General
Deans’ Forum lays strategies for better performance
The Makerere University Deans’ Forum (MUDF) on Thursday 29th September, 2022 held a half-day workshop, the third since the inaugural one held on 26th February 2020. MUDF was formed following the Inaugural meeting of Deans and Directors in academic affairs held on 14th June 2019 under the theme “Building Institutional Capacity for Researcher Development, Funding and Management of Sponsored Research”.
Organised by the Office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs)-DVCAA the third workshop was aimed at highlighting the purpose of the Deans’ Forum and Constitution as well as the role of Academic Leaders in the implementation of the Makerere University Strategic Plan 2020-2030 presented by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe. The workshop further tackled Monitoring and tracking performance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at Makerere University and provided a platform for sharing of experiences by the DVCAA and MUDF Patron, Prof. Umar Kakumba and two former Deans.
Role of Academic Leaders in Mak’s Strategic Plan
“A research-led university is described generally as having at least 30% of its student body as graduate students. However, our recent graduation statistics showed that only 10% of our graduands were graduate students, of which 108 were PhDs, and so we have a lot of work to do,” remarked the Vice Chancellor as he began his presentation.
Prof. Nawangwe shared that in line with improving this trend, a component of PhD training had been incorporated in the fourth round of the Makerere University Research and Innovations Fund (Mak-RIF). He added that if each of the approximately 900 staff with PhDs supervised another three PhDs, the university could graduate at least 500 PhDs every year.
On the innovation front, the Vice Chancellor shared that Makerere signed a Memorandum of Understanding with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on 20th September 2022, aimed at establishing a state-of-the-art innovation hub to skill students in various sectors, with a view of empowering startups and creating jobs. “The ground floor of the Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility is going to be our hub area and we hope that when this phase succeeds, UNDP will work with us to establish an industrial park at the Campus.”
Prof. Nawangwe therefore urged Deans as Academic Leaders to be at the forefront of setting the research agenda and priorities in their units. “Under Mak-RIF, we discussed with Government what areas of research we ought to prioritise but things keep evolving and Deans should be at the centre of discussing these changes as well as knowledge transfer partnerships.”
The Vice Chancellor singled out the Refugee Law Project (RLP) and Public Interest Law Clinic (PILAC) under the School of Law as well as the Infectious Diseases Institute (IDI) at the College of Health Sciences (CHS) as some of the units that were contributing enormously to communities through knowledge transfer. He nevertheless emphasized that knowledge transfer partnerships ought to ramped up across all units and publicised more rigorously.
Making a presentation on Delivering on the Role of Dean in Makerere, Prof. Umar Kakumba outlined; the curriculum, teaching and learning, research and innovations, taking the university to the community and academic support assistance as the five major niches the School heads oversee.
He added that Deans are entrusted with power and resources by their colleagues and the institution for which they must give account. “Leadership relates to the manner in which the power and resources that are entrusted to us are used to influence group behaviour towards the realization of our goals as a research-led, inclusive 21st century university that can spark impact and transformation of our society.”
The DVCAA added that Deans by virtue of being members of Senate are a critical force in formulating academic policy that can guide, inform, support and foster the achievement of the institutional strategic plan.
Addressing himself to the changing context of Universities today, Prof. Kakumba emphasized that universities, beyond simply producing academic knowledge, must be seen to support the State in its development agenda and address emerging challenges of the global impact such as climate change, public health and food security. “We must increasingly show our organic linkage with the communities around us in terms of shared research.”
Former Deans Share Their Experiences
Prof. Ronald Bisaso served as Dean of the East African School of Higher Education Studies and Development (EASHESD) from 2015 to 2022 before assuming his current role as Deputy Principal, College of Education and External Studies (CEES). He said that his Deanship revolved around dealing with issues in the three niche areas of; higher education research, higher education policy and advocacy, and higher education practice.
The former Dean shared that the School by virtue of its small size had to deal with issues of limited capacity to facilitate a flagship taught PhD programme and limited resources. It overcame the former through multidisciplinary collaborations both within CEES and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS), and the latter through aggressive resource mobilization.
“We won three Mak-RIF projects, small as we were, and combined, we got UGX 500million. We also participate in a research network where we coordinate with CODESRIA (the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa) and we have previously had a multi-institutional network where we sent six PhD students to Finland for six months, others were sent to South Africa and three staff for exchange, and we hope we can continue to build on these networks” reported Prof. Bisaso.
