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Directorate of Graduate Training Concludes Training of Trainers in Advanced Research Methods

Published

2 months ago

July 29, 2025

Mak Editor

Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi (in a neck tie) join facilitators in a group photo.

By Moses Lutaaya

The Directorate of Graduate Training concluded a 3-day training of trainers in Advanced Research Methods for lecturers selected from different schools and colleges, including College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES), College of Education and External Studies (CEES), College of Business and Management Sciences (COBAMS), College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS) and College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB). The training took place between 16^th-18^th July 2025.

The training which was organized by the Directorate of Graduate Training and supported by CARTA, Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases (TERID) Research Hub at Makerere University, took place at the Senate Building Conference Hall.

In his opening remarks, the acting Deputy Vice Chancellor –Academic Affairs Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi emphasized that each of the PhD cross cutting courses has got their unique role and importance that it adds to everyone including lecturers and other scholars.

He commended the wealth of experience of the trainers and thanked them for coming up with different core methods of teaching the Advanced Research Methods course.

“It takes courage to stand before PhD holders and train them. However, the more you listen, the more you understand that there is a lot you don’t know”, Prof. Buyinza added.

Prof. Buyinza emphasized that these PhD cross cutting course were approved by the Senate and that they are now regular programs of the University, adding that participants must now be assessed, sit examinations and avail certificates to the participants.

“We need the seriousness of the trainees while attending these courses. You are the crop that we look to in training and meeting the demands of the over 500 PhD students we admit each year.” He said.

He further said, “Once you have the skills we require of you in these courses, we will avail you with the course description to teach and train the PhD students. We need a multi- disciplinary team because Advanced Research Methods requires so.”

He called upon the Graduate Training Directorate to train many more to enable the university have a sizeable number of facilitators. “Train as many as you can. Give them the basic principles and we shall have a crop of facilitators that Makerere University needs.”

Prof. Buyinza also informed the participants that the package and course content of the training were very relevant and that even if one did not do research methods at Masters, then at PhD, with this course, it makes a lot of sense to such learners. “With Pedagogy, the learner is at the center of learning and this calls for special skills in addition to integration of technology.” He added.

Relatedly, the Director of Graduate Training Prof. Julius Kikooma challenged the participants to have great knowledge takeaways from the trainers, as these will be the building blocks of future trainings to doctoral students.

“You are our building blocks and we want to use this training to strengthen your ability to take on knowledge creation and dissemination to another level through facilitating graduate trainings, even after these trainers have left.” He added.

He further added, “I challenge you to be creative and innovative. We are now competence based. How prepared are you to handle students since the curriculum has been changed to competence based approach? Focus is now on competence based teaching.”

Prof. Kikooma further added that the Advanced Research Methods training encourages and promotes competent capacity building for learners and that it is an opportunity for the university to prepare for the students who are going to join the university education after going through the new teaching curriculum that is competence based.

Dr. Moses Okech, a participant from the Department of Extension and Innovation Studies at CAES said, “My hope is that this training is cascaded to all colleges and schools of the university to ensure uniformity. It is a training everyone needs to go through. It is broad knowledge in enhancing the quality of doctoral studies is unmatched.”

He added, “We need to implement this training to all doctoral students according to design and anticipated outcome because this Advanced Research Methods has the potential to transform our higher education system and provides more potential to produce students with transformative mindsets that can easily internalize and deliver government priority interventions like the Parish Development Model (PDM) and Emyoga.

Dr. Okech added, “Great training in terms of offering opportunity for instructors to check the standards that are used to support graduate students during their masters and doctoral studies.”

Prof. Joseph Ntaayi, a trainer from the Department of Procurement and Logistics Management at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) said, “Traditionally we have been receiving students and they are given to doctoral committees. However, such students have not been going through trainings like Philosophy of Science, Advanced Research Methods and scholarly writing and publications, yet students are required to write and defend research proposals, design, implement and validate a research instrument and also be able to anticipate and deal with ethical issues, write a research thesis and at least publish two (2) papers before they defend the final thesis and graduate.”

He therefore added that this training will help improve on the PhD students’ proposals and thesis, as well as their scholarly publications and this will eventually improve on the completion rates of graduate studies.

On the National Development Plan, Prof. Ntaayi said that the Students’ research areas of focus will impact positively on the policy development and implementation.

“The selection of research topics by students has been mechanical because they lacked the competence to undertake research. This training hence focuses them to select topics that have issues of national importance.” He added.

Related Topics:Africa featured PhD Research Training Uganda

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ADVERT: Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations – 2026/2027

Published

4 hours ago

October 1, 2025

Mak Editor

The Academic Registrar, Makerere University, invites applications from Ugandans, East Africans and International Applicants for the Mature Age Entry Scheme Examinations for the Academic Year 2026/2027.

The Mature Age Entry Examinations for the Academic Year 2026/27 will be held on Saturday 13^thDecember 2025.

To be eligible for the Mature Age Entry Examinations, the candidate must be at least 25 years old before 1^stAugust 2026.

Applications shall only be received via the application system: https://see.mak.ac.ug

Applications are submitted with a payment of a NON-REFUNDABLE application fee of UGX. 210,000/= FOR EAST AFRICAN APPLICANTS OR $75 OR EQUIVALENT FOR INTERNATIONAL APPLICANTS PLUS BANK CHARGES SHOULD BE PAID IN ANY OF THE BANKS USED BY UGANDA REVENUE AUTHORITY.

Mature-Age-Entry-Eaxaminations-Advert-2026-2027-AY Download

The closing date for receiving applications is Sunday 30^thNovember, 2025.

CAUTION:

Do not buy any other documents not originating from the Academic Registrar’s Office.
Those who buy them do so at their own risk. The Academic Registrar’s Office has not appointed any agent to act on its behalf to solicit for additional funds other than the application fee stated above.
Makerere University does not offer coaching services nor appointed any agent to act on its behalf to offer coaching services to anyone interested in joining through the mature age entry scheme.
All interested applicants are advised to first read and understand the call/ advertisement before commencing with the application.
Make sure to create/have a personal e-mail address, and to safely keep a record of your login credentials you used to create your application account/ portal. These shall be used as and when appropriate by the University to communicate with you.
On the day of the examinations candidates are required to come with a colored print out of the invitation letter with a visible passport size photograph as shall be specified on the application form. Presenting Photocopies of the invitation letter shall not be permitted.

Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi
ACADEMIC REGISTRAR

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Makerere Receives Land in Kyankwanzi to Extend Agricultural & Veterinary Services

Published

5 days ago

September 26, 2025

Eunice Rukundo

On September 25^th 2025, the Government of Uganda officially handed over to Makerere University one square mile of land in Banda Sub County, Kyankwanzi District, for the development of a veterinary, animal husbandry, and biosecurity innovations and training facility.

The land, part of Ranch 16, was allocated to the University by the President in 1989 for the establishment of demonstration and experimental modern facilities for Agricultural-related training. Hon. Sam Mayanja, the Minister of State for Lands, officially handed over the one square mile to Makerere University Chancellor Dr. Crispus Kiyonga in the presence of residents, local authorities, and representatives from the Uganda Land Commission, Land Protection Unit and the Office of the President.

An Agro-Industrial Park will be developed on the land as an extension of the College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (CoVAB) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES). This initiative will advance the broader University strategy to decentralize and expand its academic and research infrastructure to better contribute towards achieving national development goals. With Makerere University on ground, the site is set to transform into a hub of innovations and service delivery for livestock farmers across the region, delivering academic and economic value through improved veterinary services, livestock research, job creation among other benefits.

WHAT NEXT

Eager to put the land to use, Makerere University is already taking steps to operationalize the site and execute the project in line with government directives. As the University gears up to use the land, the Uganda Land Commission will open the boundaries and process a new land title in their name with Makerere University as the designated user.

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Over 35 MDA Staff Begin Training in Public Investment Management at Makerere

Published

5 days ago

September 26, 2025

Betty Kyakuwa

Staff from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) on a week-long training in Essentials of Public Investment Management at Makerere University.

More than 35 staff from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) have begun a week-long training in Essentials of Public Investment Management at Makerere University. The training, which opened on September 23, 2025, is being hosted at the Public Investment Management (PIM) Centre of Excellence in the School of Economics.

The program was officially opened by Ms. Esther Ayebare, Ag. Assistant Commissioner in the Projects Analysis and Public Investment Department at the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED), who represented the Permanent Secretary/Secretary to the Treasury. She was joined by Prof. Edward Bbaale, Director of the PIM Centre of Excellence and Principal Investigator of the project.

In her remarks, Ms. Ayebare highlighted the government’s continued efforts to improve the quality of public investments. “This training is meant to build your capacity in Public Investment Management and equip you with the knowledge and skills necessary for effective government project preparation,” she said. She added that the Ministry of Finance, in collaboration with Makerere University’s School of Economics, established the PIM Centre of Excellence to strengthen MDAs’ ability to conceptualize, prepare, and implement projects that deliver value for money.

Prof. Bbaale welcomed participants to the training and commended MoFPED for its sustained financial and technical support to the Centre. “This training marks the beginning of your journey to becoming experts in public investment management. Over the next five days, you will gain not only theoretical knowledge but also practical experience in preparing real-world projects in sectors such as health, education, water, energy, and transport,” he said.

The training attracted over 35 participants from different MDAs. Prof. Bbaale also appreciated the trainers, who are drawn from Makerere University, the National Planning Authority, and MoFPED, for their dedication to knowledge sharing and building the next generation of experts in public investment management.

At the end of the program, participants will be awarded a dual certificate by Makerere University and the Ministry of Finance, recognizing their successful completion of the course.

Beyond training, the PIM Centre of Excellence continues to play a central role in research, policy advisory, and outreach. Recently, it organized the second Public Investment Management Conference in August 2025, focusing on overcoming implementation barriers to strengthen fiscal sustainability.

The Centre remains committed to working with MDAs and other stakeholders to ensure that Uganda’s public investments deliver maximum value for money and contribute meaningfully to national development.