Research
17 Postdoctoral Research Teams Mentored as SECA Project Winds up
SECA is an acronym for the Supporting Early-Career Academics Programme at Makerere University (2019-2022). SECA is the fifth “phase” of the Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)’s support to Makerere, and follows in the steps of similar successful initiatives that date back to 1946 when the Corporation’s relations with Uganda started. On Thursday 12th January 2023, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs) and SECA Chairman Project Implementation Committee (PIC), Prof. Umar Kakumba was joined by the Director, Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), Prof. Edward Bbaale as well as Academic Registrar and SECA Project Coordinator, Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi to preside over the programme’s final dissemination workshop.
Held in the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building, the workshop accorded the opportunity to research teams to present and discuss their findings. SECA supported seventeen (17) Early-Career academics at Makerere University, eight (8) of whom were female and nine (9) male, to undertake postdoctoral research fellowships in their respective fields of specialty. Additionally, SECA supported professional skills enhancement courses, as well as tuition and research costs for seventeen (17) Masters students (7 female, 10 male) attached to the research teams.
Furthermore, SECA provided funds to fellows for writing and publication, supported mentorship and research team building, provided travel grants to international conferences, and supported fellows to disseminate their findings to academia, policy makers and the general public. To facilitate improvements in the university research environment, SECA provided access to a grant worth US$6,000 to each of the fellows’ host departments. Some of the activities undertaken using the grants included; conducting academic writing and dissemination workshops, holding symposia for PhD students and academic staff, development of academic programmes, renovating research infrastructure and acquiring equipment.
Delivering his remarks, Prof. Umar Kakumba congratulated both Prof. Buyinza and Prof. Bbaale upon their new appointments as Academic Registrar and Director DRGT respectively, and thanked them for contributing to SECA’s success. In the same breath, he recognized and introduced members of the PIC namely; Prof. Jesca Nakavuma, Prof. Nicholas Kiggundu, Dr. Pamela Khanakwa, Prof. Julius Kikooma and Dr. Euzobia Baine Mugisha and thanked them for the rigorous work done in reviewing applications by fellows.
“I wish to congratulate you the fellows. As part of the monitoring team for SECA, we visited what you were involved in and I must say that Makerere has great potential. We received close to 102 proposals, and selecting seventeen (17) was a huge task because every proposition was bankable and attuned to the relevance of our country” Prof. Kakumba remarked.
The DVCAA noted that all projects undertaken by fellows had the potential to co-create knowledge with the communities and respective sectors beyond SECA funding. He therefore called upon them to continue providing research leadership in their departments and communities. On this note, he appreciated the fellows for each mentoring a graduate student.
Prof. Kakumba equally acknowledged CCNY for the generous support accorded to Makerere and continually entrusting the University with various opportunities to enhance the research capacities of her staff. In this regard, he thanked the Mentors, Heads of Department and the PIC for ensuring that the fellows continued to perform well and compile their progressive reports on time. This feat, he acknowledged, has led to Makerere University securing a successor grant in line with SECA.
Addressing the fellows and audience, Prof. Bbaale paid tribute to his predecessor, Prof. Buyinza for his visionary leadership of DRGT that gave rise to initiatives such as SECA. “It is gratifying and heartwarming to have events of this nature that are in line with the research-led agenda of the University.
“Postdoctoral research is high quality research, which can go a long way in informing policy for societal transformation. We greatly value each of the projects you have undertaken and we are confident that they have the potential to contribute to the national development agenda. Therefore, we must bring on board targeted dissemination beyond this general dissemination” said Prof. Bbaale.
He explained that targeted dissemination is the gateway to different institutions of Government that are either users or potential users of policy recommendations and different projects that need to be scaled up across the country. Beyond SECA, Prof. Bbaale urged the fellows to form a cluster of researchers as a platform for continued collaboration and a multidisciplinary entity to compete for research grants.
