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From Curiosity to Clarity: Inside Makerere’s Transformative Career Fair 2026

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At Makerere University, the future didn’t feel distant, it felt urgent, alive, and within reach.

For three days in March, the university’s grounds transformed into a vibrant meeting point of ambition and opportunity as students, graduates, and industry leaders converged for the 2026 Careers Fair. Lecture halls spilled into exhibition spaces, conversations replaced uncertainty, and for many students, career dreams began to take clearer shape.

A Question That Defined the Moment: Man or Machine?

The opening day set the tone with a bold theme;“Machine vs. Man”, placing artificial intelligence at the center of career conversations. Students listened, questioned, and reflected as leaders challenged them not to fear technology, but to harness it.

The message was clear: the future belongs to those who can adapt.

Chief Guest-Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero (5th L) with Prof. Moses Musinguzi (3rd L), Chair Organising Committee-Prof. Anthony Gidudu and other Speakers on Day 1 of the Makerere Careers Fair. Three-day Careers Fair 2026, bringing together students, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss the future of work in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Day 1 held under the theme “Machine vs. Man” and sponsored by the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), 11th March 2026, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Chief Guest-Hon. Dr. Monica Musenero (5th L) with Prof. Moses Musinguzi (3rd L), Chair Organising Committee-Prof. Anthony Gidudu and other Speakers on Day 1 of the Makerere Careers Fair.

Speakers emphasized that while AI is reshaping industries, it is also creating new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation. For many students in attendance, this was more than a discussion—it was a wake-up call to rethink their place in a rapidly evolving world.

Beyond Jobs: Unlocking Global Opportunities

If Day One provoked thought, Day Two opened doors.

The focus shifted to scholarships, fellowships, and international study opportunities, expanding students’ horizons beyond the immediate job market. Conversations moved from “What job can I get?” to “What possibilities exist for me globally?”

Mr. James Katumba (R) contributes to the panel discussion. Three-day Careers Fair 2026, bringing together students, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss the future of work in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Day 2 held under the theme “Scholarship and fellowship opportunities for students and graduates in the United States (US)”, 12th March 2026, Yusuf Lule Central Teaching Facility Auditorium, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Mr. James Katumba (R) contributes to the panel discussion.

Students explored pathways into prestigious programmes, exchange opportunities, and further study options, discovering that their ambitions could stretch far beyond borders.

Where Potential Meets Purpose

By the final day, the Careers Fair had evolved into something deeper—a platform for connection.

Under the theme “Connecting Potential to Purpose,” industry leaders, employers, and development partners engaged directly with students, emphasizing collaboration as the key to career success.

Across Freedom Square and exhibition booths, students asked tough questions, shared ideas, and made meaningful connections. Employers, in turn, offered insights into the skills that matter most in today’s workplace—adaptability, creativity, and critical thinking.

Gorretti Byomire contributes to the panel discussion. Three-day Careers Fair 2026, bringing together students, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss the future of work in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Day 3, Grand Finale, held under the theme “Connecting Potential to Purpose: Partnerships for Sustainable Impact”, 13th March 2026, Freedom Square, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Gorretti Byomire contributes to the panel discussion.

More than 50 organizations participated, turning the fair into a living ecosystem of mentorship, networking, and opportunity.

Stories That Defined the Experience

But beyond the panels and presentations, it was the human moments that stood out.

There was the student who, after a conversation with a recruiter, discovered a career path they had never considered. The group of finalists who used simple tools like mobile phones to create powerful messages about safety and inclusion, reminding everyone that innovation often begins with what is available.

And there were countless quiet exchanges, handshakes, questions, shared laughter—that carried the weight of possibility.

Students attending the career fair on day three at the Freedom Square. Three-day Careers Fair 2026, bringing together students, industry leaders, and policymakers to discuss the future of work in the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Day 3, Grand Finale, held under the theme “Connecting Potential to Purpose: Partnerships for Sustainable Impact”, 13th March 2026, Freedom Square, Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.
Students attending the career fair on day three at the Freedom Square.

A Bridge to the Future

What emerged from the three-day experience was not just a successful event, but a powerful reminder of the university’s role as a bridge, linking academic training to real-world demands.

The Careers Fair reaffirmed Makerere’s commitment to preparing students not just for employment, but for meaningful participation in shaping the future. It brought into focus a simple but profound truth: careers are not built in isolation—they are nurtured through connections, curiosity, and courage.

For many students who walked through the fair, the journey ahead no longer felt uncertain. It felt possible.

Betty Kyakuwa
Betty Kyakuwa

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72 Makerere University Students Admitted to 2026 Millennium Fellowship

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Female and male students along the Main Building Walkway on a bright sunny day, 6th May 2026. Makerere University, Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

72 undergraduate students of Makerere University have successfully been admitted to the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2026, an initiative of the Millennium Campus Network (MCN) and United Nations Academic Impact. Makerere’s Fellows were selected from a record-breaking 76,000 applicants from over 6,000 campuses across 174 countries to participate in the ambitious programme.

According to the Fellowship website, the programme aims to make the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and UN Academic Impact Principles a reality on campuses, in classrooms and throughout communities. Millennium Fellows are university undergraduates selected for their leadership on sustainable development projects in their communities. As Fellows, they complete a semester-long leadership development programme that strengthens their student organizing, partnership-building and community-impact skills.

