Computing & IS
Mak IP Office Visits CoCIS; Rallies Researchers to Register & Commercialise Innovations
Makerere University Intellectual Property (IP) Management Office has urged researchers to register their IP and commercialise their innovations.
The Office Manager Canon Goddy Muhumuza and Administrator Peter Eneru were on Friday 20th October, 2023 meeting staff and researchers in the College of Computing and Information Sciences. The blended meeting held physically and online attracted over 20 researchers and was moderated by the Deputy Principal, Dr. Peter Nabende.
Muhumuza explained that protection and exploitation of research, research outputs and innovations are increasingly becoming important activities for universities all over the world.
Makerere University according to Muhumuza established the Intellectual Property Management Office (IPMO) on 15th July 2020 to identify and protect intellectual property within Makerere University.
“Intellectual Property protection is critical to fostering innovation. Without the protection of ideas, researchers and individuals would not reap the full benefits of their inventions and would focus less on research and development. Inventors, designers, developers, students, staff and authors can protect the ideas.” The manager explained
Currently, the Makerere University Intellectual Property Management Office is visiting colleges with the aim of sensitizing and guiding researchers, staff and students on Intellectual Property including the identification of the IP, the registration and protection of the IP and how to benefit from IP in future.
“I am here for sensitisation on IP management and registration. Many researchers come up with many innovations which when not registered become useless. Books and innovations gone on shelves are gathering dust yet, if they are registered by Makerere University, researchers would benefit from them because Makerere University has an intensive policy of commercialising those projects”, Mr. Muhumuza said.
Benefits of IP and Ownership at Makerere University
Intellectual Property (IP) according to Canon Goddy Muhumuza, refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions, literary and artistic works; designs and symbols, names and images used in commerce. Intellectual Property rights grant the owner of the work exclusive rights to exploit and benefit from his or her work.
The manager explained that IP provides an incentive to the innovators to be able to benefit from the result of their endeavour. The legal protection of innovations encourages the commitment of additional resources for further innovation. In addition, the promotion and protection of IP spurs economic growth, creates jobs and enhances the quality and enjoyment of life.
Muhumuza highlighted that under the Intellectual Property Rights, the inventor can get copyright, patents, designs and, trademarks and trade secrets protection to shield an invention or creation from being duplicated or copied by another individual or business.
The manager highlighted that the creator or originator of the idea, work, or novel invention is presumed to own the IP to their creation. However, if the work was created as part of a work-made-for-hire agreement, or in an employer-employee agreement, a student, the IP belongs to the university.
Once an asset is registered, Muhumuza said, all parties agree on which pathway and benefits to be shared.
“According to the Intellectual Property Management Policy, innovators are getting 80% which is almost all and the university gets 20%, of this, 10% goes back to the innovators department, 5% to management and 5% goes to graduate school. So the university is encouraging as many innovations as possible”, Muhumuza stressed.
Process simplified, Mak Innovation Hub to support commercialisation
The manager said, what the researcher, student or any other individual needs is to declare the IP at the Intellectual Property Management office, and wait for the certificate to be delivered.
“The process is that once you get your IP, you come to the Intellectual Property Management Office, in Yusuf Lule building room 3.2 and you bring your innovation both physical and in writing. And you leave it with us. We submit to URSB, we pay submission, search and certificate fees, and for you, you will be notified that you have got the certificate. You do not need anything to pay. The university pays everything”. The manager asserted.
Muhumuza added that since its inception, the office has managed to register, protect and receive 20 certificates for various IP while 13 IPs have been filled but pending approval by URSB in 2023.
He said Makerere University Innovation hub was established on 1st August 2022 under the Vice Chancellor’s office to provide support mechanisms for commercialisation of innovations for sustainable industrialisation with several projects being implemented.
The objectives of the Innovation hub according to Muhumuza are; to create awareness and disseminate information on innovation, develop tailored demand driven programmes, mobilise resources to nature and support innovation; develop, commercialise and scale up innovations for industrialisation and, strengthen and coordinate the innovation ecosystem through partnerships and linkages.
Up to 2.7 bn grant from Mak-RIF earmarked for scaling and commercialising innovations
The manager told participants that up to 2.7bn shilling will fund innovation projects that have progressed beyond the proof of concept stage and are at the stage of transition to wide scale application or commercialisation.
To be eligible for funding, Muhumuza said, the innovation should be ready to transition to scale and where the Principal innovator is an academic or research staff of Makerere University on permanent or full time contract or senior staff member of the administrative unit linked to research.
Accessibility to the grant involves an online competitive application, project check for eligibility and completeness, pitch to Intellectual Property Management and receiving funds supported by the Mak Hub.
Mak IP Policy
The Makerere University IP policy as per section 3.2.3 provides guidelines for ownership, registration, patenting, commercialisation and disclosure.
The Manager explained that researchers shall seek the assistance of the IP unit in applying for registration of copyright, patents, designs or trademarks under the relevant laws or when trying to commercialise the innovation.
Any discovery or invention resulting from research carried or under the direction of any employee of the university, supported by the university or results arising from an employees’ duties with the university or has been developed in whole or part of this in the use of the university resources or facilities not available to the general public shall belong to the university.
Also, any IP created by a university employee having an honorary appointment at any other institution during that appointment shall lie with the employer who pays the salary of that employer.
Further, Honorary researchers who are not employed by the university are generally required to transfer any IP they create in the course of their honorary activities to the university subject to terms and conditions of their honorary appointment. Sharing proceeds from such IP shall follow university established guidelines.
While closing the meeting, the Deputy Principal CoCIS, Dr. Peter Nabende thanked Mr. Muhumuza for the presentation saying, it touched a number of aspects relating to IP.
“It is an exciting presentation that has raised awareness on what staff should know. It is encouraging and motivating to know that the innovator gets 80%. I thank the IP Office for being effective and managing to come here to present”, Dr. Nabende appreciated.
He encouraged college staff to take on the IP issue seriously imploring the IP office to provide another opportunity to sensitise students on the same matter.
For please click on the link below for the meeting proceedings
Passcode: 8s#qLz$D
Computing & IS
Makerere Launches Scholarly Guide, Calls for Increased Research, Publication and Innovation in Africa
VC Emphasizes Research as Key to Africa’s Global Integration
Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, has urged universities across Africa to invest in research, publication, and innovation as a pathway to greater participation in the global knowledge economy.
Speaking at the launch of From Records to Publication: A Guide to Academic Authorship, edited by Prof. Elisam Magara of the East African School of Library and Information Sciences, Prof. Nawangwe highlighted Africa’s low contribution to global scholarship. “Although Africa accounts for 15 percent of the world’s population, it produces only 3 percent of global research publications,” he said.
“There are historical reasons for this,” the Vice Chancellor continued, referencing centuries of slavery and colonialism. “You cannot brush away 600 years of subjugation. And we Africans have not even written enough about that. If we want to move Africa back into the global community, we must invest in research, publication, and innovation.”
He cited China as an example, noting how the country’s investment in research and education has translated into economic and global influence. “When we say China is the factor of the world, it is not that people just wake up and begin making things. They invest in education, in publication, in research. If we want to transform Africa, we must do the same.”
Prof. Nawangwe highlighted Makerere’s progress, revealing that annual peer-reviewed publications have grown from about 500 a decade ago, to 700, and now exceed 2,000. He acknowledged that the university still trails South African institutions, partly because they operate numerous local journals that absorb significant volumes of research. “We are not fully utilising the brand of Makerere University Press,” he said, pledging support to strengthen the press and scale up journal production.
He also reaffirmed the university’s strategy to reduce excessive undergraduate enrolment and expand graduate training to boost research output. “Let us create time for professors to do research and supervise more graduate students,” he said.
Commending Professor Magara and his team for producing the authorship guide, Prof. Nawangwe described the book as an essential handbook for Master’s and PhD students, early-career researchers, and universities across the region striving to become research-led. “This is at the heart of the university. If we invest in research and publication, we secure our future,” he said.
Book Recommended as Mandatory Guide by College Principal
Makerere University’s Principal of the College of Computing and Information Sciences, Prof. Tonny Oyana, called for the newly launched volume to be adopted as a mandatory guide for graduate students and newly appointed lecturers. “This is not a bad book for our first-year PhD students to start with,” he said. “Even those who are hired as junior lecturers still need mentorship. If I were the Vice Chancellor, I would put this book as required reading for every new hire.”
Prof. Oyana reflected on his personal contribution to the book, revealing that administrative responsibilities nearly forced him to withdraw. “Because of the work that I do, I was about to give up,” he admitted. “But Professor Magara was persistent. He came back to me and gave me more time.”
He credited a PhD student, Caroline Ilako, for assisting with library research and literature reviews, saying, “She did a wonderful job. We went back and forth through revisions, but finally we produced the work.”
On the quality of the book, Prof. Oyana said, “When you pick up a book, look at how it is laid out. The quick judgment tells you about the quality. This is well put together. We are beginning to show quality comparable to Western presses.”
He also challenged traditional notions of “publish or perish,” noting, “As scholarship evolves, those who evaluate scholarship must also adjust. Impact, innovation, and tangible products are increasingly valued alongside journal articles.”
Editor Highlights Research-Based Approach
Prof. Elisam Magara, the book’s editor, explained that the guide is designed to support scholars from the moment they conceive a research idea to the point their work is published and read. “I looked at the books we were using and asked myself: which kind of book can truly guide students? We needed a clear guide from the time a scholar thinks of writing up to the time the book is read,” he said.
He detailed the rigorous editorial process that began in 2022, including international calls for contributions, peer review of abstracts, writeshops for feedback, and multiple rounds of chapter reviews. “Don’t write and keep,” he advised. “Your book must have impact. It must reach the public and be used.”
Prof. Magara also acknowledged the sabbatical granted by the Vice-Chancellor, which enabled him to balance teaching and editorial responsibilities. “This book is meant not just for Makerere but for scholars across the region and beyond,” he said.
Mak Press Outlines Rigorous Publishing Process
Dr. Isaac Tibasima, representing the Managing Director of Makerere University Press, explained the publication pathway. “Once you bring your manuscript to the press, we take it through evaluation, external peer review, revisions, copy-editing, typesetting, and pre-press review before printing,” he said.
He also highlighted the press’s efforts to strengthen college-based journals. “We will not run the journals, but they will be published under the imprint of Makerere University. If we produce consistent issues, we can then move toward global indexing,” Dr. Tibasima said.
All new journals and articles now carry Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) to enhance discoverability, while past publications are being retroactively assigned DOIs. “We are not there yet, but we are moving there, and we are intentional about getting there,” he added.
School Leaders Celebrate Scholarship and Mentorship
In welcome remarks, Dr. Sarah Kaddu, Dean of the School, said, “This event is a celebration of scholarship, intellectual discipline, and the journey of knowledge creation. This book speaks directly to one of the most critical challenges facing scholars—transforming research records into publishable work.”
Dr. Sylvia Namujuzi, Head of the Department of Records and Archives Management, added, “This book is timely. It responds to real challenges faced by early-career researchers, postgraduate students, and even seasoned academics—questions of structure, authorship ethics, citation, collaboration, and navigating the publication ecosystem.”
She concluded: “Well-managed records are not endpoints; they are the beginning of inquiry, reflection, and publication. This guide demonstrates that pathway.”
Book Outline
- Introduction: Publication Journey. (Prof. Elisam Magara)
PART I: Foundations of Academic Authorship.
- Conceptual Foundations of Academic Authorship
Elisam Magara and Joseph Kiplangat.
- Archives as a Source of Information for Academic Writing
David Luyombya, Sylivia Namujuzi and Francis Ekwaro
- The place of Oral History in Contemporary Writing
Elisam Magara, James Nkanshah-Obrempong and Nthan Nzyoka Joshua
- Managing Ethical Dilemmas in Academic Writing
Maria Tsvere, Tsitsi Kanonge and Joselin Chigwada
- The Role of Copyright and Neighbouring Rights in Protecting Works of Authors and Publishers in Uganda
Ronald Kakungulu Mayambala
PART II: Managing the Publication Process
- A Manuscript: From Inception to Publication
Sarah Mirembe Kyankya
- Managing Co-Authorship in Academic Writing
Gankhanani Moffat Moyo
- Managing Illustrations and Visual Artworks in Academic Writing
Bob Magara Rutatugirwa
- Tapping into Open Access Platforms for Gainful Authorship
George Muganga
- Managing the Costs in Academic Authorship
Aloysius Rukundo
- The Important Translation in Publication
Monica Mweseli
- Citations and Referencing in Academic Writing
Clement Lutaaya Nabutto, Namujuzi Sylivia, and Daviv Luyombya, Makerere University
- Referencing Management Software In Academic Writing
Odeke Moses Osamai and Constant Okello-Obura
- Compliance with International Bibliographic Control Standards in Academic Authorship
Elisam Magara and Dniel Osinde
PART III: Secondary Services in Academic Writing
- Journal Impact Factor and its Role when Submitting a Publication Article
Tonny J. Oyana and Caroline Ilako
- Managing Mentorship Programmes for Scholarly Writing
Diyoshak Rhoda Danladi and Elisam Magara
Report by
Jane Anyango, Principal Communication Officer CoCIS
Ritah Atukwatse, Journalism and Communication Student (2nd Year)
Fred Kanwagi, Journalism and Communication Student (3rd Year)
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