General
Mak signs Agreement with CIVIS-An Alliance of 10 European Universities
Introduction
The Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Associate Prof. Umar Kakumba, together with the Deputy Director Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), Associate Prof. Robert Wamala and the International Relations Officer, Ms Martha Muwanguzi attended an event , New Horizons for a European –African Partnership at Aix-Marseille University, France. The event was on the invitation of the Vice –President of International Relations of Aix-Marseille University. Held from 8th to 12th March, 2022, the event was organized by CIVIS ; a European University Alliance – and punctuated by conferences and workshops with a focus on importance of the Alliance in strengthening Europe-Africa partnerships.
The Opening ceremony was held in the Amphi Gastaut. the Main Hall of Aix Marseille University. In his welcoming remarks, the Rector Aix Marseille University, Prof Eric Berton was delighted to receive participants especially those from Africa. CIVIS wants to create socially justifiable partnerships and Africa is an essential part of the Alliance with the European universities.
The Director of Strategic Projects and Networks at Aix Marseille, Ms. Camille de Garidel-Thoron introduced the participants to CIVIS. This was followed by another presentation by the Coordinator, CIVIS African and Mediterranean partnerships, University of Tübingen, Germany, Dr Christian Möllman.
Background to CIVIS-A European Civic University
In his remarks, the Coordinator explained that CIVIS is a European Civic University formed by the alliance of ten leading research higher education institutions across Europe namely: Aix-Marseille Université (France); Universite of Bucharest (Romania); Sapienza Universitá di Roma (Italy); Stockholm University (Sweden); Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium); Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain), Eberhard Karls Universitӓt Tubingen (Germany), University of Glasgow (United Kingdom); The Paris Lodron University of Salzburg (Austria) and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Greece).
The Alliance brings together a community of more than 470,000 students and 58,000 staff members including 35,000 academics and researchers. The CIVIS member universities actively contribute to the social, cultural and economic activities of the urban environments they are situated in and also promote inclusiveness, gender equality, non-discrimination and social equity. CIVIS strengthens interactions, knowledge production and skills amongst its members and with citizens, the communities, businesses, social and cultural associations. These interactions help reduce inequalities, increase access to quality training and opportunities for students and staff.
CIVIS is governed by a Board of Rectors, headed by a President and two Vice Presidents who make decisions. It has a Steering Committee headed by the President and a CIVIS Administration with a Project Team. There are three councils namely, Global Participant Council, Global Student Council and a Global Consultative Council.
Alliance between CIVIS and African Universities
Humanity now faces global problems such as climatic change, diseases and epidemics, unplanned cities and settlements, to mention but a few. It is important to note that these challenges cut across borders and continents. Therefore, collaboration and partnerships with African Higher Education Institutions (HEI) would be crucial and important to establish. It is on this basis that particular African universities were invited by CIVIS to participate in the events with the aim of extending the partnership to the African continent. Six universities were invited: (i) Makerere University (Uganda); (ii) University of Sfax (Tunisia); (iii) University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa); (iv) Université Hassan II de Casablanca (Morocco); (v) Universidade Eduardo Mondlane (Mozambique), and (vi) Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar (Senegal).
The collaboration and partnership broadens the network for student and staff mobilities as well as study visits. Further, it also supports equitable research partnerships in higher education agreed upon in the European Union and African Union Innovation Agenda which opens up new channels for South-South cooperation. University partnerships have also become powerful vehicles for promoting civic and democratic engagement as well as international economic development.
Presentation by Makerere University
The Vice Chancellors in the African countries presented information about their universities, including identification of areas where they could work together with the European counterparts in the Alliance.
In his remarks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Associate Prof. Umar Kakumba thanked the organizers of the event and the invitation extended to Makerere University in particular. He supported the idea of a European-African Universities partnership and believes that it will contribute to the Africa Agenda 2063 and its attendant action plan. The aim should be to support research collaboration in selected fields among Africa and the member universities and to strengthen the research infrastructure at the member universities such as Science laboratory and training equipment; research in agricultural value addition and food security; infrastructure planning and management; research in public health and infectious diseases management as well as research in refugee and migration issues.
Prof. Kakumba emphasized that signing an MoU is a great step in the right direction. This should follow a statement of clear roles and responsibilities, and mutual benefits. Furthermore;
- There is need to plan big but start small.
- There should be options of choosing a low cost, simple activity with high impact such as seminars, workshops, regular partnership meetings, student/staff exchange to give partner institutions a chance to learn about each other’s systems, processes and stakeholders.
- There is need to plan and understand the individual institution’s responsibilities and obligations in the partnership and set up timelines, deliverables and milestones.
- It is crucial to establish exactly who will be involved, how communication should happen and what decisions need to be taken in the short term.
