Members of the Gerda Henkel Foundation evaluation team interact with Dr. Edgar Nabutanyi (R) and Dr. Okot Benge (2nd R) after the meeting at Makerere University.
With funding from the Gerda Henkel Foundation of Dusseldorf Germany, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Makerere University seeks to admit 10 students for the 2024 intake leading to the award of a PhD in the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences of Makerere University. Historical Humanities and Humanistic Social Sciences include but are not limited to a cluster of subjects (disciplines) that study human society with a particular sensitivity to the shifting historical contexts over time with various kinds of evidence to support analyses of what informs and shapes the changes and the implications of such changes in human society. Therefore, preference will be accorded to projects that approach the study of the Humanities and Social Sciences in the following fields:
The Classics, namely Literature, Philosophy, Epic, and Drama,
Prehistory/Early History of Africa
Archaeology
Modern African History
Sociology
Anthropology
Language and Linguistics
Creative Arts in Africa
Religion in Africa
Political theory
Gender Studies
General Requirements
Research experience in the Humanities and Social Sciences at a University or a Research Institute and a strong foundation in writing and research methods is desirable. The applicant should have excellent oral and written communication skills. This is a PhD by research; therefore, applicants should demonstrate capacity for independent work. They should also have excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
Eligibility
Eligible candidates should:
Be Ugandan nationals or nationals of a sub-Saharan African country (attach a biodata page of your passport or National Identity Card to your application).
Hold Master’s degree in the Humanities and/or SocialSciences discipline,for which s/he has applied for from a recognised university.
Hold an honoursundergraduate degree in the Humanities and/or Social Sciences from a recognised university related to the specialisation s/he is applying for (for example, if you are applying for a PhD is Sociology, you must have offered Sociology at undergraduate level).
Be fluent or show proof of fluency in English Language. Applicants whose working knowledge in English is limited will be required to undergo intensive language lessons at the College’s Language Centre.
Provide two reference letters from two academic referees who are familiar with his/her work. Note: the referees named on the applicant’s application form should be the ones to supply reference letter.
Confirm that s/he will be available from September 2024 to undertake a three-year full-time study at Makerere University. Upon admission, s/he will be required to show proof of a study leave from their employer.
Provide the address and contact (email and phone number) of next of kin.
Be under the age of 40 years (male) or 45 years (female) by 30 September 2024. Qualified female candidates are particularly encouraged to apply.
Attach copies of their MA and Undergraduate Transcripts and Certificates that are duly certified either by the awarding institution or the respective national accreditation body.
Funding
The programme is fully funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation and is tenable at Makerere University. The scholarship will cover all costs of PhD training listed below.
Tuition
Stipend
Medical insurance
Laptop computer
Books
Travel to take up the fellowship for non-Ugandan fellows.
Conference attendance
Fieldwork
Timeline
This is a-three-year programme, which begins in September 2024 and ends in June 2027 as shown below.
September 2024 to March 2025: Proposal Development
April 2025 to September 2026: Fieldwork
October 2026 to September 2027: Dissertation Writing
Upon admission, the Fellows will receive a detailed almanac that will detail the timelines and their respective outputs.
How to apply
Completed application form (saved in word: as your surname underscore application e.g., Nyerere Application) with supporting documents (PDF format) must be submitted by Friday, March 29, 2024, to:
The Principal, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Makerere University P.O. Box 7062 Kampala
The results for the 2025/2026 special entry examination for the Diploma in Performing Arts held on Saturday 17th May, 2025. Candidates who scored a final mark of 50% and above passed the Examination and have been recommended to the university’s Admissions Committee for consideration.
The intensive one-month course, running for the first time from June 5 to July 24, 2025, is jointly offered by Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH)’s Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences (CHBS) and the Department of Journalism and Communication (DJC) at the School of Languages, Literature, and Communication (SLLC), co-designed in 2024 with support from the Rockefeller Foundation through Amref Health Africa.
It seeks to equip healthcare providers at the community level, public health and environmental health practitioners, communication specialists, health educators, community development officers, social scientists, and policy makers, among others, with strategic communication skills to improve public health messaging, strengthen community engagement, and support evidence-based interventions, ultimately empowering participants to effectively engage communities and improve population health outcomes across Uganda and the region.
Launching the course, the heads of the Department of Journalism and Communication and the Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences noted that participants who complete the short course will gain practical tools to influence behaviour change, build trust, and deliver timely, accurate, and relevant health information to the communities they serve. The first cohort attracted more than 60 applicants, with 36 reporting for the opening in-person session on June 5, 2025, at MakSPH in Mulago. Between now and July, participants will undergo a hands-on, multidisciplinary learning experience within the Certificate in Health Communication and Community Engagement program, which combines theory and practice.
Among the participants in the first cohort of the certificate course, designed as a pilot for the anticipated Master of Health Promotion and Communication to be jointly offered by the two departments at Makerere University, is Ms. Maureen Kisaakye, a medical laboratory technologist specialising in microbiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and currently pursuing a Master’s in Immunology and Clinical Microbiology at Makerere. She is driven by a passion to help reverse the rising tide of AMR, a growing global health threat where drugs that once worked are no longer effective. Kisaakye is particularly concerned about common infections, like urinary tract infections, becoming increasingly resistant and harder to treat.
“I enrolled in this course because I’m an advocate against antimicrobial resistance, and it came at a time when I needed to deepen my knowledge on how to implement our projects more effectively and engage with communities. The experience has broadened my understanding of AMR and its impact on society, and strengthened my passion for community-driven health initiatives and advocacy,” Kisaakye said, explaining why she enrolled for the short course.
Ms. Maureen Kisaakye (in white) during a youth-led community AMR and WASH awareness campaign in informal settlements in Kamwokya, Kampala, on 12th April, 2025.
Kisaakye’s work in antimicrobial resistance extends beyond the lab. Having earned her degree in medical laboratory science from Mbarara University of Science and Technology, she founded Impala Tech Research in 2024 to drive impact and save lives. She has led grassroots AMR campaigns that integrate antimicrobial stewardship with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education in underserved urban communities, including the informal settlements in Kampala. She also has since designed peer-led initiatives that empower university students as AMR Champions, building a network of informed youth advocates. Kisaakye believes the health communication course will sharpen her ability to design and deliver impactful, community-centred interventions in response to the growing threat of drug resistance.
“The department collaborates with many partners within and beyond the University, including the School of Public Health, where we are working to develop the subfield of health communication and promotion. Our goal is to train specialists in this area and build a community of practice, something we have each been doing in our own spaces. There’s a lot of work ahead, and COVID-19 showed us just how urgently we need a generation trained to do this kind of work, and to do it very well,” said Dr. Aisha Nakiwala, Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication, during the opening of the short course on June 5.
Dr. Aisha Nakiwala, Head of the Department of Journalism and Communication, underscored the partnership between DJC and MakSPH as a crucial step toward strengthening public health through strategic communication. June 5, 2025.
She assured participants they were in good hands and underscored the importance of the partnership between the Department of Journalism and Communication and the School of Public Health, describing it as a vital collaboration that brings together strategic communication and public health expertise. This dynamic, multidisciplinary approach, she noted, is essential to developing practical solutions that empower communities, strengthen health systems, and ultimately improve livelihoods.
The course offers a hands-on, multidisciplinary learning experience, with participants intended to explore key modules including Health Communication and Promotion, Risk Communication, Smart Advocacy, Community Mapping, Community Mobilisation and Empowerment, and Strategies for Community Engagement. The course combines theory with real-world application, and its assessment includes a field-based project and a final exam.
“You are our first cohort. We are seeing the fruits of our efforts in bringing this short course to life. It was born out of a joint initiative to develop a Master’s programme in Health Promotion and Communication,” said Dr. Christine Nalwadda, Head of the Department of Community Health and Behavioural Sciences. “We carried out extensive consultations with our different key stakeholders during the process and discovered a real need for such a course. It was the stakeholders who even named it; this course name didn’t come from us.”
For Kisaakye, by the end of the course in July, she hopes to have sharpened her skills in health promotion and strategic communication, particularly in crafting targeted messages that help individuals and communities effectively respond to threats such as antimicrobial resistance. She also aims to gain practical experience in designing, implementing, and evaluating community health initiatives that can strengthen her advocacy and drive lasting impact.
Dr. Marjorie Kyomuhendo, one of the course facilitators, engages Mr. Jackson Ssewanyana, a participant in the first cohort of the Certificate in Health Communication and Community Engagement, as Ms. Maureen Kisaakye listens in. June 5, 2025.