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CoBAMS holds Strategic Planning Retreat: Prioritization of research-driven strategies, graduate training, quality teaching and internationalization

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Through its strategic plan, Makerere University commits to being a research driven institution. This presents the ten (10) colleges at Makerere University with a golden opportunity to tap into the vast knowledge and rich experience of its qualified and experienced staff to contribute to the realization of the University’s research agenda.

Consequently, the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) led by the Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale organized a two-day strategic planning retreat bringing on board a representative sample of staff classified as the College management team to critically discuss the research direction of the college and come up with strategies aligned to the Makerere University strategic plan.

The two-day strategic planning retreat (10th to 11th April 2025) involved highly interactive sessions with seasoned facilitators namely the Principal-Prof. Edward Bbaale, the Deputy Principal-Prof. James Wokadala, the Director of Graduate Training-Dr. Julius Kikooma, the Head of Grants Administration and Management Support Unit (GAMSU)-Prof. Sylvia A.N. Nannyonga-Tamusuza and the Director of Quality Assurance-Dr. Cyprian Misinde. It was moderated by Ms. Ritah Namisango and Mr. Peter Mubiru, who are members of the CoBAMS management team.

The Deputy Principal, Prof. James Wokadala. College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa led by the Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale two-day strategic planning retreat for College management team to critically discuss the research direction of the college and come up with strategies aligned to the Makerere University strategic plan, 10th-11th April 2025.
The Deputy Principal, Prof. James Wokadala.

The presentations featured the College Strategic direction, the College Quality Assurance Framework, the Strategic direction of Makerere University on graduate training, Grants Management and harnessing the power of the College and members of staff to attract and win grants. In addition, the retreat provided a forum to discuss other critical functions such as innovative teaching and learning, internationalization, community engagements, knowledge transfer partnerships and networking.

Welcoming the participants, Prof. Edward Bbaale emphasized that the strategic planning retreat provided a pivotal platform to shape the future of the college. He stated that as Makerere University implements its research-driven agenda, CoBAMS will play a central role through prioritization of research and graduate training, internationalization, and provision of innovative teaching and learning.

He informed the College management team to embrace an approach that positions the students at the centre of research and the various activities undertaken by the College.

“The best way to propel CoBAMS is by working with students. A student with a good Masters’ degree dissertation should be supported through mentorship to publish his or her work,” he said.

Strategic and research direction of the College

Prof. Bbaale guided that every member of faculty should focus on increasing graduate student enrolment and knowledge production. Referring to well researched data, Prof. Bbaale reported that graduate students account for only 12% of the enrollment. He noted that the goal was to ensure that graduate students constitute 30% of the total enrollment by 2030. He rallied members of staff to work together to increase the number of graduate students both at Masters’ and PhD levels. He implored staff to effectively supervise graduate students so that they complete on time. He encouraged staff to involve graduate students in research projects, grant writing and joint publications. He noted the need to profile and follow up the graduate students.

Convinced about the strong correlation between research output and the number of PhDs, Prof. Bbaale urged staff to increase the number of PhD students. For instance, the taught PhDs in Economics, Finance, and in Statistics will significantly contribute to increased enrollment,” he said.

“Central to this is stabilizing graduate output and ensuring consistent PhD supervision. The structured PhD by research program and the taught PhDs if managed well will significantly increase the number of graduate student enrollment,” he added.

In this regard, Prof. Bbaale congratulated the Units under the College of Business and Management Sciences namely the School of Business, the School of Economics, and the School of Statistics and Planning for coming up with the option of taught PhDs.

Prof. Edward Bbaale makes his presentation. College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa led by the Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale two-day strategic planning retreat for College management team to critically discuss the research direction of the college and come up with strategies aligned to the Makerere University strategic plan, 10th-11th April 2025.
Prof. Edward Bbaale makes his presentation.

On the issue of timely completion of graduate programmes, he advised the faculty members to ensure that the students present vivas in January, February or March.

In addition, the crucial role of graduate coordinators and the college doctoral forum, convened by Dr. Kassim Sendawula, in nurturing a sense of community and providing support for Ph.D. students was emphasized.

