Education
Prof. Nawangwe reiterates Makerere’s commitment on e-learning as the East African Teacher Education Symposium kicks off
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, the Vice Chancellor of Makerere University has reiterated the University’s commitment towards the implementation of e-learning. The vice Chancellor was speaking at the opening of a 3-day symposium organized to discuss the “Pandemic’s effects on Education in East Africa”.
Prof. Nawangwe said the University has embarked on process of developing the e-learning.
“Online teaching by Makerere University falls under core goals of the University that endeavours to market itself as a centre of research, teaching and Community outreach,” he said.
Upon the outbreak of the covid-19 pandemic, he said all private Universities nearly closed after they failed to pay their staff. Those that chose to teach online struggled because students lacked the necessary equipment.
Makerere University, he said upon learning this immediately constituted a special Committee led by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic Affairs which studied and rolled out e-learning and as well supported its staff in acquiring skills in the same.
“We embarked on the largest staff development program ever in the history of the University, when the institute trained more than 700 staff within one month. We also reactivated the MUELE and these initiatives maintained an online presence, with all students at Makerere also being advised to obtain a University email address thus teaching and learning went on,” he said.
“We were in a way responding to a theme of a conference which I attended in Beijing just before covid-19 broke out and we all didn’t know that it will be there,” he said
Prof. Nawangwe made these remarks during the launch of the 3 days East African Teacher Education Symposium 2022 (EATES 2022)
The East African Teacher Education Symposium was organized by the Capacity Building for Research-Based Teacher Education (CABUTE) project with funding from the Government of Norway.
“Uganda is home to over 40 registered private Universities and 11 public Universities. Almost all Universities in Uganda were Ill prepared for the covid-19 pandemic shock just like many in the world,” Nawangwe said.
“I thank the CABUTE project which aims at successful implementation of the National Teacher Policy through capacity building in English languages, education, foundation of education, mathematics education and Music education,” he said
Prof. Nawamgwe thanked the people and the government of Norway for the financial support to research and staff development and infrastructure development, saying it has been instrumental in making Makerere the great University that it is.
The Ambassador of Norway to Uganda, Her Excellency Elin Ostebo Johansen, said the project is a reflection program on career educational development.
Teachers, she said are the backbone of ensuring successful learning for everybody.
“A great teacher requires a great teacher education, excellence in functioning knowledge is necessary to excel as well. Quality education is a basis for growth and prosperity of people and this is import to all countries,” Ambassador Elin Ostebo Johansen said.
Paul Muyinda Birevu Country Coordinator of CABUTE Project said that the project is one of the signature activities of the Capacity building for research based teacher education project.
“We conceived this project after realizing the need to support the government in fast tracking capacity development of higher teacher trainers in primary teacher colleges and National Teacher colleges. These institutions are by policy required to transform into degree awarding institutions,” he said
He said that the CABUTE project therefore is intended to support this initiative and it is starting to pay off.
The project has awarded over 10 scholarships for Masters and PhD studies, at Makerere University. The awardees are drawn from National Teacher Colleges and Primary Teacher colleges across the country.
“Our work with building capacity in Ugandan teacher
education is finally in full swing. In the coming years, EATES will present
the results of this work, and the work of the CABUTE candidates’ will be
of particular interest. We already look forward to accompanying them
on their journey toward a degree,” the Principal Investigator, Prof. Steinar Sætre said.
On 17th June 2025, the Principal of the College of Education and External Studies at Makerere University, Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga hosted a meeting with Dr. Hanan Al Malki, the Director of Program and Centre Planning and Management at the King Salman Global Academy for the Arabic Language, aimed at building institutionalized partnerships in language education in Uganda and globally.
The proposed collaboration presents Makerere University with a golden opportunity to increase the number of students studying the Arabic language at the Undergraduate and Masters’ degree levels respectively through provision of scholarships, as well as, staff and student exchange programmes.
With reference to the 2024/2025 academic year, over 40 students are studying Arabic Language studies under the Bachelor of Arts with Education degree programme, and two (2) students studying the Arabic language at the Masters degree level at the College of Education and External Studies.
Welcoming Director Malki to the College, Prof. Mugagga expressed the readiness of staff members to collaborate with reputable partners to promote language education in Uganda and globally. He was delighted that through this meeting, the College had embarked on a fruitful discussion to partner with an international academy established to teach, promote and preserve the Arabic language.
The meeting brought on board the following academic staff at Makerere University: Dr. Muhammad Kiggundu Musoke-Head, Department of Humanities and Language Education, Dr. Ayoub Twahir Sekitto-Coordinator Arabic Languages at the School of Education, and Dr. Ibrahim Ssali- Coordinator Arabic Language, College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Committed to forging collaboration with the College of Education and External Studies at Makerere University, Dr. Malki disclosed that partnering with universities was one of the most effective strategies in the promotion of the Arabic language, and revival of the Arabic culture in Uganda. In line with advancing the Arabic culture and values globally, Dr. Malki emphasized the academy’s focus on language planning, computational linguistics, education, and culture.
Contributing to the discussion on examining proficiency in the language, Dr. Malki recommended the use of digital testing to measure students’ proficiency in Arabic language.
During the meeting, both parties agreed to actively participate in the rejuvenation of Arabic studies at Makerere University and Uganda at large, through frameworks and institutionalized approaches guided by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU would set parameters for the collaboration integrating the proposed hosting of an Arabic Centre at Makerere University, provision of scholarships, staff and student mobility programmes, joint lectures and supervision, and establishment of teaching and learning facilities.
