Makerere University has welcomed 17 students from 16 countries under the Erasmus+ funded Master of Humanitarian Response, Health and Displacement (Human Response) programme, bringing together an international cohort to study humanitarian crises, displacement, health, migration and development.

The students were officially welcomed and oriented at Makerere University on September 7, 2026, in a ceremony attended by senior university officials, academic staff, programme investigators, humanitarian organisations and other implementing partners in the Social Sciences Smart room.

The students come from Canada, Cape Verde, Uganda, Spain, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Colombia, South Korea, The Gambia, India, Nepal, Kenya, Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

The programme is hosted by the Makerere University Institute of Gender and Development Studies and the Department of Social Work and Social Administration in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHUSS).

The cohort brings together students from diverse academic backgrounds, including social sciences, medicine, nursing, management, engineering, architecture and design, who are interested in acquiring specialised competencies or reskilling in humanitarian response.

The Human Response programme is funded by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme and is implemented through a consortium of seven universities: Iscte-University Institute of Lisbon in Portugal, which coordinates the programme; the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Norway; Makerere University in Uganda; the University of Cape Verde; the University of Santiago in Cape Verde; the University of Athens in Greece; and the University of Rovuma in Mozambique.

The programme also works with humanitarian and government institutions to provide students with practical learning and field-placement opportunities. In Uganda, the associate partners include the Ministry of Water and Environment, Alight Uganda, Uganda Red Cross Society and the Refugee-Led Organization Network (RELON).

The programme is intended not only to expose students to academic knowledge but also to equip them with practical skills and international perspectives needed to respond to complex humanitarian challenges.

Students must turn international exposure into community transformation

Representing the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Professor Ruth Nsibirano welcomed the students to Makerere and congratulated them on being selected for the programme.

She described the programme as a rich academic opportunity and said the students had joined a university with a 104-year history and a diverse, peaceful and welcoming academic community.

Nsibirano urged the students to become ambassadors of Makerere by sharing their experiences of the university and Uganda with people in their home countries.

“You are going to be our ambassadors for what it is like to be in Makerere University.”

She assured the students that the university community was ready to support them in overcoming challenges during their stay and welcomed them specifically to the Institute of Gender and Development Studies.

She explained that the institute brings together three academic units: the Department of Development Studies, the Department of Women and Gender Studies, and Communication Skills.

Nsibirano said the institute has a university-wide mandate to ensure students benefit from cross-cutting courses, particularly Communication Skills, Development Studies, Gender and Political Economy.

She said these courses are intended to produce graduates who can communicate effectively, understand development and gender issues and critically analyse political and economic factors affecting their countries.

She placed particular emphasis on communication skills, arguing that many graduates struggle to communicate effectively despite having academic qualifications, which can negatively affect their employment prospects.

She said students should be able to write strong curricula vitae and application letters and confidently respond to interview panels.

Nsibirano also challenged the students to examine why many African countries continue to struggle with poverty despite having abundant natural resources.

She pointed to Africa’s lakes, flora, fauna and other resources and questioned whether graduates are adequately equipped to transform those resources into opportunities.

She encouraged the students to think about how their knowledge and skills can be converted into practical solutions instead of simply lamenting poverty and limited resources.

She also highlighted the importance of gender in development, noting that cultural expectations continue to restrict women and girls in many societies by dictating what they can do, how they should behave and even how they should move.

The diversity of the cohort, she said, provides an opportunity to challenge such limitations and develop a community of students capable of contributing to social transformation.

Nsibirano said the students should not treat their academic achievements as personal accomplishments alone but should consider how their knowledge can benefit their countries and communities.

“Only then shall we be able to transform our societies from what is not yet there to what we envisage that should be.”

She further encouraged students to use the programme to compare practices across countries, learn from Uganda and share positive practices from their home countries.

She said students should critically examine assumptions about Africa and other parts of the world and use their experiences to develop informed perspectives rather than relying on stereotypes.

Nsibirano also linked the programme to emerging humanitarian challenges, including pandemics and conflicts, noting that the delayed arrival of the students itself demonstrated the relevance of humanitarian response training.