“The world over, postdoctoral research is an engine that must propel the university into a research-led direction… As DRGT, we are soon going to propose a policy on postdoctoral degrees that will pave the way for different units to admit many more postdoctoral fellows” added Prof. Bbaale.
“Makerere’s strategic thinking in terms of research is informed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), National Vision 2040, African Charter 2063 and the Institutional Research Framework, which implies that we are running a coherent research agenda” said Prof. Buyinza as he commenced his remarks.
The Academic Registrar added that the realization of these aspirations is dependent on grooming a crop of critical thinkers who can contribute to the knowledge economy. He therefore expressed his gratitude at being able to participate in a number of phases of CCCNY’s support to Makerere, aimed at achieving this objective.
“I have been privileged to participate in the Next Generation of African Academics I, Next Generation of African Academics II, Nurturing Emerging Research Leaders through Post-Doctoral Training (NERLP) and Supporting Early-Career Academics (SECA), which we are closing today, and the successor consolidating the Supporting Early-Career Academics (SECA) programme” he explained.
Turning to SECA, Prof. Buyinza noted that the project was designed to expand Makerere’s community of research leaders and doctoral supervisors through four (4) specific objectives. These included;
- To consolidate the capacity of fellows to conduct quality research with appropriate mentorship at Makerere,
- To strengthen the enabling environment to encourage the retention of fellows at Makerere,
- To strengthen research management and research leadership capacity at Makerere, and
- To increase the capacity for scientific communication of research outputs into publicly accessible writing.
“We believe that we have built an integrated, institutionalized, research mentorship culture at this University because of our model of delivery of this project. It is a three-tier model consisting of the Senior who is the Mentor, the PI (Principal Investigator) who is the Early-Career fellow and the Masters student” said Prof. Buyinza.
He added that this architecture enabled the SECA team to build synergies between the different levels of research development and in so doing, ensure sustainability by institutionalizing mentorship. Prof. Buyinza therefore encouraged the fellows to continue posting their successes on the SECA portal and holding the lunchtime seminars in their departments.
“I want to believe that your skills have been enhanced, your vision to research has been touched beyond publishing an article to looking at the wider spectra of events that form you as a regional research leader. We want you to form a regional network so that together you can write research grants, supervise graduate students and influence the research agenda in the different countries” concluded Prof. Buyinza.
Details of the fellows and their research projects may be viewed in the table below.
| No. | Name | Unit | Project Title |
| 1. | Dr. Dhabangi Aggrey | Child Health and Development Centre (CHDC), CHS. | Hemolytic Disease of the New-born in Uganda: Burden and Clinical Characteristics |
| 2. | Dr. Edopu Nabuyungo Ritah | Department of Fine Art, MTSIFA, CEDAT. | Community Product Design Education for Improved Market Access. |
| 3. | Dr. Kabagenyi Allen | Department of Population Studies, CoBAMS. | Adolescent Motherhood, pre and postnatal New-born care practices, perceptions and barriers in Eastern Uganda (AMNEP). |
| 4. | Dr. Kambugu Robert | Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, CAES | Modeling of long-term development scenarios for plantation forestry and forest industries in Uganda. |
| 5. | Dr. Kavuma Namirembe Susan | Department of Policy and Development Economics, CoBAMS | Empirical Evaluation of Spatial Connectivity, Urban structure, Density and Firm Productivity: Evidence from Kampala. |
| 6. | Dr. Kindi Immanuel Fredrick | School of Women and Gender Studies, CHUSS. | Gender, Oil and Migration in the Albertine Graben Region, Uganda. |
| 7. | Dr. Mayanja Nanziri Maureen | Department of Bio-security, Ecosystem and Veterinary Public Health, CoVAB. | Ethnoveterinary Medicinal Plant Technology Information Pathways and Prospective for Sustained Usage among Transhumant Pastrolists in Karamoja. |
