The College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) at Makerere University convened leading economists, policymakers, and students for a high-level seminar examining how global donors interact in shaping development assistance.

The seminar, organized by the Environment for Development Makerere Centre, featured Nathalie Ferrière, an Associate Professor of Economics at Sciences Po Aix, who presented research on whether international donors cooperate or compete—and what that means for countries such as Uganda.

Opening the session, CoBAMS Principal Prof. Edward Bbaale welcomed participants and underscored the significance of global academic collaboration. “I am very pleased to be here this morning for this seminar, and I take this opportunity, to welcome Professor Nathalie to Makerere University,” he said.

Prof. Bbaale highlighted the longstanding collaboration between Makerere researchers and Prof. Ferrière, noting that her current visit builds on joint work on foreign aid and public finance. “As Makerere University, we were particularly excited that, among all universities in Africa, you chose to collaborate with our researchers.”

He added that such engagements align with the university’s ambition to strengthen its research profile. “Makerere University has made a strategic decision to strengthen its position as a research university. We recognize that we must go beyond teaching and pursue significant breakthroughs in research.”

Donor behaviour under scrutiny

In her presentation, Prof’ Ferrière challenged conventional assumptions about development assistance, arguing that the growing number of donors has created coordination challenges. “If we look at the global landscape of development aid, we see a wide range of donors. The idea that only Western countries provide Official Development Assistance is incorrect,” she said.

Her research focuses on how donors respond to each other’s actions, using empirical evidence to test whether aid flows are driven by cooperation or competition. “Do they compete? Do they cooperate? Do they coordinate? That is the core of my research.”

Prof. Ferrière explained that while theory predicts both positive and negative interactions, real-world data reveals complex dynamics. Using the Mexico City Policy as a case study, she demonstrated how political shifts in the United States influence global aid patterns. “When the US reduces funding, other donors eventually also reduce their funding, rather than compensating,” she said.

This finding, she noted, challenges international commitments often made to fill funding gaps. “Initially, donors may maintain funding due to political or reputational pressures, but over time, they revert to their usual behavior and follow the dominant donor’s lead.”

Risks of dependency on major donors

Prof. Ferrière warned that reliance on dominant donors such as the United States can expose developing countries to funding shocks. “These findings suggest that reliance on a dominant donor can be risky. A more diversified donor base may increase stability and reduce vulnerability to political shifts.”

She also emphasized that donor competition is not necessarily driven by development outcomes. “Competition from donors is not for aid effectiveness. It is for commercial aspects and political influence, which are not necessarily related to domestic needs.”

At the same time, she cautioned that full cooperation among donors could weaken recipient countries’ negotiating power. “If you have a cartel of donors that totally agree, you have less bargaining power. So yes, it should be a mix.”

Academic debate deepens analysis

The presentation sparked a lively discussion among faculty, with Dr. John Bosco Oryema, a Lecturer and researcher in the Department of Economic Theory and Analysis at Makerere University’s School of Economics, praising the methodological rigor of the research.

“Your research is very exciting. I found the econometric methods particularly strong—especially your approach to identifying instruments and ensuring their validity.”

Dr. Oryema proposed alternative interpretations of donor behaviour, including herding effects and strategic competition. “This could be interpreted as a form of Stackelberg competition where the United States is the leader and other donors act as followers.”

He noted that such a framework highlights the role of game theory in understanding global aid systems. “This becomes a game-theoretic interaction, where donors adjust their behavior based on what the leading donor has done.”

Meanwhile, Dr. Paul Wabwiga, a Lecturer at the Makerere University School of Economics and Associate Research Fellow at the Policy Analysis and Development Research Institute (PADRI), raised broader policy questions, particularly from the perspective of recipient countries.

“In contexts like Uganda, where there is high intensity of Official Development Assistance, who actually benefits?” he asked.

Dr. Wabwiga questioned whether donor dynamics should concern developing countries or primarily the donors themselves. “From the perspective of a recipient country, increased aid inflows may seem beneficial. So, who should be worried about these dynamics?”

He also pointed to the political volatility embedded in US aid policies. “What is the net effect over time after alternating administrations? This could be a valuable extension of your research.”

Call for deeper, context-driven research

Responding to the discussants, Prof. Ferrière acknowledged the complexity of donor interactions and the need for balanced approaches. “From the perspective of donors, they would argue that cooperation is better, but competition could be beneficial if it improves effectiveness.”

However, she reiterated that real-world incentives often diverge from ideal outcomes. “Donor interests are not totally in line with effectiveness.”

She emphasized that understanding these interactions is essential for improving aid allocation. “We already know that allocation is driven by needs and donor interests, but we were missing the role of donor interaction.”

Prof. Ferrière also highlighted inefficiencies in current systems, particularly duplication of efforts. “In Uganda, ministries are already collecting detailed data. Why do donors spend money to do something that is already done locally?”

On the broader question of development outcomes, she stressed that aid alone cannot solve structural challenges. “Official Development Assistance is part of the solution, but not the whole solution, factors like institutions and governance also matter.”

