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EfD-Mak Centre in Strategic Plan Retreat to Ensure Proper Environmental Management in Uganda

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The EfD-Mak Centre has gone into  a three day strategic plan retreat (February 15th -18th 2022) to write the strategic plan  for the next five years to ensure that there is proper environmental management in Uganda.

Officials from the Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, environmental economists from Makerere University colleges of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) and that of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), selected officials  from the Makerere University Planning Directorate, representatives from  Civil Society Organisations and the Private sector will participate.

The meeting was officially opened by the Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali at Ridar Hotel in Seeta.

Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali delivering the opening remarks
Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali delivering the opening remarks

The EfD-Mak-Centre was established in 2018 at the EfD Global Hub’s annual meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam and is among the newly established Centres making up 15 centres of the EfD Global network.

The Centre was launched at Makerere University on 29th August, 2019 under the joint management the CoBAMS, and CAES. It is mandated to build capacity in environmental economics through capacity building and sponsoring action-oriented research projects to find solutions to the most pressing environmental and development challenges such as climate change for sustainable development.

While opening the meeting, the Principal CoBAMS congratulated the centre leadership upon achievements so far recorded noting that since its inception, it has remain on course and continued to do a commendable job.

Some of the participants attending the meeting.
Some of the participants attending the meeting.

Assoc. Prof. Hisali said, the work that the centre is set out to do is central to the future of not only Uganda, but also, the future of humanity.

“There is very little that we are going to be able to do going forward without harnessing and learning how to co-exist with the different aspects of the environment and this is something that we better take very seriously, otherwise, the growth and prosperity that we see today across the globe will be very quickly wiped away without taking due consideration to environmental concerns.” he said.

Assoc. Prof. Hisali congratulated the EfD-Mak centre leadership for  mobilizing the team and coming  gather to discuss raising key issues of interest to the participants in the course of the discussion for the strategic plan .

Some of the participants attending the meeting.
Some of the participants attending the meeting.

He implored participants to consider the issue of  visualization of  the centre taking care of whether they need to expand the institutional capacity in terms of administrative structure, how the structure should look like and how to align the activities of the centre into the mainstream activities of the university.

“Are we going to remain focused on research, training and outreach or there is a possibility of doing a few other things that would be part of the visualization that we need to take into consideration as we develop the strategic plan.

Once we finish the visualization, the next thing is the outlook, how to operationalize it, steps and resources that are required for the next five years”, The Principal advised.

Epiaka William from the National Planning Authority (L) and other participants  during the strategic plan meeting.
Epiaka William from the National Planning Authority (L) and other participants during the strategic plan meeting.

Hisali also implored participants to appreciate in greater detail what the status quo currently is, the gaps there between and the implementation plan itself, noting that the strategic plan is just part of the process.

“There will be an annex called  implementation matrix and in doing this, you benefit from experience, what you know, but avoid as much as  possible putting in things that are clearly not achievable because you are going to be evaluated on the basis of what you have put down.

But good reporting also now entails capturing other things and achievements that you did that are outside the plan. So you should not constrain yourself to including everything in the plan, and  also hope that at some stage we would be able to cost what  we are think about so that we get a sense of what is possible and what it might take to deliver this plan,” the Principal advised.

Some of the participants attending the meeting.
Some of the participants attending the meeting.

The other important consideration according to Prof. Hisali was the alignment of the mandate of the centre with the interventions and objectives so that they speak to the input indicators and outputs which must come from the conceptualization.

The Director EfD-Mak Centre Prof. Edward Bbaale noted that although natural resources constitute the primary source of livelihood for the majority of the people in Uganda, they have come under increased pressure arising from high population growth rates with its associated high poverty levels, limited public knowledge on environmental functions, and poor governance.

“Due to high poverty levels, many people are still engaged in charcoal burning, hunting, and farming in environmentally risky areas like wetlands. As a consequence, many forests, wetlands and their associated biodiversity have been heavily destroyed.” the Director noted.

EfD-Mak Centre Director, Prof. Edward Bbaale making his remarks during the opening session.
EfD-Mak Centre Director, Prof. Edward Bbaale making his remarks during the opening session.

