Makerere mobilises almuni to popularise research, innovation

KAMPALA - Makerere University has rallied its alumni chief executives and investors to forge a new era of research-driven innovation and enterprise that will shape Uganda’s economic future.

The call was made at the Alumni CEO and Investors Round Table Summit today at the Convocation grounds at Makerere University, where government, academia, and corporate leaders pledged to transform the country through entrepreneurship, value creation, and digital transformation.

At the event, ccording to Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe emphasised Makerere’s shift towards entrepreneurship as a solution to youth unemployment.

Representing the Prime Minister, Rukia Nakadama, the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister, commended Makerere’s leadership for uniting academia, government, and the private sector around a shared purpose, stating that this was not just another gathering but a call to action. (All Photos by Miriam Najjingo)

"Makerere is no longer just a teaching institution but a vibrant global research hub. We are no longer what people would want to call a third-world university. We are at par with the best in the world,” he said, citing over 2000 international research partnerships signed last year alone.

We would prefer that every student leave Makerere with a company in their hand. Many of our students are now graduating with registered businesses, creating jobs for others who may not have had the privilege of a university education,” he said.

He also revealed that  Makerere plans to establish specialised centres for space research, blockchain technology, and nuclear energy.

Vision Group CEO Don Wanyama also graced the event.

“Uganda was not even on the blockchain map. We must change that. With a growing population and rising energy demands, we must also explore nuclear energy—not weapons, but clean energy—to power our future.” Nawangwe stressed.

Delivering the keynote, Dr Peter Kimbowa, Chair of the CEO Summit Uganda, urged alumni to match Makerere’s bold ambitions with equally bold action.

“If you are a cat with the ambition to become a lion, you should stop eating rats. Dreams that are not scary enough are not big enough,” he said.

He described the convocation as a bridge that links the past to the future and a bridge that brings business and industry to academia.

According to Kimbowa, Uganda’s CEOs must focus on five key opportunities: moving Makerere from “an ivory tower to a tower of impact”, harnessing the diaspora for skills and investment, building intergenerational knowledge bridges, advancing digital transformation, and positioning Uganda as a hub of innovation.

“By 2030, 40-50% of the skills required in the workplace will be digital. If you are a professor and you are not AI literate, you are already holding a necktie basket,” Kimbowa cautioned, urging academics and CEOs alike to embrace artificial intelligence and digital skills.

He called on corporate leaders to stop waiting for government directives and instead step up and shape the future of this country around agriculture, health, education, tourism, mining, oil and gas, and digital transformation.

Representing the Prime Minister, Rukia Nakadama, the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister, commended Makerere’s leadership for uniting academia, government, and the private sector around a shared purpose, stating that this was not just another gathering but a call to action.

She urged CEOs to ensure no youth, woman, or marginalised group is left behind.

“Knowledge must move from the ivory tower to the communities where it can transform lives. To all the CEOs entrusted with these responsibilities, the young people of this country are counting on you. Uganda is counting on you. Makerere University is counting on you,” Nakadama declared, assuring the government’s full support.

She reminded all delegates that this summit is not ceremonial but a covenant.

“Together, through Trust, Humility, Inclusion, Collaboration, and Knowledge, we can transform Makerere University Convocation into a movement of accountability, innovation, and sustainable socio-economic impact for Uganda and Africa.”