectual freedom that can reshape the international world of higher education, particularly for Africans. The latest “scandal,” Trump’s combative condemnation of colleges as liberal ideological hotbeds, amplified by legal intimidation and political retaliation against colleges like Harvard, is damaging America’s international reputation as the academic gold standard. Unless the trend continues, African scholars have long regarded American colleges as embodiments of intellectual liberty will seek further afield, such as China’s Tsinghua University, and redefine the landscape of scholarship.
Trump himself, bloated-check on his 2024 campaign and beyond, denounces elite universities as “woke” indoctrination centers. Demands to defund universities, ideological segregation, and laser-beam focus on diversity programs have chilled the atmosphere. Harvard, already on trial for affirmative action and accused of suppressing conservative thinking, is under greater scrutiny than ever. The Trump-endorsed Supreme Court win in 2023 over the case against racially discriminatory admissions, as a triumph for Trump and his faithful, has been exerting political pressure on institutions to fall in line. Politicization is destroying the very essence of intellectual freedom: freedom to pursue truth through means of open-ended inquiry, unhampered by interference.
For African students, it is shattering the American academic dream. America has been the preferred destination of African Muslims for many years, with 400,000 or more African students enrolled in American universities by 2023. Harvard stands for hope, intellectual activism, and interdependence worldwide. But when academic freedom is attacked, either in Muslim nations by executive fiat or group demonization, students question the system. The image of American universities as payoff politics centers rather than temples of knowledge is a great discourager.
Take the case of China, which has placed its universities at the world map. Tsinghua University, affectionately referred to as “China’s MIT,” features among the top 20 universities in the world with state-of-the-art research in AI, engineering, and global governance. China’s Belt and Road initiative has already prompted scholarship collaborations with Africa, awarding more than 50,000 African students scholarship annually. China provides an open alternative to America, in which political anti-foreigner prejudice and visa controls have tightened but in which Tsinghua’s insistence upon technical discipline and non-Western-inspired political scandal-mongering offers a sanctuary to those denied security and possibility.
Life for African students is a game. If the shine fades from American campuses, Nigerian, Kenyan, or Ghanaian students may be lured by the more appealing prospect of subsidized campuses and meritocratic competition culture of Tsinghua. Chinese universities, though not inexpensive, are another deal: intellectual seriousness untainted by ideational competition distorting American campuses. To Africans bureaucratically and financially strained in America, China’s streamlined visa process and subsidized schooling are appealing. Tsinghua welcomed 20% more African applicants in 2024, and the figures can only go up if America’s learning environment deteriorates.
This has far-reaching implications. Chinese-educated Africans will increasingly adopt the Beijing approach to geopolitics, enhancing China’s soft power in Africa. America will lose the intellectual and cultural capital that it has gained through decades of exportation of Africa’s best and brightest for studies in its institutions. Harvard-educated African leaders have led the innovation and governance driver in the continent; a transition to Tsinghua would funnel those networks into China’s quarter. In order to ensure academic freedom and global competitiveness, America should not politicize its colleges and universities. Institutional autonomy must be upheld by academics and legislative members in a situation where scholarship, rather than ideology, is the basis of higher education. For the students from Africa, the consequence is ominous: college selection not only determines their future but that of the continent. And if the Trump-Harvard soap opera continues chewing away at American scholarship’s trust factor, Tsinghua’s gates will swing wider and wider, and Africa’s best and brightest will walk through them with the U.S. in their rearview mirror.
About the Author
Eutychus Ngotho Gichuru is a Doctoral Student at East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development, College of Education and External Studies (CEES), Makerere University.