The Director pointed out that, Uganda’s natural resources and environmental challenges pose serious threats to realizing the country’s sustainable development agenda and therefore, the establishment of the EfD-Mak Centre is timely and provides an opportunity to work on practical solutions to reverse the current trends.

Together with the relevant stakeholders, Prof. Bbaale said, the Centre is committed to provide the much-needed evidence, capacity development, policy outreaches and advocacy.

Bbaale said the strategic plan will focus on capacity development in managing Uganda’s natural capital to the relevant officials and practitioners, and will strive to ensure demand driven trainings that serve the real purpose.

Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali (R) and other participants attending the meeting before the official opening.
Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali (R) and other participants attending the meeting before the official opening.

In addition, the professor said, the strategic plan seeks to address the existing governance and institutional gaps in managing environment and natural resources in Uganda and the persistent disaggregation of empirical research and policy engagement.

“The Centre is currently priding in an experienced mass of Research Fellows at all levels with diverse research interest from energy, transport, agriculture, climate change, forestry, wildlife and others. These together with the support from the global hub and partners are strong to bridge the research-policy gap.

 Currently, the Centre is running a number of research projects with support from the global hub and this is evidence that the Centre is set and ready to face and address the above challenges together with partners.”, Prof. Bbaale asserted.

Epiaka William from the National Planning Authority participating during the strategic plan meeting.
Epiaka William from the National Planning Authority participating during the strategic plan meeting.

The Director also reported that since its launch, the Centre has grown its wings away from being typical Makerere-based and created partnerships with some District Local governments and some Universities with regional coordinators for the both local governments and Universities. With these strategic partnerships, Bbaale said the Centre will strengthen the policy engagements with stakeholders not only at the centre, but also across the country. This will be good for the research disseminations and policy engagements on environment and natural resources.

Prof. Bbaale further said, the Centre has also created functional working relationships with a number of government ministries and agencies, the civil society, private sector, international agencies and academia. These strategic working relations according the Director will position the Centre to spearhead policy discussions in the space of Environment and natural resources and inclusive green economy with the ability of uptake of the resolutions.

The Centre according to the Director is having strategic working relations with sister EfD-Centres in the region including EfD-Tanzania and EfD-Kenya. This he said, is very crucial in conducting joint research activities that yield policy discussions that benefit the entire region thereby contributing to the East African Community Policy Agenda on environment and climate change for the EAC Vision 2050.

Prof. Bbaale also reported that the Centre is establishing the Advisory Board which will provide the strategic direction and guidance to the centre. This he said, is very critical in realizing the strategic objectives of the Centre as highlighted in the strategic plan and the annual plans.

Jane Anyango is the Communication Officer, EfD-Mak Centre Uganda.

Jane Anyango

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Prof. Bbaale participates in Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) Academy in Rabat, Morocco

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Prof. Edward Bbaale (2nd Right) contributed during a panel discussion at the PAGE Academy. The Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, Prof. Edward Bbaale participates in the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) Academy in Rabat, Morocco, from 21 to 23 May 2025.

By CoBAMS Communications Office

The Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. Edward Bbaale participated in the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) Academy in Rabat, Morocco, from 21 to 23 May 2025. The Academy, themed “Financing a Just Transition to Green and Circular Economies,” convened representatives from PAGE countries across the region.

It was designed to enhance knowledge and promote innovative, inclusive mechanisms for financing and implementing green and just transitions in Africa. The event provided a vital platform for peer learning and knowledge exchange, drawing on best practices and African case studies.

Prof. Bbaale participated in Master Class 3, which explored strategies and partnerships for scaling up training in green and inclusive finance. The session highlighted regional policy trends, rising demand for relevant skills, and importance of collaboration among governments and financial institutions.

Prof. Bbaale contributed to discussions on two critical issues:

  • How economics departments are adapting curricula to respond to the evolving field of green and, inclusive finance and,
  • The role of academic research in shaping green financing instruments and supporting reform efforts.

The Principal shared how Makerere University has taken a proactive, multidimensional approach to embedding green and inclusive finance into its economics curriculum. This includes a strong emphasis on technical modelling skills, policy relevance, and cross-disciplinary learning. He highlighted that Makerere is emerging as a regional leader in climate-informed economics education, positioning itself to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s green transition.

