Business & Management

CoBAMS Management meets to discuss College’s strategic direction

Published

2 years ago

October 25, 2023

CoBAMS Management Establishment and Appointments Committee Retreat, 19th October 2023, Mestil Hotel, Kampala, Uganda, East Africa.

Members of the College Establishment and Appointments Committee and the College Administrative Board have taken off time to strategize on how to grow the college. Speaking on October 19 during the two-day retreat, the Principal, Prof. Eria Hisali, shared with the management team some of the ongoing strategic initiatives in the areas of financial sustainability, human capacity development, policy engagements and outreach, quality assurance, institutionalizing seminar series, and partnerships and networks. ´Infrastructure expansion, Quality assurance and systems strengthening.

The Principal said the college had established an endowment fund to support its financial sustainability efforts. He also highlighted the importance of investing in the professional development of staff members to enhance human capacity within the college. Additionally, the Principal emphasized the need for active engagement with relevant policies and stakeholders to promote the college’s outreach and policy influence. Lastly, he emphasized the significance of building strong partnerships and networks with other institutions and organizations to foster collaboration and mutual growth.

Speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Umar Kakumba, commended the college on recent developments and ongoing initiatives in the areas of planned infrastructure expansion, financial sustainability, research, and visibility.

“I understand that the publication record at the College has improved considerably from around 30 in 2014 publications annually to over 130 for the year 2022; and that the proposal to expand and revamp infrastructure has been approved by government,” he said.

He also acknowledged the college’s efforts in achieving financial sustainability, which have allowed for the successful implementation of various research projects. Furthermore, Prof. Umar Kakumba expressed his optimism about the increased visibility of the college, both nationally and internationally, as a result of these developments and initiatives.

I am particularly impressed by attempts to benchmark the academic disciplines at the College with the scope defined by international best practice in addition to initiatives to mainstream quality across the academic, administrate and support functions of the College as a precursor for international accreditation.

He commended the college for seeking to internationalize the courses through international accreditation. He also praised the college for its efforts in aligning its academic disciplines with global standards, which will not only enhance the quality of education but also open up opportunities for students to pursue international careers. Furthermore, he acknowledged the significance of international accreditation in ensuring that the college meets the rigorous standards set by renowned institutions worldwide.

The retreat saw heads of departments share their human resources needs and discuss strategies for attracting and retaining top talent. They emphasized the importance of hiring qualified faculty members who can contribute to the college’s mission of providing a well-rounded education. Additionally, they discussed the need for ongoing professional development opportunities to ensure that faculty members stay updated with the latest teaching methodologies and advancements in their respective fields. Prof. Kakumba called on the different schools to support various government authorities, saying data has become a critical tool of development, so the School of Statistics should tap into this need.

He pledged University Management’s commitment to support the college initiatives.

The University Secretary, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda, cautioned the management of the college about staff recruitment. The said staff recruitments have to be made within the available resources and staff must qualify for the promotions.

He called on the college management to make recommendations to the University Management that fit within the university structures and policies. Mr. Yusuf Kiranda emphasized the importance of aligning staff recruitment with the college’s available resources to maintain financial stability. He also stressed the need for staff to meet the necessary qualifications for promotions, ensuring that the university’s standards and policies are upheld.

He called on staff to embrace the ongoing data capture for the biometrics system. This would help streamline administrative processes and enhance security measures within the university. Additionally, Mr. Yusuf Kiranda highlighted the significance of staff training and development programs to ensure continuous improvement and professional growth among the university’s workforce. At the end of the two days, the management team agreed that the college needs to tighten the supervision of staff and systems, increase accountability, strengthen workflow processes, and create baseline indicators for quality assurance.