Following presentations by all the six African Universities, a discussion was made to explore common grounds on how the European Alliance can serve African partners. In his remarks, Associate Prof. Robert Wamala emphasized the need to document the roles and expectations of the African in the Alliance. In his remarks, Robert Wamala noted that Universities in the CIVIS Alliance were at a higher advantage in regards to research capacity when compared to the African counterparts. Therefore, the need to build an equal partnership in an unequal world needed to be prioritized.
Expectation(s) of the Collaboration
Collaboration in CIVIS is organized around hubs in five multidisciplinary research areas linked to CIVIS values where multiculturalism and multilingualism are encouraged and emphasized , working together to address UN Sustainable Development Goals. The four Hub Chairs made presentations of respective hubs: (i) Hub One focuses on Climate, Environment and Energy; (ii) Hub Two focuses on Society, Culture and Heritage; (iii) Hub Three focuses on Health; and (iv) Hub Four focuses on Cities, Territories and Mobilities. Hub Five is yet to be established. Activities in the Hubs include webinars, workshops, summer schools, field camps and course offerings. Each Hub must have at least three or more CIVIS universities.
All participating universities agreed that there was need to move from unilateral projects to multilateral partnerships and provide input into AU-EU Innovation Agenda and establish advanced study centres. It was noted that in order to have successful international partnerships, equity, trust, transparency and mutual respect for the needs and interests of partners were key to their success and sustainability.
Research collaboration is very important with European universities. The funding received is normally from Erasmus+ but there is need to move further to funding agencies that provide support for education such as CIVIS. It was further noted that mobility and exchanges of students and staff is there to stay and cannot replace human interaction, and other forms of education need to be developed and blended with virtual mobility. Furthermore, what is good for our students is good for our partnerships“Together we are stronger”. In this partnership, there is need to have a joint practical collaboration by “Building an equal partnership in an unequal world”
Signing of Agreements
At the end of the three- day conference, the Vice Chancellors of the African universities signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with CIVIS (A European Civic University Alliance) to lay a foundation for collaboration in research and education focusing on societal challenges, mobilities and institutional development.
Expectations of Makerere University
Similar to the rest of the African Universities, Associate Prof. Umar Kakumba presented the expectations of Makerere University from the Alliance. These included, but were not limited to the following:
- Potential for staff and student mobility within member universities in the Alliance
- Development of joint degree programs around the hub themes
- Mobilization of international funding for research
- Cross disciplinary activities including workshops, seminars and Conferences
- Improving research infrastructure in partner universities in the Alliance
Photo Gallery
Compiled by Ms. Martha Muwanguzi, International Officer, Makerere University
The two-week training programme aims to equip government officers with practical skills to assess project viability, manage investment risks and ensure public resources deliver value for money.
The Public Investment Management Centre of Excellence (PIM CoE) is strengthening the capacity of government officers to undertake financial appraisal and risk analysis of public investment projects through a two-week training programme designed to improve the quality of project preparation, appraisal and decision-making in Uganda.
The training, which started in Fort Portal on October 19, 2026, brought together participants from various government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), alongside facilitators from Makerere University, the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Cambridge Resources International (CRI), the National Planning Authority and the Uganda Development Bank.
Officially opening the training on behalf of the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury, Ms Esther Ayebare, Acting Assistant Commissioner in the Project Analysis and Public Investment Department of the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, emphasised the importance of rigorous project appraisal in strengthening Uganda’s public investment management system.
She noted that projects admitted into the public investment plan must be aligned with national priorities, technically sound, financially viable and capable of delivering value for money.
“Government must be able to compare investment alternatives and ensure that only viable projects proceed through the public investment process,” she emphasised.
Ms Ayebare explained that sound appraisal enables government to make informed investment decisions, maximise returns on public expenditure and ensure that limited public resources are directed towards projects with the greatest potential to deliver development outcomes.
Building practical skills for better investment decisions
The training builds on the Public Investment Management course conducted in June, which introduced participants to Uganda’s public investment management framework, including project conceptualisation, stakeholder analysis, project costing, implementation action plans, the Integrated Bank of Projects, and monitoring and evaluation of public investment reforms.
The current programme advances this foundation by equipping participants with technical competencies in financial appraisal, financial modelling and risk analysis.
Participants will explore integrated investment appraisal, alternative investment criteria, cash-flow statements, inflation and exchange-rate movements, asset valuation, project financing, project scale and timing, risk-sharing arrangements and cost-effectiveness analysis.
Through practical exercises and case studies, participants will apply these concepts to investment scenarios in sectors such as roads, health, education and water. The programme will also examine how climate change, social considerations and other risks can be integrated into project preparation and appraisal.
Ms Ayebare encouraged participants to engage actively with the facilitators, question the practical application of the tools and consider how the skills acquired could improve investment decisions within their respective institutions.
She also reminded participants that the programme includes an examination and that certification requires more than attendance. Participants are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the concepts and acquire practical skills that they can apply in their work.
Reducing dependence on externally prepared studies
A key objective of the training is to strengthen the ability of government institutions to undertake high-quality project appraisal studies using their own technical teams.
Ms Ayebare observed that many studies submitted to the Development Committee have traditionally been prepared by external consultants, often at considerable cost. Building the capacity of public officers to conduct these studies independently can help institutions strengthen their technical expertise and improve the quality of project proposals presented for consideration.
She urged participants to take full advantage of the facilitators’ expertise and return to their institutions equipped to undertake sound financial appraisals and provide evidence-based advice to decision-makers.
She further emphasised that project approval requires thorough preparation, analysis and justification, rather than simply identifying available funding and proposing a project to utilise it.
Strengthening public investment management through capacity development
In his remarks, Prof. Edward Bbaale, Director of the PIM CoE, thanked the Ministry of Finance for its financial support and for identifying participants from government institutions. He also recognised the contributions of the facilitators and partner institutions in delivering the programme.
Prof. Bbaale noted that the Centre’s work extends beyond training to include research and advisory services aimed at improving public investment management practices. He encouraged continued collaboration with government institutions and other partners to advance research, knowledge sharing and capacity development.
Speaking during the training, Dr John Sseruyange, Manager of the PIM CoE, highlighted the importance of commitment, active participation and punctuality throughout the programme. He encouraged participants to engage with the facilitators, ask questions and apply the knowledge gained to the projects they support.
Dr Sseruyange also acknowledged the Government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, for financing the training, and appreciated Cambridge Resources International for its continued support towards improving public investment preparation and analysis in Uganda.
The training reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen Uganda’s public investment management system by equipping public officers with the knowledge and practical competencies needed to assess projects rigorously, identify potential risks and make informed investment decisions.
By developing in-house expertise across government institutions, the programme seeks to contribute to better-prepared projects, more efficient use of public resources and improved delivery of Uganda’s development priorities.
President Yoweri K. Museveni while officiating as Chief Guest at the Julius Nyerere Annual Symposium 2026: Nyerere-Museveni Dialogue at Makerere University called upon the audience not to merely hold Nyerere’s Legacy as a historical footprint but as a masterplan for the future that remains unfinished. Organised by the Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC), the symposium was a two day event that started with “ekyooto” on 13th October at the JNLC gardens and climaxed on 14th October in Freedom Square. The second day hinged on the theme: Borrowing from the Past, Building the Future.
In the President’s message delivered by Rt. Hon. Dr. Crispus Walter Kiyonga the Second Deputy Prime Minister and Chancellor of Makerere University, the president spotlighted, “Mwalimu Nyerere as the greatest African that ever lived in terms of contribution to the African people’s efforts for freedom, human rights, and dignity.”
This greatness, he notes, spilled not just to political ideals but also to economics and security. The President agreed with him and warned that “freedom without economic transformation and economic prosperity, without a robust strategic security, remains incomplete.”
Reaching out to the younger generation of scholars and leaders, the President issued a strong warning to move beyond simply remembering Nyerere to action. He said, “you must carry forward the torch of pan-Africanism, reject sectarianism and tribalism, build our regional markets, and champion the total political integration of our motherland.”
He appreciated Mwalimu for his; unwavering support for the struggle of the East African Federation, courageous backing of the armed anti-colonial struggles in the southern half of Africa, principled and decisive support for the anti-Idi Amin struggle, pro-people and pro-unity policies that kept Tanzania peaceful for decades, and ensuring that Tanzania remained a strategic rear base for the entire African resistance.
As a believer in Nyerere’s ideals, the President urged the audience to honor Mwalimu “not merely through commemorative speeches, but through completing the historical task of uniting, defending, and prospering our motherland,” for the motive is to ensure that the independence wars won by our predecessors were not in vain.
To this note, he reiterated the case for Uganda, saying “we shall never forget his profound contribution” to Africa.
Professor Nyamsenda’s Keynote Unparked Pan-Africanism
During the Nyerere-Museveni Dialogue symposium at Makerere University, Professor Sabatho Nyamsenda, a lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam delivered the Keynote Address titled “The Unfinished African Project: From Liberation Legacies to a New Generation of Transformation” during the symposium”.
He started on a lighter noticing “Nyerere is being Ugandanised.” This he said looking at the annual Public Lectures dedicated to his name and felt like challenging his home institutions to follow suit.
At the calm of the room, he presented a critique of the current state of Pan-Africanism, arguing that it has been grabbed by the ruling elites, a challenge Professor Nyamsenda identifies to have started in the period of 1960 -1980.