Inspiring the next generation

Closing the seminar, Prof. Bbaale commended the quality of the research and its relevance to students and faculty. “You clearly invested significant effort in developing your instrumentation. That was very impressive.”

He encouraged students to view econometrics as a practical tool rather than a purely theoretical discipline. “We don’t want only to teach you econometrics and stop there. We want you to use it in real-world research.”

The Principal also reaffirmed Makerere’s openness to continued collaboration. “Whenever you are in Uganda, please consider this your academic home. We would be delighted to host you again.”

On 13^th April 2026, Prof. Sarah Ssali, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) of Makerere University, hosted Dr. Sizile Makola, a Visiting Scholar and Senior Lecturer from the University of South Africa (UNISA).

Makerere University and the University of South Africa committed to partnership and collaboration through a signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Consequently, Dr. Makola, a researcher and an expert in human resource and business management is  scheduled to spend two weeks at Makerere University, interacting with the leadership at different levels, researchers, students, as well as staff in the Department of Marketing and Management, School of Business under the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS).

Additionally, the visit accords Dr. Makola the golden opportunity to finalise her comparative studies with members of staff from the Department of Marketing and Management on behalf of Makerere University for the Ugandan context.

The meeting between the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Dr. Sizile Makola was attended by Associate Professor Godfrey Akileng-the Dean, School of Business, and Ms. Agnes Sansa from the Department of Marketing and Management.

Welcoming the Visiting Scholar, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) urged Dr. Makola to solidify the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both universities through academic exchanges and deepening scholarship on African-centred leadership.

Prof. Ssali shared a brief trajectory that has shaped Uganda’s workspace. She mentioned the critical role of three pillars that have fundamentally influenced the human resource development landscape in Uganda namely: Cultural practices, Structural Adjustment Programs (SAP), and Spirituality/Religion. She also acknowledged the distinct historical differences between Uganda and South Africa.

Dr. Makola’s discussion with the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) also featured the ongoing comparative study that Dr. Sizile Makola and Ms. Agnes Sansa are conducting in relation to how organizational and human resource management conditions shape the recognition and conversion of women leadership resilience in Uganda and South Africa.

The study is titled: Ubuntu/Obuntu Bulamu, Emotional Capital and Women’s Leadership Resilience: A Comparative Study Across Public and Private Sectors in South Africa and Uganda.

Impressed by the ongoing study, Prof. Ssali implored the visiting faculty-Dr. Sizile Makola to share with her the findings in due course.

Prof. Ssali expressed the readiness of the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) to work with the different units within Makerere University, and the University of South Africa, to support programmes aimed at strengthening collaboration, partnership, research, and internationalization.

On 10^th April 2026, Dr. Makola delivered a captivating guest lecture titled,Re-Imagining Human Resource Management in Africa, targeting undergraduate and postgraduate students pursuing human resource management courses at Makerere University.

Emphasizing the need to integrate indigenous knowledge and organizational practice, Dr. Makola argued that researchers should theorize from African contexts, treat indigenous knowledge as a source of theory, use methodologies capturing moral, communal, and context-bound dimensions of work, and build concepts from African languages, values, and institutional histories.

She stressed the need for African-centered human resource management thinking, rather than just adding local case studies to Western frameworks. Dr. Makola’s argument was informed by limitations of Western human resource management frameworks, which assume autonomous individuals, formal institutions, and technical organizations, which are separate from family and community.

Related articles:

Mak CoBAMS Hosts UNISA’s Dr. Sizile Makola

African Scholarship Must Theorize from Indigenous Knowledge to Build Contextually Grounded Leadership Systems,” Dr. Sizile Makola

Arising from an existing Memorandum of Understanding (until September 2028) between University of Padova, Italy (UniPd) and Makerere University (Mak), the two institutions partnered and will jointly implement the Bilateral Agreement for the mobility for students between 2026 and 2027. At Mak, the Departmental Flow Coordinator is Symon Peter Wandiembe (PhD) and the project Principal Investigator and Contact Person is Saint Kizito Omala (PhD), both of Department of Statistical Methods and Actuarial Science (DSMAS).

In this regard, the Department of Statistical Methods and Actuarial Science wishes to announce opportunities for student mobility to the Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy for the Winter Semester, October 2026 – January 2027.

The selection process shall entail five-steps:

• Step 1: Submission of documents by candidates for nomination, with an internal deadline of April 20^th, 2026, 05.00 p.m. (EAT) to allow for time to process nomination applications;
• Step 2: Meeting of the Nomination Committee to review documents received from applicants;
• Step 3: Submitting the list of nominated candidates, by April 30^th, 2026, to the International Projects and Mobility Office of the University of Padua, Italy;
• Step 4: Eligibility check and communication to successful candidates by the International Projects and Mobility Office of the University of Padua, Italy; and
• Step 5: Application for the Mobility opportunity by successful candidates.

Please see download for detailed call.

Inquiry

S.K. Omala via +256 772 491545 before April 20^th, 2026.