In his congratulatory message to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Sam Vaghar the Executive Director, MCN shared that Over 330 campuses across 60 nations have been selected to host 2026 Millenium Fellows. “Congratulations to you and Makerere University for having a cohort of Millennium Fellows from your student body again this year!”

Makerere University’s 2026 Millennium Fellows are:

Aber OkeeAbigaba PraiseAinebyoona Innocent
Ainomugisha PreciousAjollo JavuruAkambona Anold
Akello MilthyAllen BabiryeAngel Nuwaha
Apio HellenArnold EsokuAsinde Proscovia
Atuma KisaalaAwate BrownBabirye Patricia
Baguma SolomonBaingana PatrickBarbara Akwiacwiny
Basemera GrantBenardete NakwirisaBilly Garvin Ssemyalo
Blessing AbaasaBulyaba HalimahCherotich Emmanuel
Claire OmodoDedeng LochulDenise Kainomugisha
Diphas KuchanaEmmanuel OporiEsther Kiire
Esther NantambiEvas AkelloGift Nagasha
Haulat NampijjaIyundhu KisameJanet Acaye
Joan NamugaluJoshua MugwanyaJovet Turyatunga
Julian AtimKibenge ShaficMable Apwot
Malinga AnthonyMariot KabarungiMercy Akampurira
Mukisa EzraMukisa MayendeMurungi Marion
Mutebi WillyNabirye KiiryaNahson Kahangwa
Nansubuga GloriaNasasira SeeziNyamuganya Kiconco
Precious NakiryowaPrisca AkelloRashidah Nampiima
Rogers AbongaRose Peter TabanSeida Jackline
Shadia NambasaShamirah KisuuleSharifah Kasa
Sheila MurungiSherina KiraboTumusiime Markline
Tusiime CarolineVicent SsebunyaVictor Musana
Victoria MulagoWaswa AndrewYuda Tadeo Katusiime

Millennium Fellows are engaged in projects that collectively advance all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and all 10 and UN Academic Impact Principles.

Below is a sample of the work of the Class of 2026.

At Harvard University, a UN Academic Impact member institution in the United States of America, Millennium Fellows are expanding OpenDoor, an AI-powered platform that helps people navigate retraining, job opportunities and pathways into high-demand careers. The project grew from their work with people experiencing homelessness and from seeing how difficult workforce programmes can be to navigate even when support exists. Advancing SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth, it expects to reach about 7,500 people during the Fellowship.

At the University of Ilorin, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Nigeria, Millennium Fellows are building what they describe as Africa’s first green AI policy framework, helping policymakers and developers understand how artificial intelligence can advance while reducing energy use, pollution and material waste. Aligned with SDG 13: Climate Action, it expects to reach about 75 people during the Fellowship.

At BRAC University, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Bangladesh, a Millennium Fellow is advancing SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production through a start-up replacing single-use products with environmentally friendly alternatives. Its current focus is a paper pen that uses roughly 90 per cent less plastic than a conventional pen, with a seed built in so it can grow into a plant when properly disposed of. The project expects to reach about 450 people.

At Nicolae Testemițanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy, a UN Academic Impact member institution in Moldova, a Millennium Fellow is advancing SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being by studying how environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity may affect recovery after brain surgery. By bringing simple digital monitoring tools into postoperative care, the project aims to help doctors make timelier decisions.

We wish our Millennium Fellows an impactful fellowship.

View Official Announcement

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Undergraduate Admission Lists 2026/2027

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Students in discussion groups at Freedom Square.

The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released admission lists of candidates admitted under the Talented Sports Men & Women, Disability and District Quota Schemes with Government sponsorship 2026/27 Academic Year including appeals and remarked cases.

Other admission lists released include A-Level Applicants with Ugandan and those with Foreign Qualifications, Diploma in Performing Arts, Mature-Age Entry and Bachelor of Education (EXTERNAL Batch 2) for the Academic Year 2026/2027 under self sponsorship.

The cut-off points points can be accessed by following the link: https://mak.ac.ug/study-mak/cut-points

Kindly follow the links below to access the lists:-

Update 17th August 2026

Admission list for Re-advertised Programmes (Diploma/Degree and International Applicants). Re-advertised on 7th July 2026 here.

Update 10th August 2026

Update 3rd August 2026

Update 27th July 2026

Update 3rd July 2026

International & East African Applicants

Mop-up Lists

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Makerere jumps 200 positions in latest global rankings

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Screenshot of the Makerere University Ranking July 2026 - Webometrics Global Position. Kampala Uganda, East Africa.

Makerere University‘s position in the July 2026 edition of the Webometrics Rankings has improved from 925th to 776th globally and from 13th to 11th on the Continent, compared to the January 2026 edition. Makerere remains the top-ranked University in Uganda and East Africa.

The new rankings are as a result of improved performance in the Impact Rank, which measures the number of external domains referring/linking to Makerere (from 1,593 to 1,185) and the Excellence Rank, which measures Research papers in the top 10% most cited between 2019 and 2023 (from 1,095 to 715).

Please see the attached screenshots for details or view Makerere‘s rankings online using the link below:

https://www.webometrics.org/makerere-university

The Webometrics Ranking of World Universities aims to recognize and promote the digital transformation of higher education institutions by evaluating how effectively they reflect their academic, research, and societal contributions online.

We remain committed to ensuring that all our good work in teaching and learning, research, knowledge transfer, and partnerships continues to be reflected online through various journals and other platforms.

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