He explained that it was around this time period that Pan-Africanism was snatched away from the masses and it became a state project. Currently, he said the ideology exists in two forms: Boardroom and Street Pan-Africanism.
Professor, characterised Boardroom Pan-Africanism as a State Project. He said “boardroom Pan-Africanism sits comfortably with imperialism and elite-centered accumulation.” While Street Pan-Africanism to which Professor advocates, he emphasised that historically, this approach “united the African liberation movement and liberated the African continent from the most barbaric colonial powers.”
As he concluded, Professor Nyamsenda joined Mwalimu and the President of Uganda in urging youth to consider joining and leading the struggle for a better Africa.
Role of JNLC in Realising Nyerere’s Ideas
Professor Saturninus Kasozi Mulindwa, the JNLC Board Chair highlighted the primary objective of the center as “imparting knowledge and sharing experiences from the old generations to the new generations.” Therefore, JNLC contributes to the actualisation of Nyerere’s ideas by focusing on the development of the next generation of African leaders.
To supplement this, Dr. Nansozi K. Mwanga the Executive Director at JNLC said that the center is committed to “nurturing ethical, conscious, and transformative leaders inspired by Mwalimu’s ideas of service, human dignity, self-reliance, and Pan-African solidarity.”
She explained their focus is on several key areas with training as core. They have “trained over 1,500 young people and young leaders from across Uganda.”, and developed leadership programs “grounded in ethical decision-making, civic responsibility, public service, and action.”
In her remarks, it was observed that training alone is not enough; they are also doing mentorship, to provide opportunities for networking and learning from experienced leaders. There are already testimonies when you visit the Centre wall of fame. To which Dr. Nansozi revealed “leadership development matters when learning becomes service and meaningful action.”
The Centre remains proud of those they have touched and are eager to support as many cohorts.
Julius Nyerere Family Pour their Heart out
Mama Maria Nyerere, addressed the Symposium virtually and commended the Centre for keeping Mwalimu’s values alive.
As a memory of her husband, she reminded the audience that his greatest legacy was anchored on the values by which he lived: service, humility, integrity, unity and love for Africa and its people. She also urged the young people to take up leadership responsibilities and lead with humility, integrity and always remember the people they serve.
Mama Nyerere also advised the youth to learn from those who came before them like her husband with courage to build a better Africa for their generation and those who will come after them.
Joining Mama Nyerere, on behalf of the Nyerere family was Ms. Julia Nyerere, a granddaughter, who attended physically and thanked H.E. Kaguta Museveni for supporting the establishment of the Julius Nyerere Centre at Makerere University and also commended the Keynote Speaker Professor Nyamsenda for Critiquing Nyerere’s ideas.
Julia further shared an understanding of her grand-father’s interest in preserving humanity as a moral.
As a family they are happy that his (Nyerere) values and legacies continue to inspire Africa and beyond.
Appreciation for All who Made the Symposium Possible
Addressing the symposium, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, represented by Professor Henry Alinaitwe the Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Finance and Administration expressed the University’s appreciation and commitment.
He thanked “the government of Uganda for the support they are giving to the Julius Nyerere Leadership Center,” and requested Dr. Kiyonga to “convey the message to the fountain of honour for this initiative that Makerere University is happy for, and is going on well.”
To the leadership of the Center, he specifically thanked the Director Dr. Nansozi for her focused leadership. He stated, “I commend my friend, Dr. Nansozi, for the work that you are doing.”
Professor Alinaitwe also emphasized “we” value these symposiums, saying, “as a university, we acknowledge that such activities create great visibility.”
Dr. Kiyonga was also thanked for delivering the President’s message, together with veterans like Professor Kabwegyere, among other distinguished guests and partners that attended.
Professor Tarsis Bazana Kabwegyere as well appreciated all and emphasised the collective duty of the youth in building the next generation.
He advised “your responsibility is to identify and build Africa forward, building on the legacies and foundations of our forefathers,”.
The Professor also argued that “being young on its own is not a virtue. It is what you are when you are young.” He challenges the audience to avoid being ignorant and claim that you are young.
Background of the Nyerere Symposium
The Julius Nyerere Annual Symposium is an intergenerational gathering hosted at Makerere University. For more than six years now, it has been connecting past leadership legacies of Nyerere and other revolutionaries with current regional and continental priorities under the (JNLC) centre.
The Julius Nyerere Leadership Centre (JNLC) serves as a training ground and research hub designed to mentor the next generation of African leaders. Co-hosted by Makerere University and the Uganda Management Institute (UMI), the Centre bridges the gap between older statesmen and youth by focusing on Pan-African ideals, ethical governance, and social transformation.
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