She said graduates should be able to contribute to pandemic preparedness, community awareness, resilience building and responses to conflicts and other crises.

She emphasised interdisciplinarity, saying the programme’s combination of social work, development, gender, refugee and conflict studies and peace studies was deliberate.

According to her, humanitarian challenges require multiple disciplines and cannot be effectively addressed through a single area of knowledge.

She also encouraged students to develop soft skills and exercise caution while living in Uganda, including being careful about their movements, transport, accommodation, electronic devices and the people they interact with.

She particularly urged female students to remain aware of their surroundings and pay attention to people in their neighbourhoods and those who may be following or observing them.

She advised the students to seek information and directions from reliable people rather than approaching anyone indiscriminately.

Nsibirano concluded by assuring the students that Uganda was welcoming and urging them to enjoy their stay while remaining responsible and security-conscious.

Erasmus+ cohort advances Makerere’s internationalisation agenda

The Director of the Directorate of Graduate Research and Training, Associate Professor Julius Kikooma, welcomed the students on behalf of the directorate, which coordinates graduate studies at Makerere University.

He explained that the Directorate of Graduate Research and Training handles admissions for graduate students across the university.

Kikooma said the international students were in the process of becoming Makerere students and would fall under the university’s policy on short-term students.

He explained that students admitted under this arrangement must still have their academic qualifications assessed to ensure they meet Makerere’s standards.

“A short-term student is one who comes, qualifies, they must qualify.”

Kikooma said the Directorate was particularly pleased that the students had been placed in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, which he described as one of Makerere’s most dynamic colleges in terms of curriculum and its ability to attract students from different countries.

He said a review of Makerere’s international graduate students showed that many were enrolled in CHUSS.

He attributed this to the college’s experience in managing students from diverse backgrounds and offering programmes capable of attracting international students.

He said the students had joined a college with a strong academic heritage and encouraged them to make the most of its intellectual environment.

Kikooma also connected the programme to Makerere’s broader post-centenary transformation.

He said that after celebrating its first 100 years, Makerere recognised that while it had been highly successful in producing human resources for Uganda and the region, it had not been equally recognised for producing graduates for countries farther afield.

He said the university had consequently placed greater emphasis on attracting international students and encouraging academic units to develop curricula capable of attracting learners from around the world.

“We are keen on encouraging units to actually write curriculum that should be attracting students from afar.”

He said the presence of students representing 16 countries was significant because some institutions struggle to attract even a small number of different nationalities.

Kikooma noted that the current cohort was only one programme among many at CHUSS, which he said already attracts a wide range of international students.

He praised the college’s dynamism and its contribution to Makerere’s internationalisation agenda.

He also recalled his previous service in the college administration, where the institution used the mantra “CHUSS on the move”, describing its ambition to remain dynamic.

He noted that the college now describes itself as a “mine of excellent minds” and said the description was supported by Makerere’s historical record.

According to Kikooma, many of the scholars who contributed to Makerere’s past reputation as the “Harvard of Africa” were associated with the humanities and social sciences.

He encouraged the international students to learn from this academic heritage while also experiencing Uganda’s cultural diversity.

He pointed out that although Uganda is not among Africa’s largest countries by land size or population, it is highly diverse and has more than 56 languages.

Kikooma said that diversity provides lessons for the students about how different communities can coexist and how diversity can be transformed into an asset for development.

He urged university staff to ensure that the students have a memorable experience that could encourage them to maintain links with Makerere after completing the programme.

He told the students that if their decision to join the programme was voluntary, they had made the right choice and should take advantage of the opportunity.

International students can strengthen Makerere’s global networks

The Acting Principal of CHUSS, Associate Professor Eric Awich Ochen, welcomed the students on behalf of the college, Makerere University and Uganda.

Awich said he was pleased that many students had already developed a positive impression of Uganda.

Drawing from his own academic and research collaborations, particularly with institutions in Norway, he highlighted the value of international academic partnerships.

He spoke positively about Norway and his experiences there while also recognising the humanitarian challenges faced by countries represented in the cohort.

Awich expressed sympathy to students from Nepal over the recent flash floods that resulted in loss of lives and destruction, commending the response of the Nepalese government and international community.

