Following the discovery of commercial petroleum reserves in Uganda in 2006, Makerere University in 2009 pioneered teaching and research in petroleum programmes. The programmes are offered in the Department of Geology and Petroleum Studies, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) at BSc, MSc and PhD levels. As Uganda moves to the next stages of petroleum development, there is need for highly skilled workforce at various stages of exploration, development, production, transportation and refining. However, the progression of teaching and research in these fields has been largely hampered by a serious shortage of sector specific physical infrastructure especially laboratories. There is total lack of specialized equipment to train for upstream, midstream and downstream petroleum operations. According to the Workforce Skills Development Strategy & Plan for the Oil and Gas Sub sector in Uganda (WSDSP), thousands of engineers and managers in the area of control centre operations, as well as geological and petroleum engineering will be required at the development, production processing, transportation and marketing stages in the sector. The education and training institutions therefore have to be equipped in order to meet current and future petroleum skills needs.
Project to identify and set up training infrastructure
Through a project titled, “An assessment to identify research and training laboratory and field equipment and infrastructure for petroleum geosciences and engineering in Higher Educational Institutions of Uganda”, researchers from CoNAS set out to establish a field research station in the Albertine Graben to support practical training in petroleum studies. The Project led by Prof. J.Y.T. Mugisha was supported by Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF). Other members on the project included; Prof. Michael Owor, former Head, Department of Geology and Petroleum Studies, and currently Dean, School of Physical Sciences (Co-PI); Dr John Mary Kiberu, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geology and Petroleum Studies; Mr Willy Kasule and Ms. Suzan Kigozi, technicians in the Department; and Mr. Tonny Mugabi, ICT officer in the Department. The main objective of the project was to identify requisite physical and technological infrastructure for high quality teaching, research and training in various disciplines of the oil and gas sector in Uganda and the East African region.
Commissioning of the Petroleum Field Research Station
As one of the outputs of the project, a Petroleum Field Research Station was set up at Makerere University Biological Field Station (MUBFS) in Kibale. The station was officially commissioned by the Warden Research and Ecological Monitoring, Kibale Conservation area, Ms. Dorothy Kirumira on 6th August 2022.
Once fully equipped, the station will act as a one-stop centre for research and hands-on training for graduates in the oil and gas sector as well as geosciences. In her remarks, Ms. Kirumira informed participants that MUBFS is a global research station that can generate a lot of income for the University.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the Principal Investigator, Prof. J.Y.T Mugisha noted that the country has over 400 petroleum and geosciences graduates with hardly any practical skills due to lack of training equipment. He appreciated the Government of Uganda for the support extended to the project through Mak-RIF.
Besides establishing a field research station, the researchers developed a database of petroleum research and teaching resources across the country. This will support relevant skilling and training for development of petroleum resources to contribute to economic development and the SDGs 4 and 7, quality education as well as affordable and clean energy. Through the project, the researchers intend to develop a funding proposal to support the establishment of requisite infrastructure for oil and gas training in the region.
The project dissemination and commissioning of the field research station was graced by the Head, Department of Geology and Petroleum Studies, Dr Arthur Batte, and officials from Mak-RIF, Ms Evelyne B. Nyachwo, Research Support Officer and Mr. Aziz Agaba from the Finance Department.
Status of facilities at MUBFS and assessment of geology training sites in the Semliki Basin.
Briefing participants on the status of facilities at MUBFS, the Assistant Domestic Bursar, Mr. Kato Innocent called for renovations on the computer lab, library, shower rooms and improvement of internet connectivity.
Besides the commissioning ceremony, participants toured facilities at MUBFS, and conducted an assessment of the study sites for geology students in the Semliki basin. The team also toured facilities at the Uganda Technical College- KIchwamba and engaged the Deputy Principal, Mr. Milton K. Mumbogwe on possible areas of collaboration including internship.
Proposed areas for further funding
Exploring alternative field study and research areas across the country;
Camp site ICT materials including remote access of database;
Cataloguing all geoscience resources of academic institutions and industry;
Database up-grading to cater for robust database engine;
Refurbishment of sanitary facilities at MUBFS;
Key field equipment, for example GPS, altimeters;
Living quarters for field classes and researchers.
As we train Scientists we ought to equip them with skills that will help them survive beyond the Laboratories, beyond University, and beyond Academia. Thus, the need to Bioprospect and acquire product development skills.
I am therefore proud of what my 2024 Biotechnology Product Development Class has been able to achieve.
