Health
Next step for the fruitful collaboration between Makerere University and KI
One of KI’s largest international collaborations is with Makerere University in Uganda. In time for Makerere’s 100th anniversary, the partnership is to manifest itself in a Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health. A delegation from KI travelled in May to Uganda to cement the relationship.
“The foundation of a virtual centre for sustainable health gives us a totally new way to build international collaborations,” says KI president, Ole Petter Ottersen. “Mutuality and far-sightedness will pervade all our projects with the aim of improving health for all. The centre will enable more international collaborations, not just in Uganda but also with more countries in Africa, such as Somalia, and other parts of the world. In today’s turbulent world, it is especially important to work on a global stage and stand up for responsible internationalisation.”
From research to extensive collaboration
The partnership between Makerere University and Karolinska Institutet was established back in 2000. At first it was mainly focused on research, but it was soon extended to everything from student and teacher exchanges to joint doctoral studies. There is now a related alumni network containing hundreds of researchers and healthcare workers in Sweden and Uganda.
One of the students who was quick to snap up the chance to change their study environment from Makerere University to Karolinska Institutet was Noeline Nakasujja. Today, she is a practising psychiatrist and departmental head at the Department of Psychiatry at the College of Health Sciences, Makerere University.
“I spent a month in Stockholm in 2005, which was a real eye-opening experience,” she says. “It opened a window onto our cultural differences and onto the differences in resources between universities. It made me realise how much we can achieve even with limited resources.”
Since the exchange programme began, some 300 students and teachers have participated.
“During my time in Sweden, I almost immediately saw a clear difference in student-teacher relations,” she continues. “We have a much more marked hierarchy. At Karolinska Institutet, I saw how it was even possible to have a more relaxed relationship without compromising the seriousness of the teaching.”
After her exchange, Noeline Nakasujja also took the opportunity to take a joint PhD at KI and Makerere.
“My time as a doctoral student led to me receiving a doctoral student from KI,” she says. “That personal contact was the key to creating a platform that has enabled others to successfully navigate a foreign university.”
Since then, Noeline Nakasujja and her department have accepted numerous students from KI, and she finds her first-hand experience of the Swedish study environment comes in very useful here. She now believes that the new Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health can deepen the relationship between the two universities even more.
“We need to strengthen the preventative work we’re doing in Ugandan healthcare,” she says. “Patients with Alzheimer’s can particularly benefit from early intervention, such as physical exercise and social activities that help to slow the onset of disease.”
She goes on: “The only way to create truly sustainable health and social care services is by breaking the circle and offering prophylactic intervention.”
There are several partners attached to the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health, including universities in Congo, Somalia, Kenya, Malawi and Ethiopia.
“The collaboration enables us to create an environment for the exchange of knowledge and experience that will have a knock-on effect on other international partnerships,” she explains.
Innovation developed in Uganda now implemented in Sweden
Susanne Guidetti, professor of occupational therapy at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society has been involved in developing student and teacher exchanges between Makerere and KI since 2004. Back then, she had just come home from having lived with her family in Nairobi for a few years and was put straight in touch with Julius Kamwesiga, an affiliate of Makerere University.
The studies were conducted with Mulago National Specialised Hospital and gave the participants access to daily exercise with the help of their mobile phones. Stroke awareness is low in Uganda, where most people live in remote areas far from the nearest clinic.
“When we can work together to offer more people stroke rehabilitation, we give them a real possibility to live a better life,” Guidetti says. “After the project, one of the participants came up to me and said: ‘The surgeon helped me survive, but my contacts with the occupational therapist made life worth living again’.”
The study will now undergo a larger-scale follow-up in Uganda, and its findings have prompted further studies in Sweden.
“What made our study unique was that we brought knowledge and experience from Uganda to Sweden. Here, our innovation will make it possible to help stroke patients in remote parts of Sweden, too,” she says. “There are now several mobile phone-based rehab options, but in Uganda we helped to pioneer the technique.”
Today, Guidetti has an important part to play in the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health.
“Our project is a good example of how we can create an equivalent platform for sharing knowledge. Hopefully, we’ll be able to develop it further at the Centre and take new steps together towards sustainable health.”
The Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health enables not only the sharing of knowledge and experiences, but also the development and spread of innovations that can bring the goal of sustainable global health closer to being achieved. The knowledge and the network that the centre possesses make it easier for us to take on today’s pressing societal challenges together, not only in Sweden and Uganda but globally, too.
“We have an incredible amount to learn from each other,” says Professor Ottersen. “Let us be inspired by each other’s solutions, big and small, and together find more ways to tackle global health challenges. With the founding of the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health, our partnership takes the step from aid funding to being a true partner-driven collaboration.”
The Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS) on July 10, 2026, welcomed senior six science students from Ngora High School and Wiggins Secondary School to an inspiring Career Fair aimed at guiding them on careers in health sciences and introducing them to the wide range of academic programmes offered by the College.
The event brought together students pursuing Physics, Chemistry, Biology (PCB) and Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics (BCM), providing them with a unique opportunity to interact with the College leadership, tour laboratories and teaching facilities, and learn first-hand about careers in medicine and other health science disciplines.
Welcoming the students, the College Principal, Prof. Bruce Kirenga, described the College of Health Sciences as one of Africa’s oldest and most distinguished medical schools, with a legacy spanning more than a century.
“We started in 1924, making us one of the oldest medical schools on the continent. You have made the right decision to visit Makerere, and we are delighted to welcome you,” he said.
Prof. Kirenga commended the school administrators and teachers for organizing the visit, noting that exposing learners to university environments early helps them make informed career choices. He explained that the College introduced the Open Day concept after receiving numerous requests from schools seeking career guidance visits.
He congratulated the students for choosing science subjects, describing science as the foundation for solving society’s most pressing challenges.
“You have already made one of the most important decisions by choosing to become scientists. Even more importantly, you have chosen life sciences—a field dedicated to preserving and improving life,” he remarked.
The Principal emphasized that careers in life sciences extend far beyond medicine, encouraging students to remain open-minded as they consider their future.
“Everything that has life requires professionals to keep it healthy—from human beings and animals to crops and the environment. The opportunities are immense, including agriculture, veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences, public health and many other emerging fields.”
He also advised students not to limit themselves to only one academic programme during university applications, recalling instances where highly qualified students narrowly missed admission because they selected only one course.
“Remain open to the opportunities available. Medicine is an excellent profession, but there are many other programmes that are equally rewarding and are shaping the future of healthcare and scientific innovation,” he said.
Prof. Kirenga further encouraged the students to embrace lifelong learning, reminding them that scientific knowledge remains valuable regardless of the career path they eventually pursue.
Addressing the students, the Dean of the School of Medicine, Prof. Annette Nakimuli, acknowledged the growing competition for admission into medical programmes and urged learners to work hard while keeping an open mind about the diverse opportunities available within health sciences.
She explained that admission into the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) programme has become increasingly competitive due to the rising number of high-performing applicants.
“This year we witnessed unprecedented competition for government sponsorship, with many applicants scoring triple A at Advanced Level and outstanding grades at Ordinary Level. That tells you that you must prepare yourselves to excel academically,” she said.
Prof. Nakimuli noted that while many students aspire to become medical doctors, the health sector today offers numerous innovative programmes that are equally important.
“There are many programmes that parents, teachers and students are still not familiar with. Biomedical Engineering, for example, is one of the exciting fields driving the future of healthcare, yet many students overlook it because they focus only on medicine.”
She encouraged students to explore emerging disciplines that combine medicine, engineering, technology and research, noting that the future of healthcare increasingly depends on multidisciplinary professionals.
The Dean also introduced students to the structure of the School of Medicine, explaining that it comprises twelve academic departments and two specialised units covering a broad spectrum of clinical disciplines, including Internal Medicine, Surgery, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Orthopaedics, Ophthalmology, Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT), Family Medicine, Anaesthesia and Critical Care, among others.
She explained that students are trained by specialists across these disciplines to become competent general practitioners before pursuing further specialization.
Prof. Erisa Mwaka, the Chair of the Department of Human Anatomy, shared with the students about the School of Biomedical Sciences (SBS). He said the school is one of the four schools that make up the Makerere University College of Health Sciences (MakCHS). As the foundation of medical education, the School provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the biological and molecular sciences that underpin modern healthcare, disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
The School comprises several departments, including:
- Human Anatomy
- Biochemistry
- Physiology
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- Pathology
- Microbiology
- Medical Illustration
The School offers undergraduate programmes such as the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences, which equips students with strong laboratory, research and analytical skills, and the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering, an interdisciplinary programme that integrates engineering, medicine and technology to develop innovative healthcare solutions.
At postgraduate level, the School offers a wide range of master’s and doctoral programmes, including Human Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Bioinformatics, Immunology and Clinical Microbiology, Health Bioethics, Medical Illustration, Pathology and other biomedical specializations that prepare graduates for careers in research, academia, diagnostics, biotechnology and the pharmaceutical industry. The school also offers a wide range of diploma courses.
Throughout the Career Fair, students interacted with faculty members, toured laboratories and learning facilities, and received guidance on university admission, academic programmes and career prospects within the health sciences.
The Career Fair forms part of the College’s broader outreach programme aimed at nurturing the next generation of healthcare professionals by exposing learners to university life and equipping them with the information needed to make informed academic and career decisions.
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