He also encouraged the students to experience Uganda’s natural and cultural environment.

He highlighted the country’s fresh fruits, juice and organic food and urged the students to make use of the opportunity to explore different parts of Uganda.

“Uganda is one of the most beautiful countries in the world as well. The people here are very warm, they are welcoming.”

Awich encouraged the students to make friends with Ugandan families, visit different regions and learn about communities beyond Makerere.

He said he comes from Gulu in northern Uganda and noted the region’s rich food culture and significant refugee population.

He said the students could benefit from learning about different parts of Uganda if their programme activities allowed them to travel.

Awich also disclosed that Makerere University Council Chairperson Dr Lorna Magara had been informed about the Human Response programme and was pleased by the number of nationalities it had attracted.

He explained that the chairperson of council has overall responsibility for the university and holds the institution’s leadership accountable.

According to Awich, the university leadership sees the programme as an opportunity for CHUSS to demonstrate its capacity to host international students and build relationships with institutions and professionals around the world.

He said students could become important links between Makerere and organisations in their home countries.

“You are going to help us build more networks. You’ll bring us more grants that can help us to serve humanity better.”

Awich said such networks could eventually result in additional partnerships, grants and collaborations that would strengthen Makerere’s ability to serve communities.

He nevertheless cautioned the students to prioritise their personal safety.

He acknowledged that although Uganda is generally welcoming, students should be aware of a few security and social challenges and follow the guidance provided by university administrators.

He urged them to enjoy Uganda while remaining careful and responsible.

Uganda’s refugee burden makes humanitarian training timely

The Head of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, Dr Dennis Muhangi, welcomed the students and introduced the department as one of the principal academic hosts of the programme.

Muhangi explained that several members of the programme team were from the Department of Social Work and Social Administration, including Professor Faminus Mugumya and Dr Justus Twesigye.

He said the department was excited to host the first batch of students under the programme.

According to Muhangi, the programme fits directly into the department’s academic focus because social work deals extensively with humanitarian response, migration, refugees, displacement and disasters.

“This programme is really relevant to our issues of concern.”

He said the department would support the students academically while exposing them to the realities of humanitarian situations in Uganda.

Muhangi said the exchange would benefit both international and Ugandan students because knowledge would move in both directions.

He particularly highlighted Uganda’s position as one of the world’s leading refugee-hosting countries, saying this makes Uganda an important setting for humanitarian studies.

He described the programme as timely and thanked its investigators and coordinators for developing it.

Muhangi also praised the diversity of the cohort, saying students from developing countries can learn from one another because many of their countries face related development challenges.

He said no country has a universal solution to development problems, making experimentation, learning and exchange of best practices essential.

“We have to continue learning from each other. We have to continue experimenting as we address these challenges.”

Muhangi said the department has a long history of international collaboration, including previous programmes involving institutions in Portugal, Norway and Sweden.

He cited the M-Family Programme as an example of a previous collaboration through which Ugandan students obtained master’s degrees, while international students were hosted at Makerere and conducted research in Uganda under the supervision of Makerere academics.

He expressed confidence that the Human Response programme would achieve similar success.

Muhangi said the programme also fits Makerere’s strategic plan, particularly the university’s internationalisation agenda and focus on graduate education.

He encouraged the international students to interact with local graduate students and Makerere researchers.

He said the department planned to organise more formal interactions between the international cohort, local graduate students and members of staff so that students could learn about research interests, publications and ongoing academic work at Makerere.

Muhangi also encouraged the students to experience everyday Ugandan life while remaining cautious, joking about the popularity of boda bodas and warning them against attempting to ride motorcycles on Kampala’s roads without adequate experience.

He further praised students who had already begun participating in activities outside their accommodation, saying engagement with communities, religious institutions and other social spaces could enrich their experience.

Alight to expose students to practical refugee-response work

Andrew Edwin Mubanda, Alight Operations and Future Kind Portfolio Lead, thanked Makerere for establishing a programme that facilitates learning across borders and prepares the next generation of humanitarian professionals.

He explained that Alight is an international humanitarian organisation headquartered in the United States that works with displaced people, refugees and asylum seekers.

