General
Mak-CAU Discuss Agricultural & Rural Transformation Collaboration
A delegation from China Agricultural University (CAU) led by the President Prof. Sin Qixin on Friday 24th November 2023 visited Makerere University as part of CAU’s mission to broaden international relations. The delegation was received by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Finance and Administration), Prof. Henry Alinaitwe and members of Management.
Prof. Alinaitwe welcomed and thanked Prof. Qixin and his delegation for fulfilling their promise to visit Makerere when the parties met at the 2023 World Agrifood Innovation Conference held in Beijing, from 2nd to 4th November, 2023. He acknowledged that Uganda had a lot to learn from China in terms of advancements in agriculture as showcased at the Conference, and welcomed the visit as an opportunity to work on a framework for close collaboration.
The Deputy Vice Chancellor noted that Uganda despite being well-endowed in terms of wonderful weather, arable land and a hospitable population still faced challenges related to food security, climate change and sustainability. He therefore hoped that the collaboration with CAU would help transfer some of the technology and best practices to overcome these challenges.
Prof. Qixin on behalf of his delegation thanked Prof. Alinaitwe and members of Management for the warm reception accorded them. He was accompanied by Ms. Tang Ying-Director International Office, Mr. Li Xiaoyun-Chair Professor, Honorary Dean, College of International Development and Global Agriculture (CIDGA), Mr. Si Wei-Professor, Dean College of Economics and Management, Ms. Tang Lixia-Professor, Deputy Dean CIDGA, and Ms. Xu Jin-Associate Professor, Assistant Dean, CIDGA.
The President shared that CAU as a 118-year-old institution located in Beijing, China with approximately 23,000 students has over the years built expertise and capacity in the transformation of agricultural and rural communities. In this regard, he said that CIDGA, CAU’s newest college established in 2017, aims at policy and theoretical innovations in international development and nurturing new development knowledge particularly in the areas of agricultural and rural transformation, poverty eradication and green development.
The aforementioned focal areas, Prof. Qixin said, were the main reason why his delegation was in Uganda on a two-fold mission to; a) build formal close working relationships at University and College levels and b) forge partnerships with institutions to serve as local partners so as to interface with village-based and Local Government leaders in CAU’s agricultural and rural transformation projects. The collaboration with Makerere, he added, could also be in the form of research exchanges and co-organization of activities such as the Agrifood Innovation Conference. The 2023 edition of the conference attracted over fifteen million visitors online in addition to physical participants.
The presentation by Prof. Qixin was followed by discussions with Members of Management present. They included the Academic Registrar-Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, Dean of Students-Mrs. Winifred Kabumbuli, University Librarian-Prof. Ruth Nalumaga, Director Quality Assurance-Dr. Cyprian Misinde, Director Legal Affairs-Mr. Hudson Musoke, and Director Gender Mainstreaming represented by Mr. Paul Kiggundu. Principals present included; Prof. Gorettie Nabanoga-College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), Prof. Eria Hisali-College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. James Okwe Acai-Deputy Principal, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Bio-security (CoVAB), and Prof. Arthur K. Tugume-Dean School of Biosciences representing the Principal College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS).
Topics touched on included;
Scholarships – CAU support covers tuition, research costs, stipend, and accommodation for Masters, PhD and Postdoctoral students. Scholarships however do not cover travel to and from China.
Duration of Programmes – Masters programmes range from two to three years while PhDs range from three to four years.
Language of Instruction – CAU programmes are conducted in English although students are encouraged to learn Chinese.
Ongoing research focused on Africa – CAU researchers are currently working in Tanzania and Malawi on topics such as malnutrition and food security, and the institution is keen to explore joint research with Makerere.
On 20th August 2026, Makerere University welcomed another cohort of 258 recipients of the prestigious Mastercard Foundation scholarship for the 2026/2027 academic year with pomp and fanfare. The colourful Scholarship Award Ceremony was presided over by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, who was represented by Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, the Dean of the School of Economics and the Chairperson of the Scholars Selection sub-committee of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University.
While addressing the gathering, Prof. Nawangwe reminded the Scholars that the scholarship was both an honour and a responsibility, and that they ought to make the most of it to improve their lives and communities.
“Now that you have stepped through the gates of Makerere University, remember that a scholarship is both an award and a responsibility. You have been chosen because we believe in your potential to lead, innovate, and serve. Makerere University offers you world-class academic resources, mentorship, and networks—but the impact you make with these resources will depend on your discipline, integrity, and vision,” Prof. Nawangwe remarked.
A Call for Responsible Living
The Vice Chancellor further urged the new recruits to embrace university life responsibly and form lasting bonds that will support future networks.
“I encourage you to engage fully and responsibly in University life, build lasting bonds with your peers, and, equally important, keep your home communities close to your heart. Let the knowledge and skills you gain here become the seed for innovative solutions to the challenges facing your communities, our country, Uganda, and the African continent.” Prof Nawangwe emphasised.
Prof. Nawangwe further expressed his gratitude to the Mastercard Foundation for recognising Makerere University as a worthy partner and pledged to continue supporting all the Mastercard Foundation’s initiatives at Makerere University.
Leadership starts with self
Mr. Adrian Bukenya, the Senior Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program globally and the Country Director for Uganda, urged Scholars to embrace leadership, particularly through self-leadership. He emphasised that the Scholars Program is fundamentally a leadership development program.
“The Scholars Program offers more than just a scholarship; it is a leadership development Program. I encourage you, Scholars, to embrace leadership, and leadership starts with leading yourself, then your community, your country and the continent,” Mr. Bukenya emphasised.
Mr. Bukenya expressed his gratitude to the Management of Makerere University for partnering with the Mastercard Foundation on various initiatives. He emphasised that the Foundation is committed to continuing this partnership to educate young people and nurture the next generation of leaders on the African continent.
Selection Process Highlights
On his part, the Chairperson of the Scholars Selection Committee, represented by Mr Charles Ssentongo, the Deputy Academic Registrar responsible for Undergraduate admissions, congratulated all the Scholars who had made it through a very competitive and watertight selection process. To illustrate how tight the selection process had been, he shared compelling statistics that clearly demonstrated its competitiveness.
“We received 3,664 Applications for the Scholarship; 2,904 Undergraduates and 760 master’s students. Of these scholarship applicants, 1,440 Undergraduates and 280 Master’s students were admitted to Makerere University on private sponsorship, and they were all eligible for the Scholarship,” Mr Ssentongo pointed out.
Mr Ssentongo informed the attentive audience that one of the biggest challenges the Committee faced was the very high number of applicants, while the number of scholarships available was always very small. Mr Ssentongo then highlighted further statistics that characterised the tedious selection process.
“For the Undergraduates, 650 applicants were shortlisted for interviews, while 58 Master’s applicants were also shortlisted. Of these, 245 undergraduates and 13 Master’s students were selected for the final award,” Mr Ssentongo highlighted.
Celebrating A Diverse Cohort
The Program Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere, Prof. Justine Namaalwa, used the occasion to highlight achievements made in the years gone by.
“Today, we are overjoyed to have successfully recruited 258 Cohort 9 Scholars—bringing us to the mark of 546 Scholars, 54.6% of the target recruitment of 1,000 Scholars under Phase II of the Program. To date, a total of 1,596 Scholars have been recruited since 2013, when the Scholars Program started at Makerere University,” Prof. Namaalwa announced.
Prof. Namaalwa showcased the diversity created by the Scholars Program, highlighting the arrival of international students from across the African continent at Makerere University through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
“For Cohort 9 Scholars, it’s time to celebrate our diversity in the Program. Let me call out the nationalities represented in the room: Lesotho (1 Scholar), Malawi (1 Scholar), Ghana (1 Scholar), D.R. Congo (13 Scholars), Cameroon (7 Scholars), Burundi (3 Scholars), Rwanda (10 Scholars), South Sudan (40 Scholars) and Tanzania (1 Scholar).” Prof. Namaalwa revealed.
Scholars Speak Out
Nathan Tamba, an international student from Cameroon, conveyed his enthusiasm regarding the opportunities afforded by the scholarship, particularly the prospect of pursuing his studies at Makerere University, recognised as one of the leading institutions on the continent.
“On behalf of my fellow scholars, I would like to express our gratitude to Makerere University and the Mastercard Foundation for awarding us this scholarship. It has given me the opportunity to study at this prestigious university and to experience Uganda for the first time.” Tamba remarked.
Tamba, clearly delighted like his fellow scholars, committed to using the scholarship opportunity to gain knowledge and skills he will use to benefit himself and his community.
The function was punctuated by entertainment from the Makerere University Choir, networking, and plenty of joyous celebration.
Bernard Buteera is Principal Communications Officer for the Scholars Program at Makerere University.
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