At the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of Gondar University in Ethiopia, I have met the first female student of the university. I have also participated in the launch of the Ethiopia Research Consortium. I have congratulated them on the launch of the Consortium and emphasised that it is through such collaboration that we will produce a critical mass of researchers for Africa.

I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the President of the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center at Sun Yat-sen University. We have agreed to collaborate in advancing ophthalmology at our two institutions. Remarkably, one in every six ophthalmologists in China is a graduate of the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, making it a leading global research hub in this field. I look forward to the fruits of our collaboration.

This afternoon I have launched the Makerere University Grants Administration Professionals (MakGAP) after a four-day intensive training conducted by experts from Makerere University and Northwestern University, USA. With a portfolio of more than 100 new grants registered every month, Makerere University needs to have a critical mass of grants administration professionals to manage this huge research grants portfolio. I thank the Grants Administration and Management Unit (GAMSU), led by Prof. Sylvia Tamusuza Nakimera Nnanyonga for conducting the training.