_{By Moses Lutaaya}

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.

_{By Moses Lutaaya}

The Director of Graduate Training at Makerere University, Prof. Julius Kikooma, has challenged PhD students to ensure that their research directly contributes to solving Uganda’s pressing societal challenges, saying postgraduate research must move beyond academic theory to real-world transformation.

Prof. Kikooma made the remarks on Monday, May 25, 2026, during the closure of a 10-day PhD cross-cutting training in Advanced Research Methods held at the Main Library Room 24/7 at Makerere University. The blended training, which started on May 11, attracted more than 250 PhD students physically and online from different colleges and schools across the university.

The training was organized by the Directorate of Graduate Training and supported by iCARTA as part of Makerere’s efforts to strengthen doctoral education and research capacity.

In his closing remarks, Prof. Kikooma praised the team of facilitators led by Prof. Stella Neema and Prof. Christopher Mugimu, among others for not only teaching technical research content but also mentoring students into becoming the next generation of impactful researchers.

“I think they are also mentors. They have been mentoring you into the role of the next generation of researchers,” Prof. Kikooma said, noting that the facilitators had given students a framework for thinking critically about research and understanding what the university expects from doctoral scholars.

He emphasized that Makerere University is intentional about producing graduates whose research contributes solutions rather than adding to society’s challenges.

“What we do here should reassure the nation that the products from Makerere University are contributing to solutions. They are not adding to problems but adding to solutions,” he said.

According to Prof. Kikooma, the knowledge and tools acquired during the intensive training should not merely help students earn degrees, but should prepare them to generate insights, innovations and evidence-based solutions for communities and policymakers.

“At this point there are many things happening which still don’t have proper answers and do not have people spending sufficient time to study them. We expect your studies to become part of what the country will use to solve some of the problems,” he added.

Prof. Kikooma revealed that the Directorate of Graduate Training has adopted the theme “Postgraduate Research for Transformation,” aimed at ensuring that all doctoral research connects to broader societal needs.

“Gone are the days where you engage in research and knowledge creation for the sake of knowledge. Your work must translate into innovative solutions and insights that help policy makers make better decisions,” he said.

He further explained that the Directorate’s role goes beyond coordinating academic programmes to intentionally exposing students to cross-cutting competencies such as critical thinking, interdisciplinary, communication skills and problem-solving.

The Advanced Research Methods course is one of the mandatory PhD cross-cutting courses at Makerere University alongside Philosophy of Methods and Scholarly Writing. The courses are undertaken during the first year of the PhD journey, either in semester one or semester two.

Prof. Kikooma said the cross-cutting nature of the course is designed to help students appreciate that modern societal challenges cannot be solved through isolated disciplines.

“The issues that will lead to solutions do not come in compartments. That is why these courses are called cross-cutting,” he said.

He commended the interdisciplinary approach used by facilitators drawn from different academic backgrounds, saying it equips researchers with broader perspectives needed to address complex societal issues.

He also urged students to ensure their research becomes meaningful beyond the thesis by producing outputs capable of engaging policymakers, communities and other stakeholders.

“We have redefined the outputs that need to come out of your research beyond the thesis,” he explained. “Your research should count in different ways.”

In a message that resonated strongly with the participants, Prof. Kikooma encouraged the PhD students to become creators of opportunities instead of job seekers.

“You create problems when you leave the university with the mentality of looking for a job. All these things should translate into defining opportunities for yourselves and for others,” he said.

He acknowledged that the blended and learner-centered approach may have been challenging for some students, but said it was intentionally designed to build resilience required during the demanding PhD journey.

“As you go forward, make sure your research counts and that you become part of the solution,” he concluded.

Speaking after the training, Prof. Stella Neema, an Associate Professor of Medical Anthropology in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Makerere University’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences, described the course as highly transformative for participants from different academic traditions.

“This course was blended. We had people online and others physically present in this big classroom. Initially, participants from different paradigms were not talking much to each other,” Prof. Neema said.

She explained that by the end of the training, students who were quantitatively oriented had developed appreciation for qualitative approaches and vice versa.

“The positivists and interpretive scholars have learned from each other. They learned designing research tools, citations, and also how to protect human research participants through ethics training,” she said.

Prof. Neema added that the course exposed students to practical ethical challenges in research and strengthened their commitment to complete their doctoral studies successfully.

“They admitted to us that they are going to use what they have learned to further their research processes. Many told us they are determined to complete their PhDs on time,” she noted.

She further said the training aligns well with Makerere University’s strategic agenda as a research-led institution and supports Uganda’s national development agenda through innovation, industrialization and scientific problem-solving.

“This research training is like a springboard for Uganda’s areas of investigation and national development,” Prof. Neema said.

The Advanced Research Methods training is part of Makerere University’s broader strategy to strengthen doctoral research excellence, interdisciplinary scholarship and transformative innovation aimed at addressing national and global challenges.

_{By: Roy William Mayega, Julius Ssentongo, Anthony Ssebagereka, Harriet Adong}

In many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, schools do not operate in stable environments; they operate in uncertainty. A school year might begin with optimism and structure, only to be interrupted by floods, conflict, or a public health emergency. Yet across Global Partnership for Education (GPE) partner countries in Africa, something more complex is unfolding than repeated disruption. Education systems are not just reacting, they are adapting, improvising, and, in some cases, transforming.

In this blog, we share key insights from a desk review report that examined how GPE partner countries in Africa understand and operationalize education system resilience, the types of disruptions they face, and the strategies they use to sustain learning. Drawing on education policy documents and a wide range of academic and grey literature, the report offers a unique cross-country perspective on what it takes to keep education systems functioning amid constant change.

This is where education system resilience (ESR) becomes more than a technical concept. It becomes a lens for understanding how learning continues against the odds and why it sometimes does not.

Resilience looks different depending on where you stand

One of the most striking insights from the study is that there is no single, shared definition of resilience. Instead, countries interpret it through their lived realities.

In countries frequently hit by climate disasters, resilience often looks like preparedness—building safer schools, integrating disaster risk reduction into curricula, and training teachers to respond to emergencies. In places recovering from epidemics, it shows up as the ability to switch quickly to radio, print, or digital learning when classrooms close.

In conflict-affected settings, resilience takes on a different meaning altogether. It becomes deeply local. Communities step in where formal systems falter, organizing learning spaces, mobilizing volunteer teachers, and keeping education going even when the state cannot. In these contexts, resilience is less about systems “bouncing back” and more about communities holding things together.

This diversity of perspectives challenges any one-size-fits-all approach. It also raises an important question: if resilience looks different everywhere, how do we design policies that truly respond to context?

Disruption is rarely singular – it’s layered

Another key insight is that education systems are not dealing with isolated shocks, but overlapping crises.

A drought does not just damage school infrastructure; it affects livelihoods, pushes children into labour, and increases dropout rates. Conflict not only closes schools; it displaces families, strains host communities, and disrupts entire education systems across borders. Public health crises like COVID-19 expose digital divides and deepen existing inequalities.

For example, countries like Somalia, Ethiopia, Eritrea, and Djibouti face droughts and erratic rainfall, causing school closures, food insecurity, displacement, and psychosocial stress, particularly among rural and pastoral communities.

What emerges is a picture of a “polycrisis” in which climate, conflict, poverty, and health emergencies interact and reinforce one another. The result is not just a temporary interruption, but a cumulative erosion of learning outcomes, system capacity, and equity. Moreover, it is the most vulnerable learners, such as girls, children with disabilities, and those in rural or conflict-affected areas who bear the greatest burden.

If disruption is inevitable, then the real question becomes: can learning continue?

Across GPE partner countries, some of the most promising practices focus on this very challenge. During COVID-19, countries rapidly expanded distance learning through radio, television, and online platforms. While access was uneven, these efforts marked a shift toward more flexible education systems. Countries like Madagascar and the Gambia also use distance learning tools to support learning continuity in the face of adverse climatic events. But resilience is not just about technology. It is also about teachers: how prepared they are to adapt, support learners through uncertainty, and shift between teaching modalities. It is about curricula that reflect real-world risks, from climate change to conflict, and it is about planning, having contingency systems in place before a crisis hits.

In this sense, resilience is less about responding to emergencies and more about embedding flexibility into the system itself.

Communities and equity are at the heart of resilience

One of the quieter but still powerful themes emerging from the study is the role of communities.

In fragile and conflict-affected contexts, community actors, including parents, local leaders, and civil society, are often the backbone of education continuity. They manage schools, mobilize resources, and create informal systems of support when formal structures break down. In Liberia, community participation and local leadership both played a key role in restoring educational services following conflict, the Ebola outbreak, and repeated infrastructural shocks. 

Even in more stable settings, community engagement strengthens accountability, supports vulnerable learners, and anchors education systems in local realities. Yet, this role is not always formally recognized or supported in policy. Bridging this gap could be key to building more grounded and sustainable resilience strategies. At the same time, it is precisely where policy recognition matters most. When communities are formally supported, as seen in Sierra Leone’s re-entry programs for pregnant girls, targeted policies can transform informal resilience into lasting systems change.

Resilience is often framed in terms of systems, policies, infrastructure, and planning. However, the study makes it clear that resilience is also about considering who gets left behind.

Gender inequality, poverty, and marginalization consistently shape who can continue learning during disruptions. Girls face increased risks of early marriage and dropout. Children from poorer households struggle with access to remote learning, while learners with disabilities are often excluded.

Sierra Leone’s approach illustrates this broader challenge, beyond re-entry programs for pregnant girls, the country has pursued targeted policies for social protection measures and inclusive education initiatives. 

So why does it matter?

Without resilience, progress in education remains fragile. Years of investment in access and quality can be undone by a single crisis. In regions where disruptions are frequent, the cost of not building resilience is simply too high.

The study also offers a more hopeful perspective. Across GPE partner countries in Africa, there is clear momentum and meaningful efforts to integrate resilience into planning, invest in adaptive systems, and learn from past crises.

What is emerging is not a perfect model, but a growing body of practice. One that shows resilience is possible when it is context-driven, inclusive, and embedded across the system.

Looking ahead: from coping to transformation

If there is one takeaway from this study, it is that resilience cannot remain a reactive agenda. Too often, systems are designed to cope with the last crisis rather than prepare for the next.

Looking ahead, the challenge—and opportunity—is to shift from short-term responses to long-term transformation. This means embedding resilience into the core of education planning, not as an add-on, but as a guiding principle. It means investing not only in infrastructure and technology, but also in people, teachers, communities, and learners, who ultimately carry systems through disruption. It means prioritizing equity so that resilience efforts do not reinforce existing gaps but instead close them.

There is no single pathway to building resilient education systems. However, the experiences across GPE partner countries in Africa show that progress is possible when solutions are grounded in context, informed by evidence, and driven by collaboration.

This blog was originally published on the GPE KIX website on April 16, 2026.

Access the full report here