The Department of Veterinary Pharmacy, Clinical and Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB), Makerere University has been accepted as an Instrumental Access awardee.

The college will receive scientific equipment worth 400,000 USD (Shs. 1.6 billion) for teaching, research, and diagnostic services.

The award that follows an application submitted by Dr. James Acai- Okwee, the Deputy Principal CoVAB comprises lab equipment and supplies that will advance scientific research and education. This is the flagship program of Seeding Labs, a US-based NGO working to increase access to resources for science in developing countries.

The instrumental Access award which was also realized based on the level of excellence of Makerere University makes high-quality laboratory equipment and supplies available to the university departments and research institutes.

‘The most important quality we look for in new awardees is whether access to additional equipment and resources will help to unlock untapped potential, and it is clear that this is the case at your institution’, stated the Chief Executive Officer, Seeding Labs in a statement that communicated this exhilarating message to the University.

The mission of Seeding Labs is to increase access to resources for science in developing countries. CoVAB’s participation in Instrumental Access makes Makerere University a member of the community of 137 Instrumental Access awardees in 39 countries worldwide.

‘We look forward to working with you and your colleagues throughout the university to provide your scientists and your students with laboratory equipment and supplies necessary to conduct life-changing research and train the next generation of scientists. I hope that this program is the beginning of a fruitful relationship between our organizations, which will continue beyond the Instrumental Access shipment, read the statement by Melissa P. Wu, (Ph.D.) Chief Executive Officer Seeding Labs.

The Department of Veterinary Pharmacy, Clinical and Comparative Medicine, Makerere University was chosen for the Instrumental Access award after a rigorous and competitive selection process that receives and evaluates applications from institutions around the world. To be considered, applicants outline the ways that an infusion of scientific equipment would remove barriers to STEM education and research at their institution, paving the way for new avenues of scientific inquiry and expanding hands-on opportunities for students.

The equipment will provide a foundation for other critical resources that allow scientists to generate new knowledge, leverage sustainable funding, and better prepare university students for the scientific workforce and innovation economy.

To date, the Instrumental Access program has catalyzed scientific innovation at more than 100 universities and institutions in 39 developing countries. The equipment:

• Has enhanced workforce training for more than 230,000 students, who have access to Instrumental Access equipment in practical lab sessions and thesis research,
• Catalyzed research projects with $16.9 million of new funding across 69 universities,
• Given more than 2,900 scientific staff at 118 university departments more opportunities to pursue their research agendas thanks to the availability of more equipment.

The Livestock and Industrial Resources (LIR) Department at the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) conducted a career guidance session for finalist students of the Bachelor of Bachelor of Animal Production Technology and Management (BAPT) and Bachelor of Industrial Livestock and Business (BILB).

The session held in the Centre for Biosecurity and Global Health (CEBIGH), on Friday 5^th April covered several vital areas including writing a curriculum vitae, interview skills, the student’s achievements given the expectations from society, career insights, and employment prospects as well as how to seek out opportunities for further studies.

The first of its kind in the unit, the career guidance event was facilitated by experienced academicians many of whom teaching staff at the college specifically drawn from the Livestock and Industrial Resources Department including Professor Anthony Mugisha, Dr. Kizza Daniel, Dr. Herbert Mukiibi, Dr. Dorothy Nampanzira, Dr. Kisaka Joanne, Dr. Azuba Rose. The Industry was represented by Mr. Kibirige Ponsiano, the Chairperson of the Animal Production Society of Uganda.

Dr. Dorothy Nampanzira, Head of the Livestock and Industrial Resources Department reminded the finalist students that once out in the field they were responsible for their day-to-day programming, and that worrying and looking for sympathy or excuses were not applicable. She said there were several people with wide experience in the world of work willing to nurture them citing the example of professors and other facilitators who were lined up to address them and urged the outgoing students to utilize them. She encouraged them to ask as many questions as they could to benefit from the interaction maximally.

Dr. Daniel Kizza addressed the students on tips for writing a good CV.  He said as people hit the world of work for the first time there was a need to find the best ways of marketing themselves using a well-laid-out CV, and he gave them tips on the best-selling format to improve their chances although he said there was no standard format. He cautioned them that many people miss employment because of poorly structured CVs.  He further encouraged them to get a mentor who would offer support in areas that are important but were not taught in class. He said while writing the CV, they needed to tell the truth, use headings and subheadings, as well as regularly revise the CV  in consideration of whom it is addressed.  In the use of persons as referees, Dr. Kizza advised the students to inform them whenever they are used.

Dr. Herbert Mukiibi while talking on the subject of employing others rather than seeking employment noted that several students who go out in the field end up not getting employed hence the need to start enterprises to employ others.  ‘Many employers will disappoint you and not give you jobs yet you can turn it around and instead of looking for a job, look out for problems’, he said.  He encouraged the students to turn what would have been a job description into problem identification given that the majority of employers look for persons able to solve problems.  ‘Go out and look for the problems, from circumstances like time, and space, and you advertise the problem, subtract 10% of the money, and pay salaries.  It is up to you to choose the arm of looking for jobs or to seek out solutions for problems by being innovative and getting self-employment, he emphasized, after sharing his own experiences in the field.

