Connect with us

General

“Makerere is Like Windows, It Can No Longer Be Challenged” Prof Waswa Balunywa

Published

on

“I think you can no longer challenge Makerere. Makerere is like Windows. Everybody with a computer, it is run by windows,” Prof. Waswa Balunywa, the Makerere University Business School (MUBS) Principal said candidly on Thursday 25th November 2021 during a stakeholder engagement event. 

Prof. Balunywa who was on the panel with Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) Executive Director Mrs. Dorothy Kisaka and the University Secretary Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, said that Makerere has mothered all the institutions in Uganda. He thinks the University has set a standard that all other institutions in the country must follow. 

Prof. Balunywa has been at the helm of MUBS since 1991 when it was still Faculty of Commerce at Makerere University and is cognisant of the institution’s academic reputation. Thus he thinks, the “pricelessness of Makerere must be leveraged to move not only Makerere ahead but higher education and the entire education system in this country. Makerere has this capacity. It needs to be a bit innovative and more free.”

Concurring with Prof Balunywa, Kiranda quipped, “Makerere has enjoyed the last 100 years as the elephant in the house.”

As Makerere prepares to mark its centennial journey next year, it will be engaging stakeholders, partners, alumni, students and staff through a series of events. Makerere University Council Chairperson, Mrs. Lorna Magara urged stakeholders to partner with the institution to make the “future more impactful.”

The panelists who discussed the topic, “leveraging 100 years of excellence in building a transformed society” tipped Makerere on areas where it needs to improve. Mrs. Dorothy Kisaka advised Makerere to focus on human capital development through collaboration and partnerships between the institution and the workplaces by creating a window for students in order to prepare them for the post university life. It’s a proposal that was reinforced by other panelists and speakers. 

Dr. Michael Walimbwa, a Lecturer in the College of Education and External Studies said the University should develop a partnership pedagogy, in which stakeholders, students, and research institutions come together, collaborate to plan and assess and get the feedback in real time.

“Partnership pedagogy is beyond internship opportunities. It is really working together with research institutions, with stakeholders out there, planning teaching activities to assess them, to evaluate them and get the impact in real time,”  Walimbwa said. 

Impact, research and innovation

In the next century, Mr. Kiranda said the University is going to be focusing on its impact on society. “We are supposed to be moving from the league of asking ourselves what is our ranking in the country, on the continent, in the world to asking ourselves, what is that impact in society which is clearly attributed to Makerere.”

As other people count first class degrees, Makerere, Mr. Kiranda said, will be counting its impactful research and innovation. “The focus in the next 100 years is helping this country to overcome challenges it has.” 

Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe said they see issues such as rapid population growth, youth unemployment, riots, climate change, food insecurity, unending conflicts, among others which must be tackled through research and innovation. To tackle these challenges,  he said, “we must modernise the research infrastructure, we must modernise laboratories, come up with central laboratories.”

The University, Prof. Nawangwe said, will also leverage science and technology power to  “help young people incubate their ideas into businesses, begin companies and create jobs for multitude of the youths coming out and of course further human resource development.”

Prof. Balunywa further applauded Makerere University for transformative research. In the coming years, he said, research conducted should be in line with the direction the country is taking, hinged on finding local solutions to our problems. 

“There is no business in this country that hasn’t been done elsewhere in the world. If you want any product, the Chinese have it. If you want any application, the Europeans have it. Our research must be focused in those areas where we think we can add value in the country and in the continent,” he said.

Makerere AT 100
Mak@100

General

Mature Age Scheme Exam Results for 2025/2026

Published

on

The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released full results for the Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations for the Academic Year 2025/2026 held on Saturday 14th December, 2024.

The Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the examination and have been recommended by the Pre-Entry & Mature Age Committee to the University’s Admissions Board for Consideration.

The Aptitude Exam  Results for 2025/2026 Academic Year released in February 2025 can be found here.

Mak Editor

Continue Reading

General

Directorate of Graduate Training Completes Training of First Cohort Training of Supervisors

Published

on

By Moses Lutaaya

The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) has in collaboration with Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors.