Mubanda said Alight refers to displaced people it serves as “customers” and works with them from the time they arrive in a country through transit and reception centres and into refugee settlements.

He said the organisation’s central focus is preserving the dignity of displaced people rather than limiting its interventions to basic survival.

“What we are looking at, you heard the word future kind, it means how can you live your life and progress to where you wanted to be even in refugee status.”

Mubanda said Alight supports refugees to develop livelihoods, acquire skills and generate income so that they can continue building their lives even while displaced.

He outlined several areas of Alight’s work, including protection, legal assistance, mental health, gender-based violence prevention and education.

He said the organisation also operates a library in Nakivale Refugee Settlement serving children and adults and works with the National Library Network and Uganda Communications Commission to improve digital and library skills among refugees.

Mubanda said Alight also implements a project supported by UN Women in Natchi Valley and Chakatu refugee settlements in Kyegegwa, focusing on protection, legal support, gender-based violence and mental health.

He also described Alight’s livelihoods interventions, including its Self-Right flagship project.

Under the initiative, motorcycles are provided on loan to members of refugee and host communities, particularly refugees, who repay the loans over a period of about two years through weekly payments.

He said participants can eventually graduate from the scheme after completing their repayments and that the programme has produced several success stories.

Mubanda said these interventions demonstrate how humanitarian assistance can move beyond immediate survival towards long-term self-reliance.

He invited the students to learn from Alight’s programmes in Uganda and develop a broader understanding of the organisation’s humanitarian operations globally.

“We’ll be very excited to see you work with us and learn from ALIGHT and what we do in Uganda and also have a picture of what we do around the world.”

Red Cross offers wider humanitarian experience beyond blood donation

Uganda Red Cross Society Director of Operations Dr Racheal Harriet Kagoya told the students that the organisation’s humanitarian work extends far beyond the commonly known areas of blood donation and emergency medical services.

She said Uganda Red Cross has a formal memorandum of understanding with Makerere University covering research and training, providing a foundation for collaboration under the Human Response programme.

Kagoya explained that Uganda Red Cross was established through an Act of Parliament in 1964 and now operates through 51 branches across the country.

She said the organisation is one of 191 national societies within the global Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

She outlined the organisation’s work in disaster risk management, particularly preparedness and response to climate-related disasters.

She cited the organisation’s response to a landslide disaster in Kampala that claimed about 35 lives and its preparations for periods of heavy rainfall and other climate-related emergencies.

Kagoya also highlighted the organisation’s work on population movement, saying Uganda Red Cross operates in all 13 refugee settlements and is particularly active in Kiryandongo, where large numbers of refugees are hosted.

“Anything disaster, preparedness and response, we have interventions.”

She said Uganda Red Cross also works in health and social services, emergency response, road traffic accident response and epidemic preparedness, including current Ebola preparedness and response activities.

The organisation also supports blood donor mobilisation and works with Uganda Blood Transfusion Services to increase the country’s blood supply.

Kagoya said Uganda Red Cross has helped mobilise more than half of the blood collected for Uganda’s population over several years.

Beyond emergency interventions, she said the organisation implements programmes covering food security, livelihoods, nutrition and sexual and reproductive health.

She said research is another important area, with the organisation conducting studies aimed at generating evidence for humanitarian programming and improving the quality of its interventions.

Kagoya also emphasised the organisation’s growing focus on community engagement and accountability, protection, gender and inclusion, mental health and psychosocial support.

She said Uganda Red Cross works closely with government institutions including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Water and Environment, Ministry of Gender and Ministry of Education.

She also highlighted the organisation’s youth networks in universities and schools, where Red Cross chapters provide opportunities for young people to participate in humanitarian activities.

Kagoya encouraged the students to use their time in Uganda to interact with humanitarian organisations and, where possible, visit communities served by the Red Cross.

“If you choose to come to Uganda, Red Cross will be more than glad to share the experiences, and where possible, you have an opportunity to interface with some of the communities.”

Field placements will connect students to real humanitarian crises

The Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Dr Justus Twesigye, said the official welcome by senior university leadership had given the programme team confidence to proceed with the next stages of implementation.

