On 16th September 2026, the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI), Hon. Eng. Dr Jonard Asiimwe, tasked Makerere University-through the College of Education and External Studies (CEES)-with developing an online Competency-Based Education (CBE) programme targeting all teachers in Uganda.
The Minister made the call while touring the Makerere University Exhibition in the Main Building Senior Common Room. The event featured researchers and innovators from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES), the College of Business and Management Sciences (CoBAMS), the Institute of Gender and Development Studies (IGDS), the Makerere University Institute of Social Research (MISR), and the Makerere University Press (MakPress).
Taking note of the ongoing strides by the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) to champion the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), the Minister guided that an online CBE programme would enable a critical mass of teachers to enroll and be trained as they continue to serve the learners.
He thus implored the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe; the College Principal,Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga; the Dean of the School of Education, Associate Prof. Mathias Mulumba Bwanika; the experts in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) and e-Learning at CEES to expedite the process.
The exhibition team consisting of staff and students from the College of Education and External Studies (CEES) demonstrated research and innovations aligned with the theme, Research Infrastructure, Emerging Technologies and Enterprise Creation.
The members of faculty presented the following research projects:
- Capacity Building of Teacher Educators in Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) at Selected Universities
- Championing Digital Transformation at Makerere University and the Theory of Change
- Mindset Change and Socio-Economic Transformation from People’s World (MiSeT)
- Resilient Communities for Quality Primary Education in Uganda (ReCoPE)
- Critical Virtual Exchange in Artificial Intelligence (CVEinAI)
- Unlocking the Potential for Enhanced Teaching and Learning of the Impaired in Uganda’s Public Universities
- Enhancing Behavioural Change of Boda-Boda in Uganda Using Mobile Learning (EBoML)
- A Contextualised Evidence-Based Blended Learning Framework for Makerere University.
The staff exhibitors and researchers included: Prof. Anthony Muwagga Mugagga, Dr Joseph Watuleke, Dr Dianah Nampijja, Dr Godfrey Mayende, Associate Professor Mathias Mulumba Bwanika, Associate Professor Marjorie Sarah Kabuye Batiibwe, Dr Julius Shopi Mbulankende, Dr Nancy Rose Nabiryo, and Ms. Ritah Namisango.
Student Innovations: Tapping into the potential of Organic Science
The Bachelor of Science with Education Students (pursuing Biology and Chemistry) exhibited an innovation titled ‘Extraction of Natural Organic Growth Hormones from Plant and Animal Tissues’ under the guidance of Dr Marjorie Sarah Kabuye Batiibwe, Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Science, Technology and Vocational Education (DSTVE).
The student innovators explained to the Minister that the innovation involves usage of sweet potato leaves, bamboo and other natural materials to develop eco-friendly bio-pesticides and growth enhancers. The innovation harnesses readily available natural raw materials, including African bamboo shoots and sweet potato vines, to produce an organic bio-stimulant.
The students also showcased complementary organic extracts, including a mango juice formulation from ripe mangoes-focusing on the epicarp and endocarp – to promote fruiting and ripening, and a natural plant medicine named Chili Insect Control.
Materials Development Innovation for Children
The students studying the Early Childhood Care and Education programme, who included Kitibwa Rebecca, a third-year student, showcased an innovation in Material Development for Children’s Tangible Interactions.
Developed under the course Material Development, the innovation promotes sustainable, locally-sourced learning aids made from readily available materials such as bottle tops, banana fibres, cardboard, wood and sticks.
The project transforms numeracy into a tangible experience through interactive boards featuring colours, shapes and numbers. Anchored in Montessori theory of self-directed play and Jerome Bruner’s spiral curriculum, the materials are self-correcting, allowing children to learn through trial and error while developing cognition, fine motor skills, language, and socio-emotional competencies.
Designed for learners aged 0-8 years from baby class to Primary Three, the boards also support colour identification and social interaction, offering a cost-effective, sustainable alternative to imported educational materials and fostering holistic development across all five learning domains.
Collaboration between Makerere and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
The Ministerial maiden visit to Makerere University, aimed at engaging faculty, researchers, innovators and students, culminated in a proposal for enhanced collaboration between the University and the Ministry.
The Minister proposed six key actions:
- Identifying a focused portfolio of high-potential innovations for certification, licensing, procurement and investment within defined timelines
- Organizing thematic engagements starting with AI for Health and Pathogen Economy and expanding to Mobility
- Agro-Industrialization, Advanced Materials and Digital Transformation
- Establishing a structured University-Industry exchange model, agreeing on sustainable models for strategic laboratories and common-user facilities
- Strengthening commercialization through coordinated support in IP, regulation, standards, business modelling and market access
- Developing a plan to position the Makerere Museum as a national attraction and revenue source
As he concluded his visit, the Minister urged the researchers at Makerere University to enhance visibility of their work through policy briefs and community engagement.