Providing direction on research centres, he demystified the concept of thinking that one requires a physical building or large space to come up with a research centre. Prof. Bbaale encouraged faculty members to network and form research centres. “A centre is a team of researchers with like minds, passion and expertise in a particular area/field. For instance, Members of staff in the College of Business and Management Sciences could establish a Centre of Excellence in Tax Advisory.”

He explained the need to translate research into products that can be sold. He commended the ongoing initiatives by the College such as the Entrepreneurship Congress, and the Makerere University Innovation Pod. He called upon staff in CoBAMS to work with the Makerere University Innovation Pod, which is headed by a faculty member-Dr. Cathy Mbidde.

On the issue of internationalization, the Principal called for more collaborations with internationally recognized and reputable universities, bodies and research centres. He advised staff to actively participate in Erasmus mobility programmes and to implement collaborations that provide for staff and student exchange programmes.

In addition to acquiring degree qualifications from Makerere University, he advised the teaching staff to take a bold step and attain academic qualifications from internationally recognized institutions in other countries/continents.

“As a member of faculty, if your undergraduate degree or Masters’ was awarded by Makerere University, it is important that you secure your PhD from another internationally recognized university. This presents you with a rich and wider perspective as an academic, distinct advantage, exposure and access to other networks,” he guided.

Tackling the financial sustainability of the College, the Principal explained the need to establish special programs to operate as projects for example short courses leveraging the Council’s sharing ratio of 20:80, lobbying the University Management for more funding, mobilizing the college alumni, growing the College Endowment Fund, enhancing grant writing through GAMSU support and strengthening the College’s IRB.

Quality Assurance in teaching and learning processes

In his presentation, Dr. Cyprian Misinde focused on the standards and guidelines that should be followed by staff to safeguard the quality of processes at Makerere University.

Dr. Misinde re-affirmed the need for the CoBAMS teaching staff to scale up their research potential and outputs, actively participate in capacity building programmes, and above all, to continue to publish their research or work in internationally recognized journals.

He articulated the need to uphold the provision of high quality academic programmes through curriculum reviews, peer reviews, involvement of the private sector and industry, and following national and international accreditation procedures.

Dr. Cyprian Misinde. College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa led by the Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale two-day strategic planning retreat for College management team to critically discuss the research direction of the college and come up with strategies aligned to the Makerere University strategic plan, 10th-11th April 2025.
Dr. Cyprian Misinde.

Dr. Misinde equally stressed the need for academic staff and heads of the respective departments to understand the accreditation steps and requirements and strictly adhere to the procedures. This, he added, will enable the Schools and Colleges to submit the academic programmes for accreditation to the Academic Registrar, Directorate of Quality Assurance and the University Senate within the expected timelines.

To enhance the effectiveness of instruction, he encouraged the teaching staff to adhere to fulfilling the minimum teaching load as per the University policy, reinforcing the commitment to delivering quality education.

On the management of students’ results, Dr. Misinde appealed to the teaching staff to mark the students’ scripts within the stipulated timeline. He reminded the teaching staff to adhere to the centralized marking processes at the College or School levels. He advised the College leadership to always invite the Student leaders or representatives to witness the centralized marking processes in order to build trust and transparency at all levels.

He informed participants about the independent student-staff assessment/evaluation tools that are administered by the Quality Assurance Directorate. These, Dr. Misinde clarified, present an opportunity to the students to assess their respective teachers/lecturers. He stated that these evaluations are essential for fostering educational quality and enriching the overall student experience. He disclosed that the feedback gathered from these assessments not only informs curriculum development but also identifies areas that require improvement in teaching methodologies, aligning with the university’s strategic objectives.

Graduate training at Makerere University

Building on the call to action by Prof. Edward Bbaale to the teaching staff to actively participate in critical processes aimed at increasing the number of graduate students, Dr. Julius Kikooma’s presentation centred on sensitizing staff on their obligations in the realization of that dream.

