The Unit-Based ORCID Sensitization and System Capture of Researcher Identification Workshop was held on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, commencing at 9:00 a.m. at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building, Makerere University. The workshop was facilitated by the Research and Education Network for Uganda (RENU).

The workshop was opened by Prof. Robert Wamala – Director of the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships (DRIP). In his remarks, Prof. Wamala emphasised the importance of ORCID in strengthening researcher identification, improving the visibility and discoverability of Makerere University‘s research outputs, and ensuring accurate attribution of scholarly contributions.

Prof. Wamala highlighted the need to move beyond individual ORCID registration towards systematic institutional adoption, including the accurate capture and validation of researchers’ ORCID identifiers in relevant University information systems. He underscored the importance of coordinated implementation at unit level, recognising the critical roles of College Librarians, Library staff and the Directorate of Graduate Training in supporting ORCID adoption among academic staff, researchers and graduate students.

Prof. Wamala appreciated RENU for facilitating the engagement and encouraged participants to translate the knowledge gained into practical action within their respective units. The workshop marked an important step in Makerere University‘s efforts to strengthen researcher identification, improve research visibility and enhance the institutional management and tracking of scholarly outputs.

The opening session also featured remarks from the University Librarian Prof. Ruth Nalumaga and Dr. Cyprian Misinde, the Director of Quality Assurance, who underscored the importance of ORCID in strengthening research visibility, scholarly communication and institutional research information management. Their contributions highlighted the need for collaboration across the Library, Quality Assurance, Graduate Training and DRIP to support effective ORCID adoption and integration into University processes.

The workshop provided an opportunity to sensitise participants on ORCID and strengthen their capacity to support its adoption and system capture within their respective units. The participation of College Librarians, Library staff and the Directorate of Graduate Training was particularly strategic in supporting researchers and graduate students to establish and maintain their ORCID profiles.

The workshop was attended by College Librarians and Library Staff; Representatives from the Directorate of Graduate Training; Directorate of Quality Assurance and the Directorate of Research, Innovations and Partnerships. Their participation was intended to strengthen awareness, institutional coordination and practical support for ORCID adoption across the University.

The engagement, marked a collaborative step towards institutionalizing ORCID at Makerere University and strengthening the University’s capacity to identify, track and showcase its research contributions globally.

Dr. Alice Nabatanzi, a Senior Lecturer at the College of Natural Sciences, has earned international recognition after winning First Place in the Charles Wambebe Innovation Award – Academic Category and receiving an Honourable Mention for Best Oral Presenter at the 3^rd International Congress of the African Phytomedicine Scientific Society (APSS 2026), held at The Capital, Zimbali Resort, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The congress brought together researchers, academics and industry stakeholders to discuss advances in medicinal-plant research, phytomedicine and natural product development. The event provided an international platform for showcasing African scientific research and exploring ways of translating indigenous knowledge and biodiversity into practical innovations.

In addition to the two recognitions, Dr. Nabatanzi was invited to deliver a keynote address, highlighting her contribution to research on African medicinal plants and their potential nutraceutical applications.

First Place in the Charles Wambebe Innovation Award: Honouring a legacy in African phytomedicine

The most significant recognition was winning First Place in the Charles Wambebe Innovation Award – Academic Category. The award is named in honour of the late Professor Charles Obadiah Nimma Wambebe (1946–2022), a distinguished Nigerian pharmacologist whose work made significant contributions to the advancement of African phytomedicine. Professor Wambebe was a pioneer in the scientific investigation and development of medicines from African medicinal plants. He championed the integration of indigenous medical knowledge with rigorous scientific research, demonstrating the potential of African biodiversity to contribute to pharmaceutical innovation.

One of his most notable contributions was his role in the development of Niprisan, a standardised plant-derived formulation researched for the management of sickle cell disorder. This work became an important example of translating traditional medicinal-plant knowledge into a scientifically investigated phytomedicine. He also served as the founding Director-General of Nigeria’s National Institute for Pharmaceutical Research and Development (NIPRD), contributing to pharmaceutical research, development and scientific capacity building. His achievements earned him international recognition, including The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) Award in Medical Sciences.

