General
Malaysia based Bio-Angle Vacs SDN. BHD. seeks partnership with CoVAB
The College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) on Tuesday 19th July 2023 hosted Malaysia based Bio-Angle Vacs SDN.HBD., a pharmaceutical company supplying veterinary vaccine for goats and sheep.
The team was led by the Chief Executive Officer Noor Shazreena Ishak, who was accompanied by Alhaj Habib Kagimu, the honorary Consul of Malaysia in Uganda and Fatim Mohemd Tarip from Pure Adventure Global Trade.
During their interactions with the CoVAB management and staff, it was revealed that Bio-Angle Vacs SDN.HBD were the manufacturers of the first intranasal spray vaccine for small ruminants in the world.
While welcoming the team, CoVAB Principal Prof. Nobert Frank Mwiine gave a brief background about the college and Makerere University as a whole. He said with effect from the year 2022 going forward, the University was refocusing towards becoming research led. He said University and Industry work hand in hand in offering solutions to societal problems, adding that it was high time that the college created strong partnerships with the industry on order to come up with products that benefit society.
Prof. Mwiine noted that the community was affected by a number of diseases and that it was important that scientists address the control, management and total elimination of diseases. He cited the example of the global agenda of eliminating foot and moth disease noting that Uganda was incapacitated because of such diseases and cannot export products to international markets.
He said as Makerere University, there were a number of post graduate programs that can address such challenges through research. ‘The Animal Industry must be improved. It is our role as researchers to precent diseases, there are protocols to prevent diseases’, he said, while taking cognizance of the fact that as much as Uganda was gifted with wildlife, these bring with them a number of viruses and bacteria. It is upon us as researchers to find solutions, he observed.
While addressing himself on the vaccine produced by Bio-angle Vacs Sdn Bhd, Prof Mwiine observed that this was for the small ruminants like goats and sheep and called upon the scientists to help find solutions to other diseases, bearing in mind that need is the mother of innovation.
The Bio-angle Vacs Sdn Bhd Chief Executive Officer Noor Shazreena Ishak, said her company was focusing on products which through innovations would help farmers improve productivity. She said their product STVac an intra nasal spray vaccine was wholly developed and patented by Universiti Putra Malaysia and had 98% proven efficacy. She explained that the vaccine stimulates local immunity that protects the respiratory tract from the invasion of M. haemolytica A 2, A7 and A9 and at the same time stimulates the systematic immunity of the animals.
Alhaj Habib Kagimu, the honorary Consul of Malaysia in Uganda said he was proud of Makerere University, citing the example of the Electric Car which he said he supported and it came to reality. He said Makerere University was internationally recognized and charged the researchers and teachers at the University to ensure that the knowledge they are generating impact others.
‘You people here at Makerere are our leaders whether you know it or not’ he said adding that education is something that cannot be stolen, and pledged continued partnerships with the college.
Makerere University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Alfasan Uganda Limited on 19th March, 2021 to facilitate production of test batches of the Anti-Tick Vaccine developed by the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB). The MoU was signed on behalf of Makerere University by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe and on behalf of Alfasan by the Managing Director Dr. Stephen Birungi.
Similarly, a memorandum of understanding was signed between The Principal Investigator of the Anti-Tick Vaccine Development Initiative and the Honorary Consul of Malaysia in Uganda for producing and using advanced technology in treating animals. This will enable bringing the technology to Alfasan, a company that is developing the anti- tick and other vaccines that can be administered orally.
By Moses Lutaaya
The Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) has in collaboration with Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors.
Participants were academic staff from two colleges namely, College of Engineering, Art and Design (CEDAT) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES).
The three-day training that took place at the Telepresence Centre, Senate Building ended on Friday 20thJune 2025.
In his closing remarks to the participants, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma said, “This is the first cohort we are working together with the Center for Teaching and Learning to put together continuous professional development Program so that we are able to enforce the new teaching and learning policy.”
He said that before lecturers are allocated students for supervision, they must first go through this form of formal teaching and learning training to equip them thoroughly with certification required of supervision of graduate students.
“We are coming up with process to ensure that the certificates earned by participants allow you to supervise graduate students. This is the direction of the university and we must ensure that such trainings are concluded and completed successfully by all participants”, Prof. Kikooma.
“We can only have you certified upon completing all the exercises in the training process. This is when you will be eligible to receive the work load for supervision”, He added.
“This training of Supervisors is going to be continuous so that all academic staff in colleges and schools are equipped. This first cohort is going to be our building block to the future trainings in the colleges.”
With such capacity building trainings, Prof. Kikooma said that the university is on the right path to achieving its targets in the new strategic plan of increasing the number of graduate students while progressively reducing the under graduate students.
He further hinted that, “We are in the process of writing a curriculum on this, which will be presented for approval before it is rolled out.”
He echoed all participants to share the knowledge they have acquired adding, “Share all you have learnt, do not keep it. Be open minded, have proper communication channels and the sky will be the limit for you.”
Dr. Robinah N. Kulabako, The Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at CEDAT welcomed the training adding, “This training is very pertinent. I have had the opportunity to supervise Masters and PhD students for over 15 years and I must say that the need to be subjected to this training cannot be over emphasized because there is need to learn, unlearn and relearn many aspects involved in the supervision process.”
She added, “We are moving towards knowledge-based supervision rather than experience-based supervision. This means we must be informed and equipped to be able to advise, guide and mentor to be able to lead a successful supervision journey for both supervisor and supervisee.”
Dr. Andrew Gilbert Were – a lecturer at CEDAT and a participant said, “It is important that all supervisors of graduate students receive this certification from Makerere University through a systematic training process that enables them to attain diverse skills to facilitate learning of graduate students from diverse cultures and with unique set of circumstances.”
“This training is long overdue. In fact, it was an oversight that we could be allowed to supervise students without undergoing supervisors’ training.”
Dr. Dorothy Ssebowa, The Director Centre for Teaching and Learning support- CEES said, “The training this time round has had a mix of early career professionals including Lecturers, Supervisors and Professors share experiences. We have learnt a lot more from experienced supervisors who have shared practices on how they have done supervision over the years.”
“The knowledge and experience-based approaches have made this collaboration very active, interactive and learner centered which has resulted into a collaborative learning from the interdisciplinarity of staff from CEDAT and CAES. The issue now is to continue with professional development across all levels.” She added.
The Makerere University Directorate of Graduate Training (DGT) in collaboration with the Centre for Teaching and Learning completed the training of the first cohort of Graduate Supervisors. This activity was supported by the iCARTA – Institutionalization of Advanced Research Training in Africa, a NORHED II Project at Makerere University.
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