Mr. Kibirige Ponsiano, the Chairperson of the Animal Production Society of Uganda (APSU) said their activities have been running with guidance from the university and their patron Prof. John David Kabasa. He explained the challenges they face as Animal Production Officials arising out of competition with other professions in the field and explained the steps taken so far to have them recognized as professionals in their own right.

 ‘I’m humbled to be in this place that has made me what I am, having come to the college as a mature student, he said while appreciating the LIR Department for having considered them in addressing the students. He urged the university, the college, and the departments to find ways of absorbing more of the graduates into their farms, the departments, and the college. He encouraged the students to seek opportunities for further studies and increase their opportunities to work. He encouraged them to find work amongst the farmers instead of fighting for the few places in the formal sector and urged them to go out to farmers with solutions to their problems, which if addressed will help on increasing the farmer’s incomes.

Prof. Anthony Mugisha urged the students to appreciate the difference between learning and education. ‘Are you aspiring to be educated or learned? Are you seeking out jobs or employment?, he queried as he called for a mindset change among the graduates. He explained that the problem at hand was narrowing our perspective in thinking that we train students to get jobs.  He said the animal Value chain was so wide that a person could look at the different aspects and work on citing the example of addressing droughts which was identified as a major challenge in animal production.

Further, he clarified the difference between the two programs Bachelor of Bachelor of Animal Production Technology and Management (BAPT) and Bachelor of Industrial Livestock and Business (BILB) saying that the products of BILB were expected to be entrepreneurs, investors, job creators, business owners or business creators with an aim of wealth creation along livestock value chain while BAPT products were expected to be scientists, reaserchers, technologists, managers and extensionists.

Makerere University has been subjected to an assessment to determine its suitability for hosting a Regional Centre of Excellence in Fisheries and Aquaculture in Africa. The evaluation follows a jointly submitted Expression of Interest by the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) and the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS).

The Africa Union Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) mission was at Makerere from 11^th to 12^th March 2024, specifically at the colleges that offer fisheries related programs, CoVAB and CoNAS where they looked at the suitability of the existing Teaching and Research Facilities and other parameters necessary for the establishment of a center of excellence.

The team comprised of Etienne Hinrichsen the leader together with Patrick Karani, from AU-IBAR, and Daniel Adjei Boateng the Aquaculture Expert on the mission undertook a two-day in-depth review of the state of affairs of Makerere University in order to make an informed decision in regard to its suitability to host the center. According to Etienne Hinrichsen, aquatic animal health has got a leg in various areas and that staff within the institution were better placed to understand this unlike those from outside.  He said their excursion in Makerere offered a learning experience that would enrich their evaluation. It is always difficult to evaluate something while on your desk and it gets much richer when you see it on the ground, he said while appreciating the staff that took them around. A lot was seen in terms of physical infrastructure and what remains now is to correlate the human capacity in order to determine what AU-IBAR can do for you or what you can do as a centre of excellence in Africa, he observed. He observed that Makerere University was already collaborating with the National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFFIRI), which was an advantage because of the good relations it has with AU. Other areas of concern he said, include accessibility matters for international students since the centre will serve the entire continent.

While interacting with the AU-IBAR mission, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, expressed optimism that Makerere University was best suited to host the center since it had in place all that was needed to offer the required trainings and research.  He said the university’s move towards becoming research led and the various policies and facilities in place were a fertile ground for taking on training in the fisheries sector, an area that was increasingly getting onboard due to the demand for fish in the country and the region. ‘If the AU mission is to give us opportunity to do even better in what we are doing, I will be very happy,’ he said adding that the university was a host of students from 39 other countries who would also be beneficiaries since Uganda has a big coverage of lakes and rivers coupled with the increase in the fish farming enterprise.  Further he said with the exploding population in Africa, unless we find solutions for food security, we must be prepared for very unstable people in the near future, justifying the reason why Makerere University should host the centre of excellence.

The mission interacted with a section of members of staff and graduate students both at CoVAB and CoNAS.

The AU-IBAR verification visit to Makerere University as one of the institutions for selection as Africa Centers of Excellence in Fisheries and Aquaculture reviewed a number of areas including

• existence of the relevant curricula;
• related disciplines taught in the institution;
• number of staff in disciplines like qualification and years and nature of experience;
•  Percentage of students from each cohort that have graduated from the institution over the past;
• capacity to undertaken research and develop new information and technology;
• peer reviewed publications, popular articles and other information targeting stakeholders;
• relevant policies, administrative and financial management systems in place.

Once selected, Makerere University will champion the training in Fisheries and Aquaculture through graduate training in Masters, PhD and short-term courses, as well as applied research in the form of partnerships and collaborations with other institutions and the private sector.

Makerere University hosts the Africa Center of Excellence in Materials, Product Development and Nanotechnology (MAPRONANO ACE) and Makerere University Regional Centre for Crop Improvement (MaRCCI).

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