Of particular significance to Makerere University, Professor Wambebe also served as an Honorary Professor of Pharmacology at the University. This connection makes the recognition especially meaningful to the institution and to a Makerere academic whose work is similarly committed to exploring the scientific and practical value of medicinal plants. The award celebrates the legacy of a scientist who believed in the capacity of African researchers to transform indigenous knowledge and natural resources into scientifically investigated products. It recognises innovation in the development of phytopharmaceutical, cosmeceutical and nutraceutical products, particularly research that progresses beyond academic investigation towards practical applications.

Winning First Place in this category is therefore an important distinction. It recognises not simply an idea, but the research, development and innovation behind a product with potential for wider application and commercialisation.

The award-winning innovation: From botanical research to cosmeceutical products

The innovation presented at APSS 2026 was developed through Aurene Aura, a science-led skincare brand founded by Dr. Nabatanzi.

Two flagship products featured in the innovation presentation were:

• Aurene Cera Anti-Aging Cream
• Aurene Glow Lotion

The product-development work brings together phytomedicine research, formulation development and product evaluation. The selected plants include Panax ginseng roots, Centella asiatica leaves, Glycyrrhiza glabra roots and Kigelia africana fruits. The research has involved bioactivity evaluation of the plants used in the formulations, alongside extensive investigation of Kigelia africana fruits (LC-MS, cytotoxicity, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity) to explore their potential as a source of bioactive compounds for cosmeceutical applications. The formulations combine selected botanical ingredients with established cosmetic actives. Product evaluation has included physicochemical assessment, with recorded pH values of approximately 5.5 ± 0.2 for Aurene Cera and 5.6 ± 0.1 for Aurene Glow.

The innovation demonstrates how academic research can inform locally developed cosmeceutical products and create opportunities for value addition, entrepreneurship and commercialisation. It also highlights the potential of African plant resources in a competitive global skincare industry.

A special book presented alongside the award

As part of the First Place innovation award presentation, Dr. Nabatanzi also received a special gift: Aquatic Plants: Pharmaceutical and Cosmetic Applications, edited by Professor Namrita Lall.

The book explores the pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications of aquatic plants, making it a particularly fitting gift in recognition of research and innovation centred on the potential of natural resources.

Honourable Mention for Best Oral Presenter

In addition to the innovation award, Dr. Nabatanzi received an Honourable Mention for Best Oral Presenter. This recognition acknowledged the scientific presentation and its communication to an international audience. It highlights the importance of not only conducting relevant research but also presenting scientific findings effectively and contributing to international academic discourse.

Keynote address: African Medicinal Plants in Oncology – Exploring Their Nutraceutical Potentials

Dr. Nabatanzi also delivered a keynote address titled:

“Oncology Medicinal Plants and Their Nutraceutical Values in Africa: A Comprehensive Overview and Case Study of Kigelia africana and Spathodea campanulata.”

The presentation examined the scientific and nutritional relevance of African medicinal plants, focusing on Kigelia africana and Spathodea campanulata. It explored the importance of investigating plant-derived bioactive compounds and their potential nutraceutical applications, while emphasising the need for rigorous scientific evidence in evaluating their properties and possible health benefits. The keynote contributed to discussions on the value of African biodiversity, the scientific investigation of indigenous plant resources and the opportunities for African researchers to advance research in phytomedicine and nutraceutical science.

Dr. Nabatanzi’s participation as a keynote speaker is featured on the official APSS 2026 speakers’ page. View: APSS 2026 Official Speakers’ Page

Advancing Makerere University‘s research and innovation agenda

The achievements at APSS 2026 demonstrate the contribution of Makerere University researchers to international scientific engagement and the development of innovations informed by African biodiversity. The First Place Charles Wambebe Innovation Award is particularly significant because it connects contemporary research and product development with the legacy of a scientist who championed African-led pharmaceutical innovation and had an academic association with Makerere University. For Dr. Nabatanzi, the recognitions affirm the importance of research that bridges scientific investigation, effective communication and practical innovation. They also provide encouragement to emerging African scientists to explore the potential of local natural resources, strengthen scientific evidence and pursue research that can contribute to new products, enterprises and solutions for society. The achievements reflect Makerere University‘s commitment to research excellence, innovation, entrepreneurship and global engagement, while reinforcing the importance of translating academic knowledge into meaningful impact.

Makerere University congratulates Dr. Alice Nabatanzi on these achievements and celebrates her contribution to advancing African scientific research and innovation.