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AERC and Mak School of Economics discuss shaping Africa’s future in research and development

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Prof. Victor Murinde and Associate Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu with staff and students from CoBAMS and other stakeholders after the meeting. Delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) strengthening partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), 23rd May 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.

On Friday 23rd May 2025, a delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) visited Makerere University to strengthen partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation.

The Engagement meeting focusing on shaping Africa’s future in research and development brought on board academic and administrative staff from the School of Economics under the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) and the AERC delegation comprising: Prof. Victor Murinde-Executive Director, Dr. Charles Owino-Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation, Ms Anna Owino-Personal Assistant to the Director and Ms Veronica Nanyanzi from State House-Uganda.

Underscoring the importance of the engagement meeting, Prof. Murinde said, “Following the keen observation of the recent global economic shifts and geopolitical uncertainty, the AERC seeks strategic partnerships with African governments and institutions to chart the roadmap through research and co-production of evidence-based economic solutions.”

Following the theme, Understanding the future of research and training collaboration with AERC, Prof. Murinde explained that the interaction also presents an opportunity to discuss the AERC Strategic Plan (2025-2035) titled, “Re-inventing the AERC for Delivering Africa’s Economic Prosperity, in which AERC is embarking on a comprehensive reform agenda, designed to strengthen research excellence, enhance policy impact and secure long-term institutional sustainability.

Prof. Victor Murinde, Executive Director of AERC (Left) and Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, Dean, School of Economics (Right). Delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) strengthening partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), 23rd May 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.
Prof. Victor Murinde, Executive Director of AERC (Left) and Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, Dean, School of Economics (Right).

Concerned about the visibility and recognition of African researchers, Prof. Murinde reported that AERC will ensure that they are acknowledged with their names included in the publications. On the issue of network membership, EARC is considering the following categories: The distinguished service award, AERC Fellows, AERC Associates, and AERC Affiliates.

  • Distinguished service award-Presented to those individuals who started the work in 1988
  • AERC Fellows-Researchers who are active in research and capacity building
  • AERC Associates-For Mid-Career researchers
  • AERC Affiliates-For Masters’ and PhD students

The AERC was established in 1988, when a group of African scholars and Africanists voiced concern over the disconnect between economic research and policy formulation in Africa. According to the Executive Director, the founders of AERC observed that much of the existing economic research was either inapplicable to Africa’s economic challenges or inadequately utilized in local policymaking. Consequently, the group conceptualized a framework for fostering high-quality economic research tailored to Africa’s specific needs.

The collaboration between the AERC and Makerere University through its School of Economics started in 1988, and has led to impactful economic research in Africa, notable publications, increase in the number of faculty with PhDs at the School of Economics as well as mentorship.

Acknowledging Makerere University School of Economics as a key stakeholder in AERC, Prof.  Murinde said, “Without your participation over the last 37 years, AERC would not be here.”

Some of the staff participating in the engagement meeting. Delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) strengthening partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), 23rd May 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.
Some of the staff participating in the engagement meeting.

The Executive Director described AERC as a network of members and universities focused on providing evidence based research for policy making in Africa. Stating the key achievements, Prof. Murinde said, “A framework has been put in place to conduct research and collaboration, with AERC providing a network to work with economists across Africa. He added that the AERC has linked up the various Deans in the Member Universities in Africa both in research and the common programmes that they conduct.

Reflecting on the AERC’s journey, he noted that in 1988, the School of Economics could mention one or two members of faculty with PhDs. Over the years, with AERC’s support to research and capacity building, the School of Economics has built a critical mass of faculty with PhDs. He highlighted that some Ugandan economists have worked with the EARC Secretariat and the EARC Board. He pointed out that the most active Ugandan economists in the AERC network are based at the following entities: Makerere University (School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences), Bank of Uganda, Economic Policy Research Centre (the think tank), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, National Planning Authority, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, and Uganda Development Bank.

In his remarks, the Dean of the School of Economics, Associate Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu credited AERC for its continued collaboration, which has significantly contributed to the growth of the School. He appreciated EARC for supporting research, scholarships provided to Masters’ and PhD fellows, support for ICT infrastructure development, and contribution towards the construction of the School of Economics building.