He thanked the university’s top management, including the representative of the Deputy Vice Chancellor, the Directorate of Graduate Research and Training and the Deputy Principal of CHUSS, for prioritising the programme despite competing institutional commitments.

Twesigye said the programme team still had administrative work to complete, particularly ensuring that the international students were fully registered.

He assured the students that the registration process would be expedited because becoming fully registered students was one of the immediate priorities.

He also thanked the Department of Social Work and Social Administration and members of the programme team for their contribution to establishing the initiative.

Twesigye highlighted the role of associate partners in making the programme practical.

He said the humanitarian organisations would not simply remain external partners but would participate directly in classroom teaching, bringing field experience into academic discussions.

“It is not us being here, and we teach things theoretically, and then… If we would not be in the field, they are there.”

He said several associate partners were expected to participate in teaching while students would also visit the field and work with humanitarian organisations.

The practical component, he said, would allow students to understand humanitarian response beyond theoretical discussions and directly engage with the communities and organisations involved in humanitarian work.

Twesigye said two associate partners were already present during the orientation, while additional partners were expected to participate in the programme.

He outlined planned interactions involving students, teachers and humanitarian partners, including opportunities for photographs and networking.

He also thanked university service providers and individuals who contributed to the establishment and implementation of the programme.

Among those recognised were Makerere’s public relations personnel, International Relations staff and others who supported the programme’s application and approval processes.

Twesigye particularly recognised International Relations staff for their role in ensuring that critical documentation and approvals were completed before deadlines during the programme’s application stage.

He also thanked those who provided refreshments and logistical support for the welcome event.

The dean concluded by encouraging continued cooperation among university management, academic staff, students and humanitarian partners as the programme progresses.

The concept outlines Erasmus+ Human Response as a multidisciplinary, internationally delivered programme focused on preparing professionals to address increasingly complex humanitarian crises.

Erasmus+ Master of Humanitarian Response, Health and Displacement Programme

The Master of Humanitarian Response, Health and Displacement (Human Response) is an Erasmus+ programme funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101180512. It is implemented by a consortium of seven universities from Europe and Africa, coordinated by the University Institute of Lisbon (Iscte) in Portugal, with partners from Norway, Uganda, Cape Verde, Greece and Mozambique.

The programme brings together expertise in humanitarian action, global public health, social support, displacement, research, humanitarian coordination, disaster response, human rights, technology and development. It is designed to train multidisciplinary professionals with the knowledge and practical skills needed to analyse complex humanitarian crises and develop innovative responses across the full humanitarian response cycle.

Human Response combines classroom teaching with field-based and experiential learning, internships, summer schools and research. Makerere University leads training in social support, displacement and the relationship between humanitarian and development assistance, while other partner universities provide specialised training in public health, humanitarian management, disaster response, refugee and migrant protection, research methodology, technology and humanitarian innovation.

The programme also works with humanitarian organisations and government institutions, including the Ministry of Water and Environment, ALIGHT Uganda, Uganda Red Cross Society and the Refugee Led Organization Network, to provide students with practical field experience and opportunities to engage with communities and humanitarian practitioners.

A key feature of Human Response is its emphasis on South-South, South-North and local collaboration. Students study across partner institutions in both the Global North and South and undertake internships, summer schools and dissertation research in different humanitarian contexts. This approach strengthens internationalisation while promoting the exchange of knowledge and experiences between countries facing diverse humanitarian challenges.

The programme responds to growing humanitarian needs arising from armed conflicts, displacement, climate-related disasters, disease outbreaks, pandemics and other social and economic uncertainties. It seeks to strengthen evidence-based humanitarian practice, university-community engagement and the capacity of local actors to respond effectively to crises.

The current cohort comprises 17 students representing 16 countries, reflecting the programme’s strong international and multidisciplinary character. By combining academic knowledge, practical experience and research, the Erasmus+ Human Response programme seeks to produce professionals capable of developing context-specific and sustainable solutions to humanitarian crises.

Jane Anyango is the Principal Communication Officer CHUSS

Photo credits: Peninah Nalubega, Year 4 student of Journalism and Communication

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