From walking through farms and tracing agricultural histories to listening to farmers and engaging communities in dialogue, a two-week field course in Mityana District offered Makerere University doctoral students a profound lesson: meaningful agricultural innovation begins with the people it seeks to serve.

When the classroom moved to Mwera, Mityana

For two weeks, the classroom had no walls. Its lessons were written across coffee and banana gardens, cultivated fields, homesteads and the lived experiences of farming communities in Mityana District. From 4 to 16 October 2026, Mwera Parish and the surrounding villages of Kiwande, Kakindu, Kitiddibuli, Bananze and Kireku became an extended classroom for six doctoral students pursuing a PhD in Agricultural and Rural Innovation under Makerere University‘s Department of Extension and Innovation Studies.

The students were undertaking a field course in Action Research in Agri-food Systems, Innovations and Livelihoods, an academic exercise designed to take learning beyond the university and into the communities whose agricultural realities are often the subject of research, policy and development interventions.

Here, there were no neatly arranged lecture halls or powerpoint presentations to explain every agricultural challenge. Instead, there were landscapes to interpret, farmers with stories to tell, and agricultural practices shaped by generations of experience, adaptation and survival.

Under the guidance of Dr. Richard Miiro, Dr. Sarah Akello and Dr. Moses Okech, the students set out to understand farming systems not simply as combinations of crops and livestock, but as complex relationships between people, natural resources, institutions, markets and livelihoods.

What began as an academic exercise would gradually become something more profound. An encounter with the realities of rural life and a reconsideration of what it truly means to support agricultural innovation.

Reading the landscape, listening to farmers

The first lessons came from the landscape itself. Moving through Mwera, Kakindu, Bananze, Kitiddibuli and neighbouring communities, the students conducted transect walks, observed cropping patterns, examined agroecological conditions and interacted with farming households.

Everywhere they looked, the landscape offered clues about how people made a living.

Coffee and banana gardens stood alongside seasonal crops, livestock enterprises and settlements. The arrangement of farms, the crops under cultivation and the resources available to households reflected decisions shaped by soil conditions, land availability, household resources and market opportunities.

Yet, as the students soon discovered, what was visible on the land told only part of the story. Why did neighbouring households practise agriculture differently, even when they appeared to share similar conditions? How had farming systems changed over time? What influenced farmers’ decisions, and what challenges continued to threaten their livelihoods?

To answer these questions, the students had to do more than observe. They had to listen. Through interviews, historical inquiries and participatory discussions, farmers shared experiences that offered explanations beyond what could be seen in their fields.

Their accounts revealed that agricultural decisions are not always driven by the desire to maximise yields or profits. Sometimes, a farmer’s choice reflects the immediate needs of a household, limited financial resources, available labour, uncertainty about markets, the need to manage risks or lessons accumulated over years of experience. A farming practice that might appear inefficient to an outsider could, when understood through the farmer’s circumstances, represent a deliberate and practical response to uncertainty.

For the doctoral students, these encounters challenged a conventional assumption about agricultural extension, that experts possess knowledge which must simply be transferred to farmers.

The farmers of Mwera were far from passive recipients of information. They were knowledgeable actors, continuously observing, experimenting, adjusting and making decisions within the opportunities and limitations of their circumstances. It became increasingly clear that effective agricultural extension cannot begin with prescribing solutions. It must begin with understanding the people expected to use them.

Understanding the farming system

As the days progressed, the students began connecting what they had observed in the fields with what they were learning from the farmers. They examined the area’s agrarian history, farming practices, resource use and livelihood strategies, seeking to understand not only how agriculture was being practised, but also why farming systems had evolved in particular ways.

Historical accounts helped explain changes in land use, agricultural production and livelihoods. Observations of the landscape revealed differences in farming opportunities, while conversations with households illuminated the social and economic circumstances influencing agricultural decisions.

Therefore, addressing one problem without understanding its relationship to others can result in interventions that appear technically sound but are difficult for farmers to adopt or sustain. The field experience also challenged the tendency to associate agricultural innovation exclusively with new technologies, improved seeds, machinery or modern production techniques.

Innovation, the students learned, can also emerge from changes in how farmers organise themselves, share knowledge, access information, manage resources, respond to risks or collaborate with institutions. Sometimes, the most consequential innovation is not a new technology introduced onto a farm, but a new relationship, an improved way of working together or a better understanding of an existing challenge.