Stressing AERC’s contribution to research at the School of Economics, Prof. Okumu said, “AERC provided opportunities to ‘fresh’ fellows to write proposals. AERC would focus on building the idea. AERC has nurtured most of us into professional researchers/scholars.”

Engagement meeting in session. Delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) strengthening partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), 23rd May 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.
Engagement meeting in session.

The Dean disclosed that in addition to research, some of the personalities nurtured by AERC took on academic leadership positions and have significantly contributed to the growth of the College/School. Some of the personalities include: Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu-former Principal and Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Eria Hisali-former Principal of the College, Prof. Bruno Yawe-former Deputy Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale-Principal of the College, Dr. Sarah Ssewanyana-Executive Director, Economic Research Policy Centre, and among others.

Presentation of the AERC strategic plan (2025-2035)

The remarks set the pace for the gist of the engagement meeting, which focused on presentation of the areas of transformation and the new research programmes respectively.

In the presentation, Prof. Murinde explained that AERC was reconfiguring its strategic direction in 2025-2035, to concentrate on the key strategic reform options organized around eight (8) core areas. They include: Research Offerings, Graduate Training, Policy Engagement for research impact, The Consortium structure and governance, Entrenching network membership, Enhanced resource mobilization for financial sustainability, Geographical inclusion, and Possible risks to the planned reforms and how to mitigate them.

Regarding the policy engagement for research impact, Prof. Murinde noted that the ground had shifted with policy makers advocating for the need to embed research into their operations. He reported that the governance structure was going to change to a more inclusive and participatory approach bringing on board stakeholders in research and capacity building.

Prof. Murinde highlighted that the new strategic plan would focus on the following new research programmes:

  • Security, Governance and Economic Fragility in Africa
  • Industrial Policy and Growth Strategies in Africa
  • Unlocking Africa’s Digital Potential for Economic Prosperity
  • Africa in a Changing World: Jobs through Trade and AfCTA
  • Informal Cross Border Trade (ICBT) in Africa: measurement and welfare of women, youth and their families
  • Human Capital, Labour Markets and Migration
  • Climate Change: Food Systems, Climate Finance, Climate Risk and Resilience
  • Africa’s Trade and Investment Strategy on China
  • Macroeconomic Modelling, Management and Policy Reform

Input into the AERC Strategic Plan

The participants observed that the proposed linkage between policy makers and the private sector as well as the approach of co-designing research with policy makers, would contribute significantly to research uptake.

L-R: Ogwal Denis, Proscovia Taaka and Diphus Tugume, Graduate Students participating in the Engagement meeting. Delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) strengthening partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), 23rd May 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.
L-R: Ogwal Denis, Proscovia Taaka and Diphus Tugume, Graduate Students participating in the Engagement meeting.

Discussing the new research programmes, the participants suggested that AERC incorporates the following aspects: Integration of Natural resources management into economic modelling; Environmental Management; Interlinkages of Youth unemployment and the Green economy; Value Chains and Emerging threats such as fake products; Urbanisation; Youth and Substance Abuse; Health economics; the Informal Sector; and Agricultural Production.

Voices of the Graduate Students

Contributing to the discussion, the graduate students namely Proscovia Taaka, Diphus Tugume and Denis Ogwal urged AERC to continue supporting the collaborative Masters programme (CMAP) in Economics.

Way forward

Prof. Murinde thanked the participants for the valuable contributions that will definitely enrich the AERC strategic plan. He indicated that some of the proposed themes/ideas, would be considered as work streams within the different research programmes. The future is centered on PhD students at Makerere University and other member Universities formulating research questions in line with the new research programmes. AERC is working on a database of researchers in Africa to facilitate speed-dating in research. AERC plans a twinning programme for African universities, which will enhance joint supervision for PhD students. He pointed out that on completion of the PhD, there will be an opportunity for a post-doc Fellowship. He emphasized that researchers who win “big” projects will be encouraged to have work streams. He revealed a plan for each School of Economics in Africa to access publications across the entire membership.

