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First-Ever Mak-UiB Research School Comes to a Lively End

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Officially opened on Monday 28th November 2022, the first ever Makerere-University of Bergen Research School (MBRS) came to a lively end as student participants cheered each other on at a certificate award ceremony presided over by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Prof. Henry Alinaitwe. Held on Thursday 8th December, 2022 in the Multimedia/e-Learning room of the Frank Kalimuzo Central Teaching Facility, the ceremony was moderated by the Mak-UiB Collaboration Coordinator for Makerere University Dr. Ronald Semyalo. Also present at the award ceremony were UiB’s Prof. Tore Sætersdal, Prof. Inger Måren, Nils Gunnar Songstad, Anja Christine Rørnes Tucker as well as other officials from Makerere and UiB.

Prof. Henry Alinaitwe addresses participants at the close of the MBRS.
Prof. Henry Alinaitwe addresses participants at the close of the MBRS.

In his remarks, Prof. Alinaitwe, who represented the Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, congratulated the facilitators from Makerere and UiB as well as the student participants upon successfully completing the two-week course. “Makerere takes great pride in collaborations and as our Vice Chancellor often says, we are the University that collaborates most in the whole world; we literally collaborate with institutions on all continents without discrimination.”

Turning to the University’s aspirations to become research-led, Prof. Alinaitwe, Prof. Alinaitwe appreciated UiB for choosing to host the PhD School at Makerere, noting that it augurs well with the institution’s research strategies. The MBRS was held as part of activities to celebrate Makerere’s 100 years of excellent service to humanity and 35 years of close collaboration with UiB.

Prof. Henry Alinaitwe (R) and Prof. Tore Sætersdal (L) present a certificate to one of the participants (C) during the award ceremony.
Prof. Henry Alinaitwe (R) and Prof. Tore Sætersdal (L) present a certificate to one of the participants (C) during the award ceremony.

Prof. Alinaitwe added that activities such as the MBRS help make the PhD journey more engaging and will be remembered by participants long after they complete their respective programmes. He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had put physical conventions such as the MBRS on hold and it is good for institutions to be able to resume them. He therefore urged participants to take full advantage of the networks they forge during such engagements.

“Makerere is a very progressive institution and we are looking forward to continue collaborating with various individuals and universities,” he said. Turning to the MBRS topic; Food and Water Security in a changing World, Prof. Alinaitwe noted that although Uganda is well endowed with a variety of naturally occurring food and water resources, it would greatly benefit from technology-transfer partnerships. These partnerships, he said, would help promote technologies that enable communities to become food and water sufficient, despite varying onsets and amounts of rainfall received in the different regions of the country.

MBRS participants during a field visit to the Mt Elgon Biosphere reserve over the weekend of 3rd to 4th December 2022. Photo: Twitter/@RSemyalo
MBRS participants during a field visit to the Mt Elgon Biosphere reserve over the weekend of 3rd to 4th December 2022. Photo: Twitter/@RSemyalo

Mark Wamai

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Directorate of Graduate Training concludes 9-day Phd Cross Cutting Training

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By: Moses Lutaaya

The Directorate of Graduate Training has completed a 9- day PhD crosscutting training course, inducting three groups of PhD students. The groups of students included those in Cohort 1, Cohort 2 and the Non Cohort PhD students. The number of PhD student participants were over 300 students learning via both face to face and online.

The training that started on Monday 2nd June 2025, took place in the New Library Building.

In his closing remarks, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma encouraged the PhD students to put up a spirited fight that would see them remain in the cohort up to the end of the three years of their doctoral studies.

“Get organized, show seriousness in your doctoral pursuit, stay together, make use of your supervisors as and when you need them. We will fully support you in your Doctoral academic journey.” Prof. Kikooma said.

Prof. Kikooma emphasized the need for PhD graduate training saying, “We need more research for the University and Country. This cannot be achieved without increasing the number of graduate students especially PhDs.”

At their different stages of PhD doctoral training, Prof. Kikooma encouraged the students to give feedback to the Directorate and the supervisors so that they are served seamlessly.

Prof. Kikooma further informed the students that going forward, they must cover all the three mandatory cross cutting courses meant to be taught under the three-year program of their doctoral studies.

“All three foundation courses including Scholarly Writing, Advanced Research Methods and Philosophy of Methods will be covered. Tighten your belts. We want to ensure that all these structured programs prepare you for the foundations you need for next two years of research. Success becomes easy when you undertake foundations.”

He challenged the students to use the program in guiding their research directions, making informed decision, improving their critical thinking and consumption of knowledge.

