Engineering, Art & Tech

Mak & Partners receive a grant worth EUR 6.9 Million

Published

4 years ago

December 8, 2021

Kick-off meeting for the project partners held on 17-18th November 2021 at Universidad de Jaen (UJA), Linares, Spain. Courtesy Photo.

Makerere University, together with 28 other partners across Africa and Europe have been awarded funding of EUR 6,962,820 by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 to collaborate and implement a five-year project “Renewable Energies for Africa: Effective Valorization of Agri-food Wastes (REFFECT AFRICA).”

The project seeks to demonstrate innovative, reliable, and adapted sustainable energy solutions based on the valorization of biomass wastes from the agri-food industry. REFFECT AFRICA will build biomass gasification demonstrators at three African locations including Ghana, Morocco, and South Africa. The project will cover both urbanized and rural contexts in Africa, as well as the different socio-economic backgrounds. The demonstrators will be adapted and optimized to a wide variety of biomass wastes available in the specified locations, producing electricity for productive use.

Beyond electricity, the installed demonstrators will provide a range of secondary uses to communities to close the energy-food-water cycle. These include heating or cooling, biochar, steam for sterilization or food processing, water and pathogen analysis. Other business model approaches in REFFECT AFRICA include biomass supply and logistics. Beyond these, the partners in REFFECT AFRICA will take advantage of digital tools to;1) achieve more useful and profitable exploitation pathways for plant operators and entrepreneurs, 2) impact policymakers in order to boost the transition to renewables in Africa and 3) train and raise awareness on a new generation of African stakeholders.

Related Topics:Africa biomass CEDAT digital Energy entrepreneur EU Food gasification Horizon 2020 industry policy REFFECT renewable solutions sustainable tools Volarization

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CEDAT’s OSHE Project Team Meet OSH Officials at Ministry of Gender to Strengthen National Safety Policies

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1 week ago

November 28, 2025

Alex Isemaghendera

Makerere University’s School of Engineering has taken a bold step toward reshaping national safety standards. On November 21, 2025, a team spearheading the project to advance Occupational Safety, Health, and Environment (OSHE) knowledge and skills paid a strategic visit to the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, laying the foundation for stronger national frameworks in workplace safety and sustainability.

The engagement, supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering, marked a pivotal effort to align academic expertise with government policy and industrial practice. The initiative represents a significant moment in bridging academic research, industrial realities, and government priorities, setting the stage for stronger national frameworks that safeguard workers and promote sustainable development.

By Kikomeko Pius & Harriet Musinguzi

Click here for more details

Engineering, Art & Tech

Ministry of Defense and Veteran Affairs Conducts Stakeholder Consultation on Defense Research and Development Policy at Makerere University

Published

1 week ago

November 28, 2025

Alex Isemaghendera

On November 26th, 2025, the Ministry of Defence and Veteran Affairs (MODVA) held a stakeholder consultation at Makerere University as part of the ongoing development of Uganda’s Defence Research and Development Policy. Hosted at the College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT), the meeting brought together defense officials, academics, and subject-matter experts to align national security priorities with advanced research and innovation.

Prof. Moses Musinguzi, Principal of the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), chaired the meeting on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. The engagement was convened to gather expert input in shaping Uganda’s Defense Research and Development Policy. According to MODVA, the consultation sought to strengthen partnerships between the ministry and Makerere University in advancing defense-related research. It also aimed to harness science, technology, and innovation to modernize Uganda’s defense capabilities, identify opportunities for training and knowledge exchange, and harmonize defense research initiatives with the country’s broader national security and development goals.

Written by Harriet Musinguzi, Principal Communication Officer, CEDAT

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Engineering, Art & Tech

Erasmus Exchange Prof.’s Mak Photo wins Poland National Prize

Published

2 weeks ago

November 24, 2025

Mak Editor

Dr. Tomasz Padło (Right) with the Dean Margaret Trowel School of Industrial and Fine Art (MTSIFA) Assoc. Prof. Amanda Tumusiime (Centre) and the International Relations Office's Ms. Betty Nabisubi (Left). Dr. Tomasz Padło, Erasmus Exchange Professor from UKEN, Poland won first prize in the prestigious Grand Press Photo 2025 competition in the Culture – Single category for a photo he took at Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa during his exchange visit.

Dr. Tomasz Padło, an Erasmus Exchange Professor from the Institute of Painting and Artistic Education UKEN, Poland won first prize in the prestigious Grand Press Photo 2025 competition in the Culture – Single category for a photo he took at Makerere University during his exchange visit.

Dr. Tomasz Padło, Erasmus Exchange Professor from UKEN, Poland won first prize in the prestigious Grand Press Photo 2025 competition in the Culture – Single category for a photo he took at Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa during his exchange visit. — ***Dr. Tomasz Padło with students in class.***

He says this about the photo taken in May 2025 at CCE Hall:

“The very idea of this photograph is due to the fact that this place is very overwhelmed. I was running away from this hustle and bustle and I saw a photographer who almost ritualized the unfolding of this background. When he sat down with the newspaper, I didn’t want to disturb him. I felt like this photographer – when it’s not about the effect, but about the process of ritualizing photography.”

Full story at this link
https://www.uken.krakow.pl/uniwersytet/aktualnosci/6764-fotografia-jako-rytual-dr-tomasz-padlo-nagrodzony-w-konkursie-grand-press-photo