Related Topics:accountability CoBAMS Development featured human capacity Infrastructure Management processes quality assurance supervision systems Training

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Business & Management

Call For Applications: Student Mobility – University of Padova, Italy (Oct 2026-Jan 2027)

Published

1 day ago

April 14, 2026

Mak Editor

Group Photo of the trainers and trainees that took part in the workshop on multivariate statistics and time series analysis, held 11th-20th June 2024 between the School of Statistics and Planning, CoBAMS and University of Padova, Italy. Makerere University School of Statistics and Planning-University of Padova, Italy dynamic workshop on multivariate statistics and time series analysis, 11th to 20th June 2024, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Arising from an existing Memorandum of Understanding (until September 2028) between University of Padova, Italy (UniPd) and Makerere University (Mak), the two institutions partnered and will jointly implement the Bilateral Agreement for the mobility for students between 2026 and 2027. At Mak, the Departmental Flow Coordinator is Symon Peter Wandiembe (PhD) and the project Principal Investigator and Contact Person is Saint Kizito Omala (PhD), both of Department of Statistical Methods and Actuarial Science (DSMAS).

In this regard, the Department of Statistical Methods and Actuarial Science wishes to announce opportunities for student mobility to the Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy for the Winter Semester, October 2026 – January 2027.

The selection process shall entail five-steps:

Step 1: Submission of documents by candidates for nomination, with an internal deadline of April 20^th, 2026, 05.00 p.m. (EAT) to allow for time to process nomination applications;
Step 2: Meeting of the Nomination Committee to review documents received from applicants;
Step 3: Submitting the list of nominated candidates, by April 30^th, 2026, to the International Projects and Mobility Office of the University of Padua, Italy;
Step 4: Eligibility check and communication to successful candidates by the International Projects and Mobility Office of the University of Padua, Italy; and
Step 5: Application for the Mobility opportunity by successful candidates.

Please see download for detailed call.

Inquiry

S.K. Omala via +256 772 491545 before April 20^th, 2026.

Advert Bilateral UniPd_Mak_Agreement_for Student Mobility Download

Business & Management

Mak CoBAMS Hosts UNISA’s Dr. Sizile Makola

Published

7 days ago

April 8, 2026

Ritah Namisango

L-R: Dr. Zaina Nakabuye, Dr. Jude Mugarura, Dr. Agnes Sansa, Dr. Sizile Makola, Prof Edward Bbaale and Dr. Anthony Tibaingana at the 8th April 2026 meeting in the Office of the Principal. Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. Edward Bbaale welcomes Dr. Sizile Makola, a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management from the University of South Africa (UNISA), to the College and Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, 8th April 2026.

On Wednesday 8^th April 2026 the Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. Edward Bbaale received and welcomed, Dr. Sizile Makola, a Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management from the University of South Africa (UNISA), to the College and Makerere University.

The interaction meeting held in the Office of the Principal brought onboard the following members of staff from the Department of Marketing and Management, School of Business: Dr. Jude Mugarura, Dr. Zaina Nakabuye, Dr. Agnes Sansa, and Dr. Anthony Tibaingana.

Dr.Sizile Makola is visiting Makerere University for two (2) weeks to cement the MoU between Makerere University and UNISA and to finalise her comparative studies with staff from the department of marketing and management on behalf of Makerere University for the Ugandan context.

Dr. Makola is scheduled to deliver an interactive guest lecture to undergraduate and postgraduate human resource management students on Friday 10^th April 2026 from 2:00pm to 4:00pm in the School of Business, Conference Hall.

Guest Lecture on Re-Imagining Human Resource Management in Africa, Topic: Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and Organizational Practice, Keynote Speaker: Dr. Sizile Makola. Senior Lecturer in Human Resource Management from the University of South Africa (UNISA), 10th April 2026, 2:00-4:00PM, The Conference Room, Level 2, Block B, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa. — ***The Guest Lecture Poster.***

Business & Management

Mak CoBAMS holds strategic partnership engagement with World Bank

Published

2 weeks ago

April 2, 2026

Ritah Namisango

L-R: Cyril Desponts, Hassan Zamani, Prof. Edward Bbaale, Assoc. Prof. Eria Hisali, Liz Mukasa Samula, and Assoc. Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu. Strategic partnership engagement with delegation from the World Bank ahead of the African Meeting of the Econometric Society scheduled to take place in June 2027 preceded by the Econometric Society Summer School, 1st April 2026, Office of the Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

On 1^st April 2026, the Principal of the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) at Makerere University, Professor Edward Bbaale hosted a delegation from the World Bank for a strategic partnership engagement ahead of the African Meeting of the Econometric Society scheduled to take place in June 2027. The International engagement will be preceded by the Econometric Society Summer School.

Focusing on macroeconomic stability, productivity, climate resilience, and youth employment, the African Meeting is expected to attract over 400 national and international participants. The Meeting has been deemed critical in advancing research and policy dialogue as well as planning and development across the continent.

The World Bank delegation consisted of Hassan Zaman-Regional Director for East Africa, Cyril Desponts-Country Senior Economist, and Liz Mukasa Samula-Country Economist. During the introduction, Liz Mukasa Samula stated that she is a proud alumnus of Makerere University, specifically, the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS).

At the College level, the meeting brought onboard, Professor Edward Bbaale, Associate Professor Eria Hisali, Associate Professor Ibrahim Mike Okumu, and Ritah Namisango.

Presentation by Mak CoBAMS

Welcoming the delegation, Prof. Bbaale presented the College of Business and Management Sciences as a centre of excellence in teaching and learning, research, policy engagement, knowledge transfer, and entrepreneurship. Prof. Bbaale informed the delegation about the great works under the School of Economics, School of Business, and the School of Statistics and Planning.

Highlighting the purpose of Mak CoBAMS in line with the strategic meeting, Prof. Bbaale explained that the World Bank is a leader in applied research, policy design, and capacity building, and therefore, as partner, they would enrich the discussions aimed at hosting a successful and impact-driven African Meeting of the Econometric Society. In addition, the partnership would present an opportunity to shape policy dialogue and engage Africa’s next generation of economists.

He added that at the national level, the Bank of Uganda, National Planning Authority, and the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development had agreed to be partners.

Acknowledging that scholars, researchers and participants in general, would be delighted to engage with an authority in the discipline, Prof. Bbaale proposed a Policy Round Table moderated by the World Bank.

Building on Prof. Bbaale’s remarks, the Dean of the School of Economics, and a Member of the Global Organizing Committee, Associate Professor Ibrahim Mike Okumu, highlighted that partnership with the World Bank would strengthen the research-policy interface at scale.

At the strategic level, the Dean of the School of Economics, articulated that the partnership would establish a lasting platform to strengthen the role of economic research in development policy across Africa. He noted that some of topics, papers and research, would focus on African economics and development. He pointed out that the international engagement with participants from across the globe provides an opportunity to inform policy briefs on a wide range of topics

Contributing to the discussion, Associate Professor Eria Hisali, submitted that the Journal Publications under the World Bank would provide possible outlets for the dissemination of information and knowledge generated during the African Meeting of the Econometric Society.

Presentation by the delegation from the World Bank

The Regional Director for East Africa, Hassan Zaman, was pleased to visit Makerere University, an institution that has significantly contributed to knowledge creation and transfer as well as development.

Responding to the presentation from the College of Business and Management Sciences, Zaman welcomed the idea of potential collaboration. “Based on our knowledge bank perspective, it is of interest to engage.”

Specific to Africa, Zaman emphasized the need for topics on econometrics to be presented by experts from the continent. He welcomed the proposals on a Policy Round Table, Impact-driven Policy briefs, participating in the summer school, and representation of the World Bank on the Global Organising Committee.

Presentation on the Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence

During the Strategic Partnership Meeting, the delegation expressed interest in collaborating with the Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence based at Makerere University. “The World Bank will undertake a public investment review. Does the PIM Centre at Makerere University undertake analytical work?”

In response, the College team expressed readiness for collaboration with the World Bank. Consequently, the Principal of CoBAMS and his team, briefed the delegation on the PIM Centre of Excellence:

Its main focus is capacity building through training of government officials along the entire project cycle.
PIM Centre kicked off with seed funding from the World Bank. When the grant came to an end, Bank of Uganda came onboard to support.
The Centre undertakes capacity building, research, and policy engagements.
Every year in the month of August, Makerere University, College of Business and Management Sciences, in partnership with the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), and the National Planning Authority (NPA), hold a PIM Conference.
Associate Professor Ibrahim Mike Okumu and Associate Professor Eria Hisali shared some of the ongoing research in the area of public investment management.

The Strategic Meeting concluded on a high note, with both parties not only acknowledging but receptive of the various prospects future collaboration and partnership presents.