Dr. Dixon Knanakulya, one of the trainers of the doctoral students said, “At PhD level, it is no longer a normal research. It is at a level of knowledge production. The students must understand the main philosophical assumption behind the research methods they use and they must consider the ethical implications of their research. Philosophy of Methods enables them to go through that.”

“PhD students must be creative, innovative and start at the level of researching in the mind. This challenges them to think differently.” He added.

He further said that Philosophy of Methods helps in researches done at the different aspects of the national development plan. “Usually, the students question how the National plans are come up with and support improvement of government policies.”

Dr. Kanakulya added that the research output can be used by government for improvement because it is done by highly skilled researchers. Adding, “They come with very good insights which can be taken on to improve implementation of government programs such as Emyoga and Parish Development Model (PDM).”

He further said that policies are not enough without the social conditions and mindset of the people, saying that PhD scholars can help government know the social conditions and apply policies better.

The Cohort 1 PhD students’ president Mr. Wanyakoko Ebiru Moses said, “This training is extremely important for each student under taking doctoral studies and without it, they cannot acquire the fundamental skills they need to become independent researchers.”

He added that with the knowledge acquired in the Philosophy of Methods training, they will focus on research that aims to resolve societal and community problems.

Dr. Robert Kakuru, the President of Makerere University Academic Staff Association said that Philosophy of Methods is an important pillar in the doctoral journey of every PhD student.

“The Course, Philosophy of Method provides a critical foundation and Philosophical grounding for research methods that doctoral students use to undertake their respective studies. The course further underlines other critical issues that graduate students ought to know, integrate, adopt or adapt in their doctoral journeys.” He said.

Dr. Jim Spire Ssentongo, a senior lecturer and coordinator of the training said, “Philosophy of Methods builds a mass of critical researchers who are able to look at the world not from a narrow point of view but a holistic and broad based sense of understanding reality.”

He added, “Students understand how they can imagine the world to be. They take into account assumptions which inform the methods of research used, how they conduct themselves during research and how they approach respondents during the research process. Such assumptions are laid bear in this training and it helps participants to understand the things they have always held at the back of their minds without deliberately knowing that these are the assumptions they hold and this is how they affect and influence studies.”  

Dr. Ssentongo further said that once PhD students are engaged in reality in its broadness with right assumptions, they are then better placed as researchers to investigate such realities and that whatever they investigate, be it related to the National Development Plan and National Development Initiatives like Emyoga and Parish Development Model. This training positions, them at a more critical level as researchers not only in terms of assumptions but also being thinkers.

The Philosophy of Methods training was supported by the ICARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.

Mak Editor

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CARTA Early Career Researchers in Action

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A photo montage of Dr. Godwin Anywar at the project ‘Traditional medicine in Transition (TMT)’ at the Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany (ISEB) and Botanical Garden, University of Zurich, Switzerland. 4th-12th June 2025. Photo: LinkedIn/Dr. Godwin Anywar

Godwin Anywar, cohort 6, facilitated a brainstorming session on grant writing and application during the research planning and conceptualization workshop and exhibition from a cooperative research and exhibition project, ‘Traditional Medicine in Transition,’ at the Institute of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany (ISEB) and Botanical Garden, University of Zurich, from June 4 to 12, 2025.

Within the month, Godwin also joined the Rising Scholars as a mentor. Formerly known as AuthorAID, Rising Scholars is a global network offering free support, mentorship, training, and resources to researchers across the Global South.

Source: CARTA Newsletter Issue 90

Mark Wamai

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Advancing Regional Health Priorities Through the CARTA Research Hubs

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Training of pre-service cadres in outbreak investigation. Photo: CARTA

Strengthening Research Capacity to Tackle Emerging Infectious Diseases in East Africa

Africa continues to shoulder over 80% of the global infectious disease burden, with emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases (EIDs and REIDs) like Ebola, COVID-19, tuberculosis, and Rift Valley fever posing serious threats to health systems, economies, and regional security. In biologically fragile regions like East Africa, home to dense populations, climate-sensitive ecosystems, and porous borders, multidisciplinary, cross-border responses are essential. 

To tackle this, the Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Research Hub has been established under CARTA and is hosted at Makerere University. Led by CARTA graduate Charles Kato, TERID brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers to fill critical gaps in disease surveillance, policy, prevention, and rapid response, strengthening regional capacity through high-impact, locally relevant science. Learn more

Source: CARTA Newsletter Issue 90

Mark Wamai

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