Participants were academic staff from two colleges namely, College of Engineering, Art and Design (CEDAT) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).

The three-day training that took place at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building ended on Friday 20thJune 2025.

In his closing remarks to the participants, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “This is the first cohort we are working together with the Center for Teaching and Learning to put together continuous professional development Program so that we are able to enforce the new teaching and learning policy.”

He said that before lecturers are allocated students for supervision, they must first go through this form of formal teaching and learning training to equip them thoroughly with certification required of supervision of graduate students.

“We are coming up with process to ensure that the certificates earned by participants allow you to supervise graduate students. This is the direction of the university and we must ensure that such trainings are concluded and completed successfully by all participants”, Prof. Kikooma.

Prof. Julius Kikooma – Director of Graduate Training

“We can only have you certified upon completing all the exercises in the training process. This is when you will be eligible to receive the work load for supervision”, He added.

“This training of Supervisors is going to be continuous so that all academic staff in colleges and schools are equipped. This first cohort is going to be our building block to the future trainings in the colleges.”

With such capacity building trainings, Prof. Kikooma said that the university is on the right path to achieving its targets in the new strategic plan of increasing the number of graduate students while progressively reducing the under graduate students.

He further hinted that, “We are in the process of writing a curriculum on this, which will be presented for approval before it is rolled out.”

He echoed all participants to share the knowledge they have acquired adding, “Share all you have learnt, do not keep it. Be open minded, have proper communication channels and the sky will be the limit for you.” 

Dr. Robinah N. Kulabako, The Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CEDAT welcomed the training adding, “This training is very pertinent. I have had the opportunity to supervise Masters and PhD students for over 15 years and I must say that the need to be subjected to this training cannot be over emphasized because there is need to learn, unlearn and relearn many aspects involved in the supervision process.”

She added, “We are moving towards knowledge-based supervision rather than experience-based supervision. This means we must be informed and equipped to be able to advise, guide and mentor to be able to lead a successful supervision journey for both supervisor and supervisee.”

Dr. Andrew Gilbert Were – a lecturer at CEDAT and a participant said, “It is important that all supervisors of graduate students receive this certification from Makerere University through a systematic training process that enables them to attain diverse skills to facilitate learning of graduate students from diverse cultures and with unique set of circumstances.”

“This training is long overdue. In fact, it was an oversight that we could be allowed to supervise students without undergoing supervisors’ training.”

Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, The Director Centre for Teaching and Learning support- CEES said, “The training this time round has had a mix of early career professionals including Lecturers, Supervisors and Professors share experiences. We have learnt a lot more from experienced supervisors who have shared practices on how they have done supervision over the years.”

“The knowledge and experience-based approaches have made this collaboration very active, interactive and learner centered which has resulted into a collaborative learning from the interdisciplinarity of staff from CEDAT and CAES. The issue now is to continue with professional development across all levels.” She added.

The Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors. This activity was supported by the iCARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.

Mak Editor

Continue Reading

General

CEDAT’s Department of Architecture to Undergo Major Studio Refurbishment with Industry Support

Published

on

R-L: Arch. Kenneth Ssemwogerere (Head of Department, Architecture), Dr. Kizito Maria Kasule (Deputy Principal, CEDAT), and Mr. Kayongo Daniel (Plascon Uganda National Sales Manager) during the official handover of a donation at the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), Makerere University, on Tuesday, 25th June 2025.

The Department of Architecture at Makerere University’s College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) is set to begin a significant refurbishment of its design studios starting 1st July 2025. This initiative marks a pivotal step in enhancing the learning environment for architecture students and fostering innovation in design education.

The refurbishment project has received a significant boost from Kansai Placon Uganda Limited, which donated UGX 15 million worth of paint to support the transformation. This contribution highlights the growing partnership between academia and industry in shaping the future of architectural education in Uganda.

Click here for details

Alex Isemaghendera

Continue Reading

Trending