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Unisa and Makerere University sign strategic collaboration agreement
On 13 January 2024, Unisa and Makerere University, Uganda’s largest and oldest institution of higher learning, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), establishing a formal agreement to facilitate key projects focusing on teaching, learning, research and community engagement, and deepening research in Unisa’s Catalytic Niche Areas.
Front row, seated, from left: Prof Madipoane Masenya (Ngwaná Mphahlele), Acting Executive Director, Office of the Principal and Vice-Chancellor (Unisa); Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Puleng LenkaBula; Dr Crispus Walter Kiyonga, Makerere University Chancellor; and Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, Makerere University Vice-Chancellor
Back row, standing: A delegation comprised of Unisans and Makerere University staff members
Makerere University is the oldest currently active university in East Africa, and celebrated its centenary in 2022.
The signing of the MoU was a crucial highlight at Makerere University’s 75th graduation ceremony, where Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, Prof Puleng LenkaBula, delivered the commencement speech in which she affirmed the resilience of African women who sought to define the anti-colonial struggles and post-colonial decolonial struggles, including royalty, political leaders and activists on a range of issues.
Prof Puleng LenkaBula, Unisa Principal and Vice-Chancellor, holding the newly signed MoU with Prof Barnabas Nawangwe, Makerere University Vice-Chancellor, (right), supported by Dr Crispus Walter Kiyonga, Makerere University Chancellor (centre)
Unisa and Makerere University share a rich history of nurturing and educating prominent African leaders who played pivotal roles in advocating for freedom and independence during the era of colonisation and post-colonialism, serving as centres of intellectual thought and activism, and providing platforms for the development of ideas and strategies that fuelled anti-colonial movements across the continent.
Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the Founding President of Tanzania, Jaramogi Oginga Odina, who led the independence struggle in Kenya, and Sir Edward Mutesa, who became the first President of Uganda, are among globally renