KAMPALA, Uganda, June 10, 2026 — Makerere University has reaffirmed its commitment to embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a catalyst for research excellence, innovation and institutional efficiency, while calling for robust safeguards to protect research integrity and academic quality.
The call was made during an online webinar on “Adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Research Management at Makerere University“, held on Thursday, June 4, 2026, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. (EAT) via the Zoom platform. The webinar attracted members of University Management, academic staff, researchers, graduate coordinators, members of Research Ethics Committees, students and development partners interested in understanding the growing role of AI in research and higher education.
The webinar was organized by the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnerships (DRIP) in collaboration with the Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), the U.S. Embassy in Uganda, the Great Lakes Centre for United States Studies at Makerere University, the Directorate of Graduate Training, the Makerere University Writing Centre and the Makerere University Research and Innovation Fund.
Opening the engagement, the Director of Research, Innovation and Partnerships, Prof. Robert Wamala, described AI as a transformative force that is reshaping the global research landscape and changing the way universities conduct research administration and scholarly work.
“Artificial Intelligence is increasingly transforming the global research ecosystem and redefining how universities undertake research administration, knowledge production, scholarly communication and innovation management,” Prof. Wamala said.
He noted that AI is creating new possibilities for universities, from literature mapping and proposal development to research integrity checks and administrative automation.
“From literature mapping and proposal development to research integrity checks and administrative automation, AI presents significant opportunities for enhancing efficiency, productivity and evidence-based decision-making within higher education institutions,” he explained.
Prof. Wamala said Makerere University recognizes the growing importance of digital transformation and the need to prepare researchers, administrators and graduate training systems to effectively harness emerging technologies responsibly and ethically.
“This webinar therefore provides an important platform for dialogue, learning and reflection on how AI can support research management while safeguarding research integrity and academic excellence,” he added.
The highlight of the webinar was a presentation by international AI consultant Dr. Vivek Mohindra on the adoption of Artificial Intelligence in research management. During his presentation, Dr. Mohindra shared global perspectives on how AI is transforming research administration, scholarly communication, grant management and institutional operations across universities worldwide.
He explained that AI is increasingly being used to support literature reviews, proposal development, data management, academic writing and administrative efficiency, enabling researchers and institutions to make better-informed decisions and improve productivity.
Dr. Mohindra encouraged universities to embrace AI as a tool that enhances human capabilities while maintaining academic oversight and professional judgment. He also emphasized the importance of responsible AI adoption, cautioning institutions against practices that could compromise research integrity, confidentiality and intellectual property rights.
His presentation sparked an engaging discussion among participants, who raised questions on the ethical use of AI in academic writing, disclosure of AI-assisted editing, data privacy concerns and the use of secure AI platforms for research purposes. Participants also sought guidance on how universities can develop policies and systems that support innovation while safeguarding scholarly standards.
In his remarks, the Director of Graduate Training, Prof. Julius Kikooma, emphasized the need to prepare graduate students and supervisors for a rapidly evolving digital research environment. He noted that AI is already influencing how research is conducted and communicated and called for continuous training to equip researchers with the skills needed to use emerging technologies responsibly.
Prof. Kikooma stressed the importance of maintaining originality, critical thinking and ethical scholarship even as researchers increasingly adopt AI-powered tools. He also highlighted the need to strengthen mentorship, research ethics training and scholarly writing support to ensure that technological advances contribute positively to research quality and graduate education.
Closing the webinar, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Sarah Ssali, thanked participants for their active engagement and commended the organizers and partners for convening what she described as a timely and important discussion.
She paid tribute to the Directorate of Research, Innovation and Partnerships, the Alliance for African Partnership, the U.S. Embassy in Uganda, the Great Lakes Centre for United States Studies, the Directorate of Graduate Training and the Makerere University Writing Centre for supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening research excellence and innovation at the University.
Prof. Ssali also applauded Dr. Mohindra for sharing practical insights on how AI is transforming research administration, scholarly writing, grants management, research integrity and institutional efficiency around the world.
“The discussions today have clearly demonstrated that AI is no longer a distant concept but an emerging reality that universities must thoughtfully engage with,” Prof. Ssali said.
She noted that as Makerere University continues to position itself as a research-led institution, it must embrace technologies that improve productivity, collaboration and knowledge generation while ensuring their responsible and accountable use.
“As Makerere University continues to position itself as a research-led institution, we must embrace technologies that enhance productivity, efficiency, collaboration and knowledge generation while ensuring responsible, ethical and accountable use of AI tools,” she said.
Prof. Ssali observed that the webinar had also highlighted the need for stronger institutional policies, enhanced digital capacity, effective research integrity systems and continuous training to guide AI adoption.
“Today’s engagement reminds us of the need to strengthen institutional policies, digital capacity, research integrity systems and continuous training to ensure that AI adoption supports rather than undermines academic quality and scholarly rigor,” she added.
She encouraged academic units, researchers, graduate students and administrators to continue exploring innovative ways through which AI can support teaching, learning, research management and community impact. The webinar concluded with a shared commitment among participants to continue engaging on AI governance, responsible adoption and digital transformation as Makerere University advances its vision of becoming a leading research-led university that leverages emerging technologies to address societal challenges and generate impactful knowledge.
Research has the greatest value when it moves beyond publication to improve lives.
At Makerere University’s Centre of Excellence for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH Centre) housed at Makerere University School of Public Health, research, partnerships and innovation are being translated into action to strengthen reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) in Uganda and beyond.
Welcome to the September MNCH Centre e-Post 135.
This month, we spotlight how evidence is informing action across reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) at the centre.
Explore how Centre researchers and partners are advancing innovations to reduce early perinatal mortality, how Makerere University through the Centre and WHO are strengthening capacity to monitor health inequalities, and how the Centre and its partners are leveraging AI to strengthen health systems and improve malaria surveillance.
Discover what these innovations could mean for scale, stronger health systems and greater impact.
As part of the Lake Victoria Improved Water Level Management through Advanced Modelling (LIVWA) Project, newly developed tools were unveiled during a dissemination workshop hosted by the College of Engineering, Design, Art and Technology (CEDAT) on August 26th, 2026. The project seeks to develop advanced hydrological and climate models to enhance water level management in Lake Victoria, East Africa’s largest freshwater resource.
The tools were designed to integrate remote sensing and reanalysis climate datasets with advanced hydrological modeling, enabling researchers and policymakers to better predict fluctuations in water levels in the lake. By combining historical data with AI and Machine Learning forecasting, the models aim to provide actionable insights for sustainable water resource management. Click here for details
Makerere University School of Public Health (MakSPH), through the Africa-Europe Cluster of Research Excellence (CoRE) for Preparedness and Response to Pandemics and Shocks, has shared findings from its study of Uganda’s Mpox response with stakeholders in Kasese, Amuru, Nakasongola and Mayuge districts to strengthen district preparedness for future outbreaks.
The Africa-Europe CoRE is a partnership co-led by MakSPH and the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters at UCLouvain, Belgium. It brings together universities in Africa and Europe to strengthen research, training and preparedness for pandemics and other public health shocks.
The district-level dissemination meetings, held from 10 to 14 August 2026, brought together more than 100 local government, health and security officials, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and community representatives. The meetings enabled stakeholders to validate the district-level findings, identify practical actions and provide feedback for the study’s final analysis and national dissemination.
Mr. Philliam Jabim shares the Mpox response study findings with participants during the dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Uganda confirmed its first two Mpox cases on 24 July 2024 at Bwera Hospital in Kasese District. The Ministry of Health declared an outbreak on 2 August 2024. As documented in the study, the response involved health workers, communities, local governments, security agencies, political leaders, and implementing partners.
In response to the outbreak, a MakSPH research team led by Prof. Rhoda Wanyenze, Dr. Rawlance Ndejjo, Dr. Steven Kabwama and Mr. Douglas Bulafu conducted a study in May 2025 to assess Uganda’s Mpox response, including its policies, interventions, strategies and challenges, and generate lessons to inform recovery and strengthen preparedness for future public health emergencies.
Using purposive sampling, the research team conducted 20 key informant interviews and five focus group discussions in each of the four districts, drawing perspectives from western Uganda in Kasese, northern Uganda in Amuru, central Uganda in Nakasongola and eastern Uganda in Mayuge.
Participants and the MakSPH research team at the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
The study, titled Assessment of the Mpox Response in Uganda: Documenting Challenges, Lessons and Innovations to Strengthen Emergency Preparedness and Response Capacities, was funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere UniversityResearch and Innovation Fund (Mak-RIF).
“This study is helping us move beyond recounting the Mpox response to identifying the actions that districts and national partners can take before the next outbreak. By validating the findings with stakeholders who led and experienced the response, we are ensuring that the evidence reflects local realities and can inform stronger surveillance, risk communication, coordination and community engagement,” said Mr. Bulafu, who led the MakSPH team during the dissemination meeting in Amuru.
Mr. Douglas Bulafu engages participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Amuru District on 10 August 2026.
In Amuru, the 10 August meeting brought together over 25 stakeholders from the district health team, political leadership, security agencies, Village Health Teams, implementing partners and the community. On the same day, a second MakSPH team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, convened stakeholders in Kasese for a parallel validation meeting. The consultations then continued in Nakasongola on 12 August and concluded in Mayuge on 14 August, extending the study’s engagement across all four districts.
Across the districts, stakeholders said the results reflected their experience during the outbreak. They pointed to strengths in leadership, coordination, community engagement and partner support, while also describing gaps in documentation, logistics, diagnostic access, staffing, risk communication, public trust and continuity of essential health services.
They also noted inconsistent implementation of the World Health Organization (WHO) 7-1-7 target, which calls for detecting a suspected outbreak within seven days, notifying public health authorities within one day and completing early response actions within seven days.
The MakSPH research team, led by Mr. Keneth Sebukeera and Mr. Filimin Niyongabo, with participants during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Kasese District on 10 August 2026.
In Kasese, stakeholders highlighted gaps in documentation, financial and logistical resources, and human resources. They identified Village Health Teams and grassroots, religious and cultural leaders as important resources for community surveillance and risk communication. They called for stronger collaboration between technical and non-technical leaders, engagement with traditional healers, greater use of local radio for public sensitisation, and better facilitation of district epidemic response teams to reach distant communities.
Amuru participants called for proactive preparedness in the border district, citing misinformation and rumours as barriers to risk communication. They urged timely, accurate information from health workers and other authorities; training in disease surveillance and grant writing to strengthen capacity and resource mobilisation; and compassionate care, psychosocial support and community awareness to reduce stigma and support survivor reintegration.
During the meeting in Nakasongola, stakeholders identified Community Health Workers and Community Health Extension Workers as potential resources for strengthening community surveillance and addressing workforce shortages. Given the district’s position around Lake Kyoga and along the Kampala-South Sudan transit corridor, they also called for stronger documentation, note-taking and reporting, accurate real-time information, closer communication with the Ministry of Health, and collaboration among technical, political, religious and community leaders.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, contributes to the discussion during the Mpox response study dissemination meeting in Nakasongola District on 12 August 2026.
Ms. Eunice Vivian Asingo, Senior Nursing Officer at Nakasongola Health Centre IV, called for a permanent, adequately resourced outbreak-management centre to help protect routine services during future epidemics. “We appeal for better facilities to manage epidemics and outbreaks. At Nakasongola Health Centre IV, spaces previously used for outbreak management have been repurposed for other services, and we have limited staff. During the Mpox response, colleagues assigned to manage patients later returned to the general team, creating fear among staff already under pressure,” she said.
In Mayuge, Dr. Basembeza highlighted leadership, coordination and surveillance structures operating from district to community level as important factors in the response. He said the structures enabled the district to receive and respond quickly to community alerts. “Whenever there is a rumour or an alert, we are able to respond. Within 20 minutes, we had a response because of the structure we have,” Dr. Basembeza said.
Based on the findings, the research team recommends increased preparedness financing, stronger community engagement, decentralised diagnostic services through stronger district laboratory capacity, and improved health information and research systems.
Across the four districts, stakeholders reaffirmed that trusted community structures and coordinated action across sectors are essential to strengthening outbreak preparedness.
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