Front Row: Deputy Principal-Prof. James Wokadala (Centre), Facilitators-Dr. Julius Kikooma (Left) and Dr. Cyprian Misinde (2nd Right) pose for a group photo with members of the College Management team. College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa led by the Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale two-day strategic planning retreat for College management team to critically discuss the research direction of the college and come up with strategies aligned to the Makerere University strategic plan, 10th-11th April 2025.
Front Row: Deputy Principal-Prof. James Wokadala (Centre), Facilitators-Dr. Julius Kikooma (Left) and Dr. Cyprian Misinde (2nd Right) pose for a group photo with members of the College Management team.

He outlined the Makerere University graduate policies, framework for structured PhD by research, graduate supervision and mentorship, digitization of the graduate training processes through the Digital Research Information Management System (RIMS), strengthening the capacity and commitment of human resources to drive the research-led agenda, elements of the Makerere University Graduate research strategy, teaching of PhD cross cutting courses, among other key factors.

Dr. Kikooma called upon Deans, Heads of Departments, Supervisors of Graduate Progammes and Registrars at CoBAMS to participate in the training on RIMS scheduled to take place on 21st April 2025.

Grants Administration and Management at Makerere University

In her presentation, Prof. Sylvia A. N. Nannyonga-Tamusuza reported that funds received through grants significantly contribute to building the research profile of the University, calling upon, Colleges to implement strategies aimed at attracting and winning research grants at the national and global levels.

She explained the need to professionally manage the research grants, requesting those entrusted to adhere to the terms and conditions specified in the guidelines or contract.

She observed that whereas it is mandatory to close out a grant/project, some entities do not, which is a great omission. She urged the faculty members and researchers to follow the guidelines stipulated during the grant application and award processes.

Prof. Sylvia A.N. Nannyonga-Tamusuza. College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa led by the Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale two-day strategic planning retreat for College management team to critically discuss the research direction of the college and come up with strategies aligned to the Makerere University strategic plan, 10th-11th April 2025.
Prof. Sylvia A.N. Nannyonga-Tamusuza.

The Head of GAMSU emphasized the need to form research teams. “We have different abilities and skills. Through teams, we leverage our strengths. It also encompasses the multi-disciplinary approach,” she said. Underscoring the role of negotiation and interpersonal relations, she recommended training of researchers to engage with international partners.

She re-affirmed the necessity for proper documentation, transparency and accountability for funds. She reminded Principal Investigators, researchers and staff in general that research grant money is received on behalf of the institution, and not individuals. Thus, GAMSU expects to receive quarterly reports on grants. She explained that whereas some units could have designated a researcher or a member of staff to manage grants, when following up reporting and accountability for such funds, GAMSU engages the College Principal and College Bursar/Accountant.

To continue onboarding staff on grant administration and management, Prof. Nannyonga-Tamusuza revealed that GAMSU would conduct an intensive three (3) day training for Accountants, Research Assistants and Staff who handle grants at the University.

Way Forward

The College leadership team was tasked to lobby management to have an institutionalized mechanism for staff who mobilise resources for the University.

The College leadership team would schedule a specialized meeting with the University’s central management pertaining to research, funding, grant writing and execution, and graduate training among others.

Noting that members of staff play a vital role in the success of the college, the participants recommended prioritization of staff welfare focusing on health, sports, and morale.

Touched by the active participation and articulation of critical issues, the Principal committed to work with the College management team to ensure that the retreat bringing on board the College Management team is held twice a year.

Closing remarks

Prof. Wokadala commended the College management team members for participating in the retreat. “The retreat is one of the vehicles of creating a bond as the College management team. I am glad that we have discussed a number of critical issues that align with the strategic direction of the University,” said the Deputy Principal.

Prof. James Wokadala (Left) with a section the College management team at the retreat. College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa led by the Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale two-day strategic planning retreat for College management team to critically discuss the research direction of the college and come up with strategies aligned to the Makerere University strategic plan, 10th-11th April 2025.
Prof. James Wokadala (Left) with a section the College management team at the retreat.

Prof. Bbaale thanked the organizing team and participants, urging them to reflect on the discussions and implement agreed-upon actions to improve the college for the benefit of its stakeholders, including students and the broader community. He also pointed out the need for the next retreat to focus on aligning the College’s strategy with the National Development Plan 4 (NDP4), ensuring its relevance and contribution to national development goals.

Ritah Namisango
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From risk to resilience: Increasing insurance uptake among farmers in rural Uganda

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Dr. Aisha Nanyiti presenting about the project. EfD-Uganda Fellows Co-creation workshop with representatives from Government, CSO and the private sector to generate a context-relevant Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSMEs)-led model for supporting the transition to low-carbon ag-tech by smallholder farmers, 25th April 2024, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

By Dr. Aisha Nanyiti

Poor households in low-income countries face numerous risks, from extreme weather events to illness and crop failure. With limited savings and assets, even small shocks can have devastating consequences on welfare. While formal insurance products can potentially help mitigate these risks, their uptake remains remarkably low among rural smallholder farmers, who instead primarily rely on informal risk-sharing networks. This pattern persists despite evidence suggesting that informal insurance mechanisms provide incomplete coverage against shocks. These shocks translate into shortfalls in income and consumption (Karlan et al. 2014, Morduch 1999).

Studying the impact of insurance on farmers’ economic behaviour

In Nanyiti and Pamuk (2025), we focus on smallholder farmers in rural Uganda and examine how different insurance arrangements affect their economic behaviour and decision-making. Uganda provides an ideal setting to explore these questions, as only 1% of adults have formal insurance coverage, despite 67% of households depending on agriculture for their livelihoods. By comparing behaviour under formal insurance (provided by registered companies) versus informal insurance (peer-to-peer transfers), we gain insights into why formal insurance uptake remains low and how farmers respond to different risk management options.

Using a real effort task experiment, we investigate whether the incentives created by these different insurance arrangements influence productivity and risk management decisions. Our findings reveal important behavioural responses that help explain observed patterns in insurance uptake and suggest potential approaches for improving the design and adoption of formal insurance products. We find that farmers exerted less effort under informal insurance but not under formal insurance coverage, and increased their level of formal insurance coverage after experiencing a bad outcome.

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Dr. Aisha Nanyiti is a Lecturer at the School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences, Makerere University

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Prof. Bbaale participates in Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) Academy in Rabat, Morocco

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Prof. Edward Bbaale (2nd Right) contributed during a panel discussion at the PAGE Academy. The Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa, Prof. Edward Bbaale participates in the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) Academy in Rabat, Morocco, from 21 to 23 May 2025.

By CoBAMS Communications Office

The Principal, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), Prof. Edward Bbaale participated in the Partnership for Action on Green Economy (PAGE) Academy in Rabat, Morocco, from 21 to 23 May 2025. The Academy, themed “Financing a Just Transition to Green and Circular Economies,” convened representatives from PAGE countries across the region.

It was designed to enhance knowledge and promote innovative, inclusive mechanisms for financing and implementing green and just transitions in Africa. The event provided a vital platform for peer learning and knowledge exchange, drawing on best practices and African case studies.

Prof. Bbaale participated in Master Class 3, which explored strategies and partnerships for scaling up training in green and inclusive finance. The session highlighted regional policy trends, rising demand for relevant skills, and importance of collaboration among governments and financial institutions.

Prof. Bbaale contributed to discussions on two critical issues:

  • How economics departments are adapting curricula to respond to the evolving field of green and, inclusive finance and,
  • The role of academic research in shaping green financing instruments and supporting reform efforts.

The Principal shared how Makerere University has taken a proactive, multidimensional approach to embedding green and inclusive finance into its economics curriculum. This includes a strong emphasis on technical modelling skills, policy relevance, and cross-disciplinary learning. He highlighted that Makerere is emerging as a regional leader in climate-informed economics education, positioning itself to contribute meaningfully to Africa’s green transition.

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AERC and Mak School of Economics discuss shaping Africa’s future in research and development

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Prof. Victor Murinde and Associate Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu with staff and students from CoBAMS and other stakeholders after the meeting. Delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) strengthening partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), 23rd May 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.

On Friday 23rd May 2025, a delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) visited Makerere University to strengthen partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation.

The Engagement meeting focusing on shaping Africa’s future in research and development brought on board academic and administrative staff from the School of Economics under the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS) and the AERC delegation comprising: Prof. Victor Murinde-Executive Director, Dr. Charles Owino-Manager of Strategic Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation, Ms Anna Owino-Personal Assistant to the Director and Ms Veronica Nanyanzi from State House-Uganda.

Underscoring the importance of the engagement meeting, Prof. Murinde said, “Following the keen observation of the recent global economic shifts and geopolitical uncertainty, the AERC seeks strategic partnerships with African governments and institutions to chart the roadmap through research and co-production of evidence-based economic solutions.”

Following the theme, Understanding the future of research and training collaboration with AERC, Prof. Murinde explained that the interaction also presents an opportunity to discuss the AERC Strategic Plan (2025-2035) titled, “Re-inventing the AERC for Delivering Africa’s Economic Prosperity, in which AERC is embarking on a comprehensive reform agenda, designed to strengthen research excellence, enhance policy impact and secure long-term institutional sustainability.

Prof. Victor Murinde, Executive Director of AERC (Left) and Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, Dean, School of Economics (Right). Delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) strengthening partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), 23rd May 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.
Prof. Victor Murinde, Executive Director of AERC (Left) and Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu, Dean, School of Economics (Right).

Concerned about the visibility and recognition of African researchers, Prof. Murinde reported that AERC will ensure that they are acknowledged with their names included in the publications. On the issue of network membership, EARC is considering the following categories: The distinguished service award, AERC Fellows, AERC Associates, and AERC Affiliates.

  • Distinguished service award-Presented to those individuals who started the work in 1988
  • AERC Fellows-Researchers who are active in research and capacity building
  • AERC Associates-For Mid-Career researchers
  • AERC Affiliates-For Masters’ and PhD students

The AERC was established in 1988, when a group of African scholars and Africanists voiced concern over the disconnect between economic research and policy formulation in Africa. According to the Executive Director, the founders of AERC observed that much of the existing economic research was either inapplicable to Africa’s economic challenges or inadequately utilized in local policymaking. Consequently, the group conceptualized a framework for fostering high-quality economic research tailored to Africa’s specific needs.

The collaboration between the AERC and Makerere University through its School of Economics started in 1988, and has led to impactful economic research in Africa, notable publications, increase in the number of faculty with PhDs at the School of Economics as well as mentorship.

Acknowledging Makerere University School of Economics as a key stakeholder in AERC, Prof.  Murinde said, “Without your participation over the last 37 years, AERC would not be here.”

Some of the staff participating in the engagement meeting. Delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) strengthening partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), 23rd May 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.
Some of the staff participating in the engagement meeting.

The Executive Director described AERC as a network of members and universities focused on providing evidence based research for policy making in Africa. Stating the key achievements, Prof. Murinde said, “A framework has been put in place to conduct research and collaboration, with AERC providing a network to work with economists across Africa. He added that the AERC has linked up the various Deans in the Member Universities in Africa both in research and the common programmes that they conduct.

Reflecting on the AERC’s journey, he noted that in 1988, the School of Economics could mention one or two members of faculty with PhDs. Over the years, with AERC’s support to research and capacity building, the School of Economics has built a critical mass of faculty with PhDs. He highlighted that some Ugandan economists have worked with the EARC Secretariat and the EARC Board. He pointed out that the most active Ugandan economists in the AERC network are based at the following entities: Makerere University (School of Economics, College of Business and Management Sciences), Bank of Uganda, Economic Policy Research Centre (the think tank), Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, National Planning Authority, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, and Uganda Development Bank.

In his remarks, the Dean of the School of Economics, Associate Prof. Ibrahim Mike Okumu credited AERC for its continued collaboration, which has significantly contributed to the growth of the School. He appreciated EARC for supporting research, scholarships provided to Masters’ and PhD fellows, support for ICT infrastructure development, and contribution towards the construction of the School of Economics building.

Stressing AERC’s contribution to research at the School of Economics, Prof. Okumu said, “AERC provided opportunities to ‘fresh’ fellows to write proposals. AERC would focus on building the idea. AERC has nurtured most of us into professional researchers/scholars.”

Engagement meeting in session. Delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) strengthening partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), 23rd May 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.
Engagement meeting in session.

The Dean disclosed that in addition to research, some of the personalities nurtured by AERC took on academic leadership positions and have significantly contributed to the growth of the College/School. Some of the personalities include: Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu-former Principal and Vice Chancellor of Makerere University, Prof. Eria Hisali-former Principal of the College, Prof. Bruno Yawe-former Deputy Principal, Prof. Edward Bbaale-Principal of the College, Dr. Sarah Ssewanyana-Executive Director, Economic Research Policy Centre, and among others.

Presentation of the AERC strategic plan (2025-2035)

The remarks set the pace for the gist of the engagement meeting, which focused on presentation of the areas of transformation and the new research programmes respectively.

In the presentation, Prof. Murinde explained that AERC was reconfiguring its strategic direction in 2025-2035, to concentrate on the key strategic reform options organized around eight (8) core areas. They include: Research Offerings, Graduate Training, Policy Engagement for research impact, The Consortium structure and governance, Entrenching network membership, Enhanced resource mobilization for financial sustainability, Geographical inclusion, and Possible risks to the planned reforms and how to mitigate them.

Regarding the policy engagement for research impact, Prof. Murinde noted that the ground had shifted with policy makers advocating for the need to embed research into their operations. He reported that the governance structure was going to change to a more inclusive and participatory approach bringing on board stakeholders in research and capacity building.

Prof. Murinde highlighted that the new strategic plan would focus on the following new research programmes:

  • Security, Governance and Economic Fragility in Africa
  • Industrial Policy and Growth Strategies in Africa
  • Unlocking Africa’s Digital Potential for Economic Prosperity
  • Africa in a Changing World: Jobs through Trade and AfCTA
  • Informal Cross Border Trade (ICBT) in Africa: measurement and welfare of women, youth and their families
  • Human Capital, Labour Markets and Migration
  • Climate Change: Food Systems, Climate Finance, Climate Risk and Resilience
  • Africa’s Trade and Investment Strategy on China
  • Macroeconomic Modelling, Management and Policy Reform

Input into the AERC Strategic Plan

The participants observed that the proposed linkage between policy makers and the private sector as well as the approach of co-designing research with policy makers, would contribute significantly to research uptake.

L-R: Ogwal Denis, Proscovia Taaka and Diphus Tugume, Graduate Students participating in the Engagement meeting. Delegation from the African Economic Research Consortium (AERC) strengthening partnership with the School of Economics through re-engineering economic research, capacity building, policy formulation and collaboration to impact Africa’s development and transformation, College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), 23rd May 2025, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda.
L-R: Ogwal Denis, Proscovia Taaka and Diphus Tugume, Graduate Students participating in the Engagement meeting.

Discussing the new research programmes, the participants suggested that AERC incorporates the following aspects: Integration of Natural resources management into economic modelling; Environmental Management; Interlinkages of Youth unemployment and the Green economy; Value Chains and Emerging threats such as fake products; Urbanisation; Youth and Substance Abuse; Health economics; the Informal Sector; and Agricultural Production.

Voices of the Graduate Students

Contributing to the discussion, the graduate students namely Proscovia Taaka, Diphus Tugume and Denis Ogwal urged AERC to continue supporting the collaborative Masters programme (CMAP) in Economics.

Way forward

Prof. Murinde thanked the participants for the valuable contributions that will definitely enrich the AERC strategic plan. He indicated that some of the proposed themes/ideas, would be considered as work streams within the different research programmes. The future is centered on PhD students at Makerere University and other member Universities formulating research questions in line with the new research programmes. AERC is working on a database of researchers in Africa to facilitate speed-dating in research. AERC plans a twinning programme for African universities, which will enhance joint supervision for PhD students. He pointed out that on completion of the PhD, there will be an opportunity for a post-doc Fellowship. He emphasized that researchers who win “big” projects will be encouraged to have work streams. He revealed a plan for each School of Economics in Africa to access publications across the entire membership.

Ritah Namisango
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