General
Ms. Claudia Frittelli – Carnegie Corporation of New York visits Mak
The Program Officer, Higher Education and Research in Africa, International Program of the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY) Ms. Claudia Frittelli was on Thursday 1st September, 2022 hosted by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe at a special Top Management Meeting as part of her institutional visit. Ms. Frittelli’s interaction with Makerere goes back to 2006 when she was part of the team that oversaw the implementation of CCNY’s Institutional Strengthening grant to the University.
In his welcome remarks, the Vice Chancellor thanked Carnegie for being one of entities that helped Makerere University regain her footing after the turbulent years of political upheaval. He particularly singled out the Corporation’s role in revitalising the construction industry in the 1990s through supporting the introduction of programmes in quantity and valuation surveying. The same concept, he noted, was used to introduce the Bachelor and later Master of Science in Construction Management.
“At that time there were few quantity surveyors in Uganda and they were almost no valuation surveyors… since the introduction of those programmes, the construction industry has greatly improved… and almost all the people heading the Departments in Government dealing with these issues are all coming out of the programme which the Carnegie Corporation supported” highlighted Prof. Nawangwe, who served as Head of the Department of Architecture and Physical Planning from 1987 to 2002.
The Vice Chancellor also paid to tribute to CCNY for supporting Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM), the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA) and the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA), which he currently chairs. ARUA aims at enhancing research and graduate training in Africa through, among other channels, the establishment of Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in sixteen (16) member universities spread across ten (10) countries. The Alliance currently has thirteen (13) multidisciplinary CoEs tackling thematic areas of
Citing the World Bank recommendation for the African continent to produce at least 100,000 PhDs within the next ten years in order to achieve Agenda 2063, Prof. Nawangwe outlined that the current Makerere University Strategic Plan seeks to make the institution more research-led by among other activities, training more more graduate students, who will contribute to the target. Makerere‘s membership to consortia such as ARUA, through which it hosts the Centre of Excellence in Notions of Identity in Africa it is anticipated, will enhance the attainment of this strategic thrust.
The Vice Chancellor further outlined Makerere‘s plans to establish an innovation hub to support the huge capacity that has been built over the years. “We now have a lot of trained researchers who have the potential to come up with innovations and we are working with UNDP to establish the innovation hub.”
The Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi in his remarks thanked Ms. Frittelli for being an eminent and longtime friend of Makerere. He noted that whereas CCNY started relations with Uganda in 1946, the post-independence political turmoil resulted in decades of suspension of operations by the Corporation, which resumed 2001-2004 with support to institutional research management at Makerere.
Prof. Buyinza added that this was followed by programmes from 2006-2008 and 2008-2011 aimed at strengthening research capacity at Makerere. The programme on nurturing the Next Generation of African Academics (NGAA) followed from 2010-2012, and subsequently the 2013-2016 NGAA Phase II that focused on retention of nurtured academics. 2017 marked the beginning of a phase on Nurturing Emerging Research Leaders through Post-Doctoral (NERLP) Training, which was followed by the 2019-2021 Supporting Early-Career Academics (SECA) programme.
“Currently, we are consolidating the Supporting Early-Career Academics (SECA) programme at Makerere, albeit innovatively. We have gone beyond the boundaries of Makerere and are working with four partner public Universities in this country… We identified Kyambogo, Busitema, Gulu and Mbarara University of Science and Technology” he explained.
Prof. Buyinza said that the current programme is supporting 25 post-doctoral fellowships; 15 from Makerere and 10 from the partner public universities. The support is aimed at consolidating the research capacity of early-career academics to enhance their research productivity and ability to contribute effectively to global knowledge generation.
He added that efforts are underway to prioritise research communication so as to enable dissemination of academic results to policy makers, while contributing to capacity building and opportunities of female academics. “The gender dimension is key and in this phase we have moved from 10% to 30%, and now Makerere is implementing 50% share-out.”
Ms. Frittelli in her remarks acknowledged the warm reception by Management, admitting that it was a pleasure to be back at Makerere where she participated in the institutional strengthening programme. The programme supported the formation of directorates to oversee Research and Graduate Training, Gender Mainstreaming, ICT and stregthened components in Distance Education. She added that it was good to witness Principal Investigators of projects that Carnegie had supported taking up Vice Chancellor roles in other universities as well as other Senior Administrative positions.
The Program Officer paid tribute to Vartan Gregorian, the late President under whose over 20-year tenure until his sudden death in April 2021, CCNY supported and continues to support higher education and research in Africa. She informed Management that the CCNY Board after a search appointed Prof. Louise Richardson, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, to serve as the corporation’s next President effective January 2023. Her hope, she said, was that the new President who has a background in higher education would continue supporting Africa’s undertakings in the same sector.