| 8. | Dr. Muhanguzi Denis | Department of Bio-molecular and Bio-Laboratory Sciences, CoVAB | Targeting hotspot villages to accelerate the eradication of Acute Sleeping Sickness (ASS) from Uganda. |
| 9. | Dr. Mwesigye Rutabatiina Abraham | Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism, CAES. | Epidemiological survey of populations exposed to heavy metals and trace elements from Mining activites in Uganda. A case study of Kilembe copper mine catchment. |
| 10. | Dr. Mwikirize Cosmas | Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, School of Engineering, CEDAT. | Efficacy of Deep Learning-aided Platform for Diagnosis of Breast Cancer using Ultrasound Images in the Ugandan Population. |
| 11. | Dr. Najjemba Harriet P. | Institute of Open Distance and E-learning, CEES. | Using Emerging Technologies to Capture and Disseminate Indigenous Agricultural Practices for Improved Food Production in Uganda: A case of Luweero District (INDIGRIC). |
| 12. | Dr. Nambi Rebecca | Department of Humanities and Language Education, CEES. | Supporting refugee access and participation in higher education: A case of Makerere University. |
| 13. | Dr. Nasirumbi B. Losira | School of Agricultural Sciences, CAES. | Intra-household gender dynamics and uptake of agricultural technologies for sustainable livelihoods in Uganda. |
| 14. | Dr. Semujju Brian | Department of Journalism and Communication, CHUSS. | Evaluating Digital Literacy to Create a Policy for Digital Media use at Makerere University. |
| 15. | Dr. Ssekuubwa Enock | Department of Forestry, Biodiversity and Tourism, CAES. | Enhancing the use of Farmer-Managed Natural Regeneration for mitigating climate change, conserving biodiversity and improving livelihoods in Uganda’s Cattle Corridor (FMNR). |
| 16. | Dr. Tamale Andrew | Department of Wildlife and Aquatic Animal Resources, CoVAB. | Operationalization of Phages for Management of Bacterial Diseases in Fish Hatcheries |
| 17. | Dr. Zawedde Aminah | Ministry of ICT and National Guidance. Formerly CoCIS. | QATE: A Public Participatory Approach for Quality Assessment of e-Government Services to Enable Sustainable Development. |
Health
Makerere University Explores Strategic Partnership with Tsinghua University in Safety Science, Disaster Resilience and Public Health
Makerere University has taken a significant step toward strengthening global research collaboration following a high-level meeting between Vice Chancellor Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and a delegation from Tsinghua University’s Hefei Institute for Public Safety Research, one of China’s leading centres of excellence in disaster prevention, public safety, and emergency management. The engagement marked a renewed commitment to advancing scientific cooperation between the two institutions, particularly in addressing complex environmental and public health challenges that continue to shape national and global development.
A Partnership Anchored in Shared Challenges and Global Priorities
In his remarks, Prof. Nawangwe emphasized that the concept of comprehensive public safety, spanning natural disasters, epidemics, infrastructure failures, and social risks, is increasingly relevant to all colleges and disciplines at Makerere. Uganda’s experience with epidemics such as Ebola, cholera, and COVID-19; frequent landslides in mountainous regions; flooding events; and rising traffic-related incidents place the University in a unique position to contribute applied research, community-based insights, and local knowledge to a global scientific dialogue.
He noted that the Tsinghua presentation revealed new areas of alignment, particularly in epidemic modelling, early-warning systems, and integrated emergency management, areas where Makerere’s public health scientists, medical researchers, and social scientists have extensive expertise.
“This collaboration offers meaningful opportunities for nearly every college at Makerere,” he noted. “Public safety touches the environment, public health, engineering, social sciences, ICT, humanities, and urban planning. The challenges we face as a country make this partnership both timely and essential.” Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe noted.
Tsinghua University: A Global Leader in Comprehensive Public Safety.