Presenting his experience, Prof. John Mango who served as Dean, School of Physical Sciences, College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) urged his audience to always incorporate the theory of change in all their plans. A theory of change is a purposeful model of how an initiative—such as a policy, a strategy, a program, or a project—contributes through a chain of early and intermediate outcomes to the intended result[1].
“In whatever you want to do, you should think of objectives in line with guidance from above, you must identify activities to achieve what you want and what you want may be results at different levels such as immediate outputs and long-term impacts” explained Prof. Mango.
His presentation therefore covered; promoting excellence in research, resource mobilization, preparing human resource, improving on research environment and infrastructure, ensuring quality assurance mechanisms at all stages, facilitating training of high quality graduates, deepening collaborations with industry and community, promoting multidisciplinary research projects and creating, promoting alumni networks and the role of Deans in improving graduation rates.
Prof. Mango noted that research collaborations are an integral part of a research-led university for they lessen the burden on the Government’s resource envelope. He added that graduate training was an important component of fostering Makerere’s research-led aspiration and urged Deans to always be on the lookout for what regional bodies such as the Inter-University Council of East Africa doing to support this. He also proffered think tanks that conduct research relevant to national development as another way of attracting funding that can cater for graduate training.
To illustrate his point, Prof. Mango testified that he had “mobilised resources and trained 35 PhDs in Mathematics out of the approximately 60 PhDs that the country has,” adding that “raising funds is not an event, it is a process and when you are just starting, your percentage of winning is very low.”
All the aforementioned activities aimed at ensuring that the university achieves her research-led aspirations are guided by policy. The new Director of the Quality Assurance Directorate (QAD), Dr. Cyprian Misinde in his address informed Deans that his unit was developing matrices for policies.
“We shall be evaluating quality assurance based on your performance in these policies. And so it is very important that these policies are being discussed here” said the Director. He added that Deans are valuable partners in the quality assurance process, especially as the Directorate sets about establishing an efficient, effective and robust data system to aid accountability and decision making.
Monitoring and Tracking SDGs at Mak
Turning to the SDGs, Makerere University participated in its first Impact Rankings in the year 2022 and was ranked in the 401-600 band. Currently in their fourth edition, the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings are the only global performance tables that assess 1,406 universities from 106 countries/regions against the United Nations’ SDGs across four broad areas of research, stewardship, outreach and teaching.
According to the presentation by QAD’s Mr. Stephen Mpirirwe, Makerere performed best in SDG 17 (Partnerships for the goals) with a score of 83, followed by SDG 16 (Peace, justice and strong institutions) with a score of 64. Next was SDG 3 (Good health and well-being) with a score of 63.7, followed by SDG 5 (Gender equality) with a score of 39.6. The best performing institution globally, Western Sydney University, Australia scored 99.0, 93.3, 90.0 and 80.3 in SDGs 17, 12 (Responsible consumption and production), 6 (Clean water and sanitation) and 5 respectively. Please click here to view the detailed Impact Rankings for Makerere University.
MUDF’s Purpose and Constitution
Prof. Ronald Naluwairo who presented the MUDF Constitution noted that for purposes of inclusivity, the Forum is composed of Deans of Schools, Directors of Teaching Institutes including off-campus Centres such as the Makerere University Jinja Campus and the Principals and Deputy Principals of three-tier colleges such as the School of Law.
MUDF’s overall objective is to promote academic excellence through collective action, capacity building and harnessing each others’ capabilities, experiences and best practices. The Forum has six specific objectives namely to; Promote the highest standards of teaching and learning at Makerere University, Promote and provide leadership in cutting edge research and innovation at Makerere University and Build and strengthen the capacity of members of the Forum as academic leaders. Furthermore, the Forum proposes to; Promote debate and dialogue about issues concerning academic excellence, Advise Senate, University Management and other organs of the University about matters concerning teaching and learning, research and innovations, and Promote good governance at Makerere University.
Addressing the workshop the Chairperson, MUDF Executive Committee and Dean, School of Public Health, CHS, Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze said that the Forum was aimed at giving the 30 Deans a platform to meet and network beyond the business of Senate. “We are supposed to spearhead change in this large institution and we are supposed to work with one another to break silos and conduct multidisciplinary activities across colleges, but we cannot achieve this unless we know and understand each other.”