Following bioprospecting and entrepreneurial training, students developed the following products: Exotic beard oil, Herbal cough mixture, Power candy, Laundry bar soap, Moringa snack bars, Prudy Organic hair dye, Hair food, Syphilis remedy, Cornstarch based bioplastic, Nash probiotic drink, Dental care herbal mouthwash, Rosemary – lemongrass infused vinegar, Tea tree hand wash, Scented candles, Aloe fruit jam, Herbal bloom shower gel, Custard, Beetroot yoghurt, Dewormer, Stomach pain killers, Liquid organic fertilizers, Face scrub, Mosquito repellant scented air diffuser, Underarm whitening oil, Essential oil deodorant, Ria hair conditioner, Shower gels, Crochet jacket among others.
I am confident that with subsequent incubation, start-ups will emerge.
“The future belongs to those who learn more skills and combine them in creative ways.”
Robert Greene
“Build your skills not your resume.”
Sheryl Sandberg
Dr. Alice Nabatanzi is a Lecturer of Phytomedicine and Nutraceuticals in the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology, School of Bio-sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University.
Highly qualified applicants from all over the world are invited to apply for the PhD Program “Human River systems in the 21st century (HR21)”. The 15 positions are fully funded and the Doctoral Programme is providing additional resources for conference presentations, retreats etc.
The 15 PhD research topics are:
Topic 1: Role of hydrological extremes (floods) for sediment transport and morphodynamics in the human-river system
Topic 2: Material resources demand and flows of hydraulic structures to prevent societal impact of extreme events (social ecology, environmental history)
Topic 3: Intermittent flow – hydrological effects and impacts on benthic communities, ecological state and functioning of riverine systems
Topic 4: Drought, low flow and warming – hydrological effects and impacts on the ecological state and functioning of river systems
Topic 5: Water transit time distributions as indicators for the vulnerability of riverine ecosystems under different pressures from social metabolism
Topic 6: Analyzing possible contributions of re-activated former watercourses towards a more sustainable transformation of industrialized riverine landscapes in urban areas
Topic 7: The role of the latest industrial revolutions on instream processes and ecological vulnerability of IRL
Topic 8: The effects of infrastructure development on ecological and ecosystem service network properties in river systems
Topic 9: The impact of urban settlements on organic matter and nutrient flows in industrialized riverine landscapes – What can we learn from the past?
Topic 10: Urban metabolism, a river’s ecohydrology and industrialization: Vienna and the Danube, 1800-2000
Topic 11: Impact of external organic matter sources on nutrient, sediment and water transport from cropland into streams
Topic 12: Impacts of bioenergy crops used as riparian buffer strips on stream ecosystems’ functioning
Topic 13: Sustainable hydropower & and the water-energy-food nexus in multi-stressed IRLs: Challenges and solutions for science & management
Topic 14: Integrated modelling of farmers’ climate change impact and adaptation appraisal to inform regional human river nexus management
Topic 15: Strategic planning approaches to territorial governance of industrialized riverine landscapes
Dr Tugume Patience, a Lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences, Microbiology and Biotechnology at the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS), Makerere University is one of the 28 women who have been granted the 2023 OWSD Early Career Fellowship. These scientists will receive up to USD50,000 to lead research projects and establish research groups at their home institutions in 16 countries in the developing world, to maintain an international standard of research and attract scholars from all over the world to collaborate. Funding for the fellowships is generously provided by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC).
During the 3-year fellowship, fellows will receive specific training to build on their leadership and management skills and develop connections with a variety of public and private sector partners to potentially convert their research into marketable products or guarantee its impact on a broader scale. By improving their communication and outreach skills, fellows will also learn to effectively present their research to various audiences, thus attracting new collaborators and potential funders to ensure the sustainability of the research project.
Dr Tugume’s Project – Biological Systems and Organisms
This project will use various forms of bio-wastes from households and urban centres in Uganda as raw materials for production of biogas, as well as an eco-friendly bio-fertilizer and bio-pesticide. Large amounts of unconsumed food are often thrown away in homes and urban centres that could be converted into useful products that would supply energy, enhance agricultural productivity and reduce deforestation. This project will construct anaerobic bio-digester tanks to process different kinds of bio-waste into biogas, a renewable energy source, and evaluate yields of biogas from different bio-wastes and combinations of bio-wastes. It will additionally produce a bio-fertilizer to enrich soil and a bio-pesticide to manage agricultural pests. The project will also equip households with the skills to biologically convert wastes into value-added products, training women and youth in biogas production and usage.