The College Principal supported the proposal to establish a specialized Arabic Institute with a Language Auditorium. According to Prof. Mugagga, the facility would provide one-stop centre for the teaching of the Arabic language and cultural exchange.
The Head of the Department of Humanities and Language Education, Dr. Kiggundu Musoke stressed the need to prioritize teacher training in the Arabic language field. He explained that through its degree programmes, the College of Education and External Studies trains a number of students/teachers, who on completion of their studies, contribute to the teaching, promotion and dissemination of the Arabic language in Uganda and beyond. However, the demand to enroll for the Arabic language studies is curtailed by the financial limitations faced by some of the prospective applicants.
Convinced that if the prospective students are supported financially to access University education the student enrollment in Arabic language studies would increase to the desired levels, Dr. Kiggundu Musoke urged members to expedite the finalization of the MoU to boost collaboration and provision of scholarships to both staff and students.
Makerere University has taken a significant step toward transforming its digital education landscape with the unveiling and stakeholder review of its Draft Master Plan for Open, Distance, and e-Learning (ODeL). The consultative workshop, held on Thursday, June 5, 2025, at Hotel Africana, brought together university leadership, academic staff, student representatives, and development partners to review the 10-year roadmap aimed at scaling access to quality, affordable, and inclusive education.
The workshop was officially opened by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Professor Buyinza Mukadasi, who represented the Vice Chancellor. In his remarks, Prof. Buyinza underscored the transformative potential of the KOICA-supported initiative.
“This project is a significant milestone in our journey to enhance the university’s capacity in ODeL,” he noted. “With support from the people of the Republic of Korea, KOICA’s grant will enable us to strengthen our ODeL infrastructure, develop high-quality digital content, and build staff capacity. This investment will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on our institution and the wider education sector in Uganda.”
Prof. Buyinza also paid tribute to the late Prof. Sung Seyeoung, the head of the Project Management Consultant team in Seoul, who passed away earlier this year, describing him as “a dedicated partner in this transformative journey.”
The project, which began in 2024, is being implemented with technical support from the Korea National Open University (KNOU) and the Korea Institute for Development Strategy (KDS). It focuses on three core components: development of a strategic and contextualized ODeL masterplan; capacity building for academic, administrative, and technical staff; and enhancement of ODeL infrastructure, including a new Learning Management System (LMS), Content Management System (CMS), ICT equipment, and the construction of a dedicated ODeL building.
Professor Henry Alinaitwe, the Project Investigator, emphasized the forward-looking nature of the initiative. “Through this masterplan, we are not only expanding access to higher education across Uganda and beyond, but also redefining how knowledge is delivered in the 21st century,” he said.
The workshop aimed to disseminate information about the masterplan, gather stakeholder feedback, and prepare the document for preliminary approvals by the University Senate and Council. The draft was developed by a joint task force composed of Ugandan and Korean experts, including representatives from KNOU, KDS, Makerere’s Institute of Open, Distance and e-Learning (IODel), and the Directorate for ICT Support (DICTS).
Prof. Alinaitwe noted that all three project components are progressing steadily. Training sessions are underway both in Uganda and Korea, and the design for the Mak-ODeL building is currently 60% complete, with construction expected to commence later in the year.
The ODeL Master Plan (2025–2035) envisions Makerere as a regional hub for digital education. It outlines strategies to increase the number of accredited ODeL programmes, enhance ICT infrastructure, improve content development, and ensure that distance learners can access high-quality and flexible education through the university’s Moodle-based MUELE platform.
Speaking at the workshop, KOICA Country Director Ms. Ahn Jihee commended Makerere for its commitment to digital transformation. “We believe education is a powerful driver of national development, and we are proud to partner with Makerere University on this ambitious journey,” she said. “Our partnership is not just about technology, but about building resilient systems and empowered people who can shape the future.”
She also recognized the efforts of both Ugandan and Korean teams and encouraged continued dialogue and knowledge sharing.
Currently, only 8 of Makerere’s academic programmes are offered through ODeL. However, the university’s Strategic Plan (2020–2030) envisions a substantial increase in that number. The new masterplan draws from international best practices including models from KNOU, Hanoi Open University, and the Africa Virtual University.
Prof. Alinaitwe extended special thanks to KOICA and its Kampala-based experts Prof. Kim Hyunjoo and Mr. Kim Kihun for their ongoing support, and acknowledged the contributions of the Makerere team—Prof. Paul Muyinda, Dr. Godfrey Mayende, Dr. Harriet Nabushawo, Dr. Richard Kajumbula, Mr. Samuel Mugabi, and Co-PI Dr. Venny Nakazibwe.
“We are laying the foundation for a future where Makerere University can provide education that is not just accessible, but also adaptable to the needs of learners wherever they may be,” he concluded.
The masterplan, once finalized and approved, is expected to usher in a new era of blended, learner-centered education that meets both local and global demands.
In his closing remarks, Professor Anthony Mugagga, who represented the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), applauded participants for their insightful engagement. He emphasized the need for academic units to take ownership of ODeL implementation.
“The future of education is blended and borderless,” Prof. Mugagga said. “We must collectively embrace this shift—not just through policy, but through action: by developing new programmes, supporting learners, and investing in infrastructure that will carry us into the next generation of higher education.”
He also expressed appreciation to KOICA for its continued support and funding, which he said is helping to shape a more resilient and inclusive education system for Uganda and the region.
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