The Chairperson therefore paid tribute to the Patron and brainchild of MUDF, Prof. Umar Kakumba for his brilliant idea of bringing Deans together and thanked staff in the DVCAA’s Office for supporting the Executive Committee.
“This Forum is so important in terms of appreciating where we are headed as a University and what we all need to do to ensure that we get there, because we are best placed to shift Makerere to what we want to see” encouraged Prof. Wanyenze. She welcomed the new Deans to MUDF and urged them contribute ideas on how the Forum can be made more vibrant so as to make meaningful contribution to Makerere.
[1] Serrat, O. (2017). Theories of Change In Knowledge solutions: tools, methods and approaches to organizational performance. Singapore: Springer. DOI:10.1007/978-981-10-0983-9_24
General
From Campus to Career: Makerere Advancement Office, 91st Guild and the DFCU Foundation Equip Students with Financial and Employability Skills
On 4th December, 2025, over 200 final-year students gathered at the School of Pharmacy Auditorium for the highly engaging Career & Financial Literacy Symposium, hosted by the 91st Students’ Guild, in partnership with the Makerere Advancement Office and the DFCU Foundation.
The symposium centred on student advancement through strategic partnership, convening students, administrators and development partners for a practical conversation on career readiness, financial literacy, employability, and personal development.
Advancement Through Partnerships
Speaking on behalf of the Makerere Advancement Office, Mr Awel Uwihanganye, Chief Advancement Officer, underscored the importance of partnerships such as the one with DFCU Foundation. He highlighted their importance in equipping students with marketplace skills and opportunities vital for individual growth after University.
He reflected on the university journey as a formative period for ideas, innovation, and lifelong relationships, noting that:
“University is where impressions are made, and future networks are born. The friendships, character, and collaborations you develop here become foundations for careers, enterprises and leadership later in life.”
Mr. Uwihanganye encouraged students to embrace entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, arguing that the emerging workforce is driven by technology, multi-tasking ability and idea generation rather than traditional single-path employment. He challenged students to build businesses, use digital platforms productively, and regard employment as only one income stream, not the only one.
The Student Perspective — Discipline, Skills and Trust
Speaking on student growth and personal development, Dr. Rodney Rugyema, Deputy Dean of Students, highlighted the realities facing new graduates, especially those entering the job market for the first time. With humour and honesty, he urged students to approach growth intentionally and responsibly.
He called for delayed gratification, financial discipline and long-term decision-making, reminding students that wealth is built, not wished for. He emphasised the importance of skills beyond academic papers, stating that students must be equipped to create value, adapt, learn continuously, and gain competence relevant to modern work demands.
Dr. Rugyema underscored that trust, integrity and reliability remain the most non-negotiable pillars of professional advancement.
“Let people trust you enough to lend you an opportunity. Be a person who delivers. Your reputation is currency; it travels to rooms you are not in.” He noted
Financial Literacy for the Next Generation
The keynote training session was delivered by Mr. Simon Omara, Business Advisor representing the DFCU Foundation, who walked students through a highly practical presentation on financial planning, savings culture, credit management, record-keeping, career positioning and entrepreneurship.
With more than 10,000 graduates annually and less than 35% securing employment within the first year, Mr. Omara challenged students to practice financial and career ownership early. His presentation explored:
Key Competencies Students Must Build
- Financial management with a focus on budgeting, saving, and investing early
- Career readiness, CV development, interview skills, and personal branding
- Entrepreneurship and income diversification
- Record keeping and credit management
- Professional conduct and workplace preparation
He reminded students that the future belongs to those who are financially literate, skilled, trusted and entrepreneurial. Through relatable examples and actionable frameworks such as the 70–20–10 rule, the 7-second CV scan, and the 90-day post-graduation growth plan, Mr. Omara equipped participants with practical knowledge they could act upon immediately.
Why This Symposium Matters
This event stands as a testament to the power of partnership-driven student advancement, a core mandate of the Makerere Advancement Office. By convening industry partners like DFCU Foundation, the University continues to ensure that students graduate not only with knowledge, but with tools and readiness for opportunity.
The symposium strengthened linkages between academia and the labour market, expanded students’ perspective on financial independence, and emphasised the value of entrepreneurship, networks and character in shaping future leadership
The Makerere Advancement Office remains committed to facilitating opportunities that empower students to thrive beyond the gates of the University, through partnerships, mentorship, capacity-building, and exposure to real-world skillsets.
“ A degree alone is no longer enough. With partnership, preparation and purpose, our students can build futures anchored in knowledge, opportunity and resilience.” Mr Awel Uwihanganye noted during his remarks.
Caroline Kainomugisha is the Communications Officer, Makerere Advancement Office
Makerere University on 3rd December, 2025 hosted the Tumusiime Mutebile Annual Lecture, a tradition established to honour the life and legacy of the late Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, an outstanding alumnus and former Governor of the Bank of Uganda who passed away in 2022. The lecture not only reflects on his remarkable contribution to Uganda’s economic leadership, but also highlights how innovation, resilience, and intergenerational vision can shape Africa’s future.
This year’s edition was anchored on three key pillars—intergenerational leadership, economic resilience, and the power of innovation—themes that defined Prof. Mutebile’s career and continue to influence national development. Through this annual series, the University upholds his memory while also celebrating other African leaders whose work has left a lasting mark on the continent, using their legacies to inspire thoughtful dialogue, policy reflection, and the next generation of transformative thinkers.
Celebrating an Enduring Legacy
In her remarks, the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Sarah Ssali, reflected on Prof. Mutebile’s lifelong commitment to excellence, integrity, and the transformative power of education. She highlighted his journey from a student leader at Makerere to one of the country’s most influential economic thinkers, noting how his leadership in monetary policy, fiscal reform, and economic stabilization reshaped Uganda’s economic trajectory.
Prof. Ssali emphasized that this public lecture series not only honours Mutebile’s legacy but also bridges academia and practice—challenging students, scholars, and national leaders to pursue knowledge that serves the public good. She expressed gratitude to the Bank of Uganda under Dr. Michael Atingi-Ego, dfcu Bank, the GRO Foundation, the Mutebile family, and the Advancement Office for their continued support in sustaining a platform that nurtures economic thought leadership and inspires future generations.
Rt. Hon. Emeritus Amama Mbabazi, a lifelong friend and contemporary of the late Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile, delivered a deeply personal reflection during the lecture. He recalled their shared beginnings as young student leaders at Makerere, their early political activism, and the historical moments that shaped both their lives and the nation. Speaking as both confidant and colleague, he emphasized Mutebile’s disciplined approach to economic policy, his unwavering belief in strong, accountable institutions, and his commitment to evidence-based, long-term decision making. Mbabazi outlined three pillars of Mutebile’s legacy—policy integrity, institutional strength, and leadership that prepares the next generation—values he affirmed are central to the work of the Tumusiime Foundation, which he now chairs.
He underscored the critical role of the private sector in Africa’s transformation, stressing the need for productivity-driven economies, skilled young people, and policy ecosystems that encourage innovation. He further called for intergenerational leadership that deliberately transfers knowledge, builds enduring institutions, and creates real opportunities for young Africans to lead. In closing, he urged academia, policymakers, and industry to work in partnership, noting that Africa’s progress depends on disciplined leadership, investment in human capital, and a shared commitment to building a future stronger than the present.
Fiscal Policies that have stood the test of time
The Governor of the Bank of Uganda, Dr. Michael Atingi-Ego, honored the late Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile with a heartfelt tribute, praising him as “a great tree whose roots ran deep beneath the soil of this nation, nourishing all who followed.” He noted that Uganda continues to benefit from the “shade” of the policies Mutebile planted during his 21-year tenure—policies that stabilized the economy, strengthened institutions, and protected the financial system through multiple crises. He highlighted Mutebile’s role in restoring price stability through cash budgeting, bringing inflation down from triple digits to single digits, guiding the country through the 2008 global financial crisis with disciplined monetary policy, and maintaining public trust during the 2011 inflation spike through clear and transparent communication.
Dr. Atingi-Ego also credited him for steering Uganda safely through the COVID-19 pandemic by introducing liquidity support for banks, credit relief for borrowers, and targeted foreign exchange interventions. Reflecting on Mutebile’s long-term impact, the Governor remarked, “These are the ideas he planted—he never lived to enjoy the shade of the tree, but today, the country rests under it.” He further celebrated Mutebile’s commitment to innovation, citing the 2016 amendments to the Financial Institutions Act that unlocked agency banking, bancassurance, and Islamic banking—reforms that today anchor Uganda’s impressive financial inclusion gains.
Intergenerational Leadership blends agility and emotional intelligence
Eng. Dr. F. F. Tusubira delivered a compelling and deeply reflective keynote, grounding the theme “Intergenerational Leadership, Economic Resilience and the Power of Innovation” in both history and lived institutional experience. He expressed serious concern that although Africa is the world’s youngest continent—with over 65% of its population below 35—its systems continue to sideline young people from leadership and national decision-making, even as they are repeatedly called “leaders of tomorrow.” He argued that this generational exclusion is not merely unfair but dangerous, warning that nations cannot secure economic resilience while locking out the very demographic best equipped to navigate a rapidly evolving, technology-driven world.
Drawing on African proverbs, global case studies, and personal anecdotes from Makerere and national institutions, he demonstrated how younger generations bring idealism, agility, innovation, and risk-taking—qualities essential for competitiveness—while older generations contribute emotional intelligence, institutional memory and a heightened sense of danger. He emphasized that progress requires blending these strengths through deliberate structures: fair representation of youth in boards and executive spaces, shared decision-making, reverse mentorship, and an institutional culture that values every generational perspective.
Dr. Tusubira also highlighted the urgent need for education reform, criticizing the continent’s entrenched “learning to pass exams” culture and calling for systems that cultivate creativity, problem-solving, and technical capability. He cautioned that without investing in human capital, digital literacy, and inclusive innovation ecosystems, Africa risks losing the very foundation of future competitiveness. His message was clear and powerful: intergenerational leadership is not optional—it is a survival strategy for institutions, businesses, and nations, especially in an era where, as he quoted, “it is not the strongest who survive, but those most responsive to change.”
The lecture was further enriched by an engaging panel discussion, which was moderated by Prof. Edward Bbaale, the Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences. He opened the discussion by deliberately centering today’s students and emerging leaders, framing the session as an intellectual reflection on the life, values and legacy of the late Prof. Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebile. He positioned the lecture’s theme — Shaping Africa’s Future: Intergenerational Leadership, Economic Resilience and the Power of Innovation — as urgent and practical, and introduced a cross-disciplinary panel whose expertise mirrors that urgency: Eng. Dr. F. F. Tusubira, Mr. Charles Mudiwa the Managing Director Dfcu Bank, and Prof. Faisal Buyinza the Ag. Dean, School of Economics.
Prof. Bbaale’s moderation enabled panelists to offer guidance on structural and cultural barriers to youth inclusion, the role of institutions in building resilience, and how academia, industry and policy can work together to turn innovation into jobs and scalable solutions — all the while reserving time for direct audience engagement and practical policy takeaways. Collectively, the panelists urged dismantling age-biased barriers and credential rigidities, creating new entry points and “tables” for youth leadership, scaling finance and training for startups and agribusiness, reforming pedagogy to prioritise skills and creativity, and deepening public-private-academic partnerships so innovation becomes inclusive growth rather than isolated experimentation.
The Family’s heartfelt appreciation
Mrs. Betty Tumusiime-Mutebile delivered heartfelt closing remarks, offering gratitude on behalf of the family and the Tumusiime-Mutebile Foundation. Speaking with deep emotion, she reflected on the late Professor’s character—his honesty, humility, hard work, and unwavering commitment to service above self. She thanked Makerere University, the Bank of Uganda, the Foundation’s leadership, and the many friends and colleagues who have continued to uphold his legacy, noting that although nearly four years have passed since his departure, his memory remains vivid and powerful for the family.
She recalled his devotion to both his public duty and his home, sharing personal stories of his leadership within the family and his steadfast faith that shaped their daily lives. Mrs. Tumusiime-Mutebile also highlighted the Foundation’s ongoing work in youth skilling, ethical governance, and private-sector development—initiatives rooted in his own vision. She concluded by inviting continued partnership to sustain the legacy he built, and led the gathering in singing his favourite chorus, a tender tribute to a man whose influence, she said, endures through the lives he touched.
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