Ritah Namisango
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CoBAMS Annual Report 2024

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Prof. Edward Bbaale, Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Annual Report 2024. Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

I take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the staff of the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) for the hard work, dedication, and commitment to the College. Your collective efforts have been instrumental in our achievements across academics, research, outreach, and institutional growth. Before delving into these areas, I would like to:

  • Congratulate our colleagues who have been promoted within the University service and those who have attained their doctoral degrees in 2024. Your accomplishments inspire us all and elevate the stature of our college.
  • Commiserate with colleagues who have experienced the loss of loved ones during the year. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your families during these difficult times.

Let us now reflect on the highlights and updates across our areas of mandate:

1 Academics

I extend my congratulations to all of you for successfully concluding the teaching and learning activities of the year 2024.

In line with the University’s focus on graduate training, I urge all School Deans to prioritize increasing graduate admissions, especially at the PhD level. Our goal should be a minimum of  five PhD candidates graduating per School annually.

To support this, we will introduce an  Annual PhD Symposium, bringing together all PhD students from the three Schools within CoBAMS. Dr. Kasimu Sendawula from the School of Business will coordinate this initiative.

2 Research, Grants, and Outreach

We remain committed to contributing to Makerere University’s strategic direction of being a  research intensive and innovation-driven institution. Congratulations to colleagues who secured research grants this year! I encourage all staff to form teams and respond to available grant opportunities, including MakRIF and external calls.

At the College level, we provided modest research grants to applicants this year. I implore recipients to expedite their work, which will form part of the CoBAMS Working Paper Series, serving as a foundation for our annual conference, journal publications, and book chapters.

In outreach, I commend colleagues who participated in national and international conferences and policy dialogues. In 2025, we plan to hold an Annual CoBAMS Conference, alongside policy dialogues and technical workshops. Dr. Peter Babyenda, our Policy Engagement Coordinator, will oversee these activities.

3 Vice Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award 2024

Congratulations to our colleagues who won the Vice Chancellor’s Research Excellence Award in 2024! I urge all staff to upload their research and teaching information to the  Self-Assessment System (SAMS)  at  https://quality.mak.ac.ug/sa/index.php. It is only those colleagues who will upload their work that will compete for the awards.  This is a valuable opportunity to showcase our achievements and elevate the profile of CoBAMS within Makerere University.

4 Infrastructure Improvement and Expansion

We are closely monitoring progress on the CoBAMS Infrastructure Expansion Project, approved by the Ministry of Finance, Planning, and Economic Development. We are optimistic that funding will be disbursed in FY 2025/26 to kick start this project. The building will expand the teaching and learning spaces hence addressing the critical challenges such as overcrowding in offices and classrooms.

5 Capacity Building

Capacity-building opportunities remain available to staff despite financial constraints. Deans and Administrative Heads are encouraged to share training needs with my office, and we will support facilitator costs where possible. Additionally, Makerere University offers free training programs in areas such as grant proposal writing (GAMSU) and supervision (DRGT). Please inform us of suitable schedules to enable us plan for and organize these sessions.

6 Finances

The University faced a significant financial cut this year, which affected all units.

I urge Schools to initiate  special programs like short courses, which operate as projects and on an 80:20 revenue-sharing model, to generate additional income. In this model, the college retains 80% while 20% is remitted to the centre. Furthermore, we are committed to growing the College’s  Endowment Fund, with its launch planned for early 2025. This event will enable us to engage alumni in supporting the Fund.

7 Staff Wellness

I encourage all colleagues to prioritize their wellbeing by participating in the  free University-wide Physical Wellness Program, organized by the Institute of Sports Science in the College of Natural Sciences. Sessions are held every  Wednesday and Friday at the JICA Grounds after 5 PM.

Looking ahead, we are committed to establishing our own wellness initiatives within CoBAMS. The Deputy Principal is particularly passionate about creating a fitness club tailored to our staff’s needs and establishing a  welfare SACCO  to enhance financial support and community building. These initiatives will further promote health and well-being among our staff in the near future.

Closing Remarks

As we reflect on 2024, I am deeply grateful for your unwavering dedication to CoBAMS and its mission. Together, let us look forward to 2025 as a year of continued success and growth for our college.

As we build for the future.

Edward Bbaale, PhD
Professor & Principal

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