The delegation from Tsinghua University outlined China’s national investment in Public safety over the past two decades, an effort driven by the recognition that life and security are the foundation of sustainable development. Tsinghua’s Hefei Institute for Public Safety Research has developed nationally recognised research platforms and large-scale simulation facilities dedicated to Natural disaster modelling (earthquakes, landslides, floods, typhoons, Infrastructure and urban systems safety, Public health emergencies and epidemic preparedness, Early-warning, monitoring, and emergency communication, Traffic and transportation safety, Post-disaster reconstruction and resilience planning.
Their systems currently support over 100 provincial and municipal emergency management centres in China, underscoring their global leadership in practical, scalable solutions for disaster risk management. The delegation reaffirmed that Uganda’s lived experience with multiple hazards presents opportunities for meaningful knowledge exchange. They expressed particular interest in learning from Makerere’s work on epidemic response, community health systems, and the social dimensions of disaster management.
Emerging Areas of Partnership
The meeting identified several promising pathways for long-term collaboration:
1. Joint Research in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate-Related Hazards
Both institutions expressed readiness to co-develop research projects on landslides, floods, urban resilience, and multi-hazard modelling, drawing on Tsinghua’s advanced simulation technologies and Makerere’s environmental expertise and geographic field realities.
2. Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Epidemic Response
Makerere’s renowned public health schools and research centres will collaborate with Tsinghua on epidemic prediction, early-warning systems, and integrated preparedness frameworks, leveraging Uganda’s decades of experience managing high-risk disease outbreaks.
3. Infrastructure and Urban Safety, Including Traffic Systems
With Uganda experiencing rapid urbanisation and high rates of motorcycle-related road incidents, Tsinghua shared insights from China’s own transformation, including infrastructure redesign, transport modelling, and public transit innovations. Collaborative work in this area would support city planning and road safety interventions in Kampala and other urban centres.
4. Academic Exchange and Capacity Building
Both sides expressed interest in student exchanges, staff mobility, co-supervision of postgraduate research, and specialised training programmes hosted at Tsinghua’s world-class safety research facilities.
5. Development of a Joint Public Safety Laboratory at Makerere
The institutions are exploring the establishment of a collaborative safety research platform in Uganda. This initiative could serve as a regional hub for innovation in emergency management, environmental safety, and technology-driven risk assessment.
Towards a Long-Term, Impactful Collaboration
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to develop a structured partnership framework in the coming months, supported by both universities and aligned with Uganda–China cooperation priorities. Both teams acknowledged that the partnership must yield tangible results that enhance community resilience, bolster national preparedness systems, and foster scientific capacity for future generations.
Prof. Nawangwe commended Tsinghua University for its willingness to co-invest in research and capacity building, noting that such collaborations position Makerere not only as a leading research institution in Africa but as an active contributor to global scientific progress.
“This partnership has the potential to transform our understanding of the science of public safety to deliver solutions that safeguard lives.” Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe noted.
“It aligns perfectly with Makerere’s mission to be a research-led, innovation-driven university responding to the world’s most urgent challenges.” He added.
As part of this strategic partnership engagement, Makerere University will, on Wednesday, 17th December, co-host the Makerere University–Tsinghua University Symposium on Public Safety and Natural Disaster Management. The symposium will run from 8:00 AM to 2:00 PM in the University Main Hall, Main Building.
This symposium represents a deepening of collaboration not only between Makerere University and Tsinghua University, but also a broader strategic partnership between Uganda and the People’s Republic of China.
During the event, H.E. Zhang Lizhong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Uganda, together with the State Minister for Higher Education, Government of Uganda, will officially launch the China–Uganda Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Natural Disaster Monitoring and Early Warning. The Laboratory will be hosted at Makerere University, positioning the University to play a central role in strengthening Uganda’s and the region’s capacity for natural disaster preparedness, public safety, and emergency management research.
Caroline Kainomugisha is the Communications Officer, Advancement Office, Makerere University.
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