For students, these insights were particularly significant. They reinforced the importance of understanding the wider social, economic and institutional environment within which agricultural decisions are made. They also demonstrated why successful interventions must be relevant to farmers’ circumstances, inclusive of different farming households and sustainable beyond the period of external support.

When researchers returned to the community

After nearly two weeks of walking through farms, observing agricultural practices, conducting interviews and analysing findings, the students returned to the people who had made their learning possible. This time, however, they were not coming to ask questions. They were coming to share what they had learned and, importantly, to find out whether the community agreed with their interpretations.

At Mwera Community Hall, more than 60 community members gathered for a feedback session, among them were farmers who had participated in the fieldwork and shared their experiences with the students. It was a defining moment in the field course.

The students presented their findings on the landscape, agricultural history, farming practices, livelihood strategies and the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats identified within the farming systems. But the meeting was not intended to be a one-way presentation of academic findings. Community members were invited to validate the observations, question the interpretations, identify gaps and contribute their own perspectives on the challenges facing agriculture in the area.

The discussions brought familiar concerns to the forefront; declining soil fertility, the rising cost of agricultural inputs, crop suitability, pests and diseases, and access to agricultural services.

Through a participatory prioritisation exercise, pests and diseases emerged as the farmers’ leading concern, followed by limited access to farmer advisory services.

The significance of this outcome went beyond identifying two agricultural challenges. It demonstrated why communities must be involved not only in providing information for research, but also in interpreting findings and determining which problems deserve priority attention. For researchers, a challenge may appear important because of its technical or economic implications. For farmers, its urgency may be shaped by daily experiences, the risks it presents to household livelihoods and their ability to respond.

The feedback session therefore became more than the conclusion of a field course. It was an opportunity for the students to subject their academic interpretations to the knowledge and judgement of the people whose lives those interpretations sought to explain.

In that exchange lay an important distinction between conducting research on communities and conducting research with them. The farmers were not merely sources of data. They were contributors to knowledge generation, participants in validating findings and partners in identifying the challenges that mattered most to them. Yet, even as the discussions drew to a close, a larger question remained: What happens after researchers leave?

Rethinking agricultural extension and innovation

The experience in Mwera offered lessons extending well beyond the requirements of a doctoral field course. For agricultural extension professionals, it raised fundamental questions about how farmers are understood, how agricultural problems are diagnosed and how interventions are designed.

The first lesson was the importance of diagnosis before prescription.

Agricultural interventions cannot be adequately designed without understanding the landscape, its history, the diversity of farming households and the social, economic and institutional relationships that influence their decisions. What works for one farmer may not necessarily work for another, even within the same community. Differences in land ownership, labour availability, financial resources, farming objectives and exposure to risk can significantly influence the suitability of an intervention.

The second lesson concerned the place of farmers in knowledge creation.

Scientific research remains essential to agricultural development, but farmers also possess valuable knowledge acquired through experience, observation and adaptation. Bringing these forms of knowledge together creates opportunities for solutions that are both scientifically informed and grounded in local realities.

The third lesson was that agricultural innovation is rarely the achievement of a single actor.

Farmers, researchers, extension workers, government institutions, markets and other development actors all influence how knowledge is generated, shared and translated into practice. Innovation therefore requires collaboration, coordination and relationships that enable different actors to learn from one another and respond to shared challenges.

Taken together, these lessons challenge agricultural extension professionals to move beyond their traditional role as transmitters of technical knowledge and become facilitators of learning, collaboration and innovation.

They also challenge universities to reflect on the meaning of research impact.

Should the success of agricultural research be measured only by the volume of data collected, academic reports completed and publications produced? Or should it also be assessed by the extent to which research strengthens communities’ capacity to understand and address their own challenges? For institutions such as Makerere University, whose teaching and research are closely connected to national development priorities, this question is particularly relevant. Field-based learning offers an opportunity to connect academic inquiry with the realities of the communities that research ultimately seeks to serve. It also reminds researchers that meaningful engagement requires more than arriving in a community, collecting information and departing with findings. It calls for listening, mutual learning, respect for local knowledge and a willingness to recognise farmers as partners in the search for solutions.