“…these kinds of meetings are coming at a very important time as it is interesting to hear how the grant is evolving, so that we can also inform her of the role of Makerere in the country, the continent and your participation in all these networks” added Ms. Frittelli.
The Program Officer during her visit interacted with members of the SECA Project Implementation Committee (PIC) in various colleges as well as post-doctoral grantees.
General
Makerere University Set to Develop Curriculum to Transform Graduate Supervision and Mentorship
By Moses Lutaaya
KAMPALA – Makerere University is set to develop a curriculum for a specialized Certificate Course in Supervision and Mentoring for Graduate Training and Higher Education Management, in a move aimed at professionalizing graduate supervision and strengthening the capacity of academic staff to deliver quality postgraduate education.
The proposed programme will equip academic staff with advanced competencies in graduate-level teaching, research supervision, mentorship, and higher education management, while supporting the University’s agenda of improving the quality and relevance of graduate training.
The curriculum development process was discussed during a Stakeholders’ Curriculum Development Consultation Workshop held on Thursday, 18th June 2026 at the Senate Building Telepresence Hall, Makerere University.
The workshop, organized by the Directorate of Graduate Training in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning Support (CTLS), brought together curriculum specialists, academic staff, and higher education stakeholders to review and enrich the proposed curriculum before it proceeds through the University approval processes.
Participants included 11 lecturers from the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT), 3 from the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), 2 from the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (CoVAB), 1 from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), 4 from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES), among others.
The National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) was represented by Dr. Patrice Ssembirige, Deputy Executive Director in charge of Curriculum Review and Instructional Materials Development. The Centre for Teaching and Learning team was led by Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, while Dr. Stephen Wandera coordinated the workshop.
Addressing participants, Prof. Julius Kikooma, Director Graduate Training at Makerere University, said the curriculum development initiative is central to strengthening graduate education and ensuring that academic staff are adequately prepared to support postgraduate learners.
Prof. Kikooma noted that Makerere University is targeting an increase in graduate student enrolment to 50 percent of the total student population, but emphasized that this ambition must be matched with investment in the capacity of academic staff who supervise and mentor students.
“We can get many graduate students, but if the people supporting them do not have the right tools and preparation, we will still have challenges,” Prof. Kikooma said.
He explained that the initiative responds to University policies requiring academic staff teaching graduate students to undergo pedagogical training, while those supervising graduate research must undergo specialized preparation in supervision and mentoring.
Prof. Kikooma said graduate supervision requires deliberate preparation because supervisors play a central role in shaping research quality, student success, and the overall effectiveness of postgraduate programmes.
He further emphasized Makerere University’s responsibility as a leading institution in the region.
“We have a double expectation. We must support the country to achieve its aspirations in national development, but we also have an expectation from other institutions to support them in building graduate training capacity. In that sense, we are a trainer of trainers,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC), Dr. Patrice Ssembirige commended Makerere University for adopting a consultative and inclusive approach to curriculum development.
He noted that education systems globally are undergoing significant transformation, requiring continuous curriculum review and alignment with emerging needs.
“Education systems globally are undergoing significant transformation, and in Uganda, NCDC has been leading and spearheading the implementation of the competency-based curriculum,” Dr. Ssembirige said.
He explained that NCDC has developed competency-based curriculum frameworks at primary and lower secondary levels and is currently advancing reforms at upper secondary level, which feeds into higher education institutions.
Dr. Ssembirige said the new curriculum presents an opportunity to align graduate training with global trends, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), international best practices, and national development priorities.
“As we develop this curriculum, we need to align with global trends, SDGs and international best practices. We also need to undertake comparative analysis because curriculum reforms are taking place across East African Community states,” he noted.
He encouraged developers to ensure that the programme follows competency-based principles and equips participants with relevant 21st-century skills.
“Since we are talking about competency-based curriculum, we must be cognizant of the principles of competency-based education and ensure that we develop skills that fit the demands of the 21st century,” he added.
Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning Support at Makerere University, said the initiative marks an important step in strengthening professional development for academic staff involved in graduate education.
She noted that effective supervision requires more than disciplinary expertise, but also skills in mentorship, communication, research guidance, ethics, assessment, and student support.
“The quality of graduate education depends on the quality of mentorship and supervision we provide. This curriculum will strengthen the capacity of academic staff to guide graduate students effectively, improve research outcomes, and uphold the standards expected of a leading university,” Dr. Ssebowa said.
She added that the Centre for Teaching and Learning will continue working with the Directorate of Graduate Training, academic colleges, curriculum specialists, and regulators to ensure the programme remains relevant and impactful.
During the workshop, stakeholders reviewed the proposed curriculum structure, course content, competency areas, assessment strategies, quality assurance mechanisms, and alignment with national and international standards.
Once finalized, the programme is expected to strengthen graduate supervision at Makerere University and serve as a model for professional development across higher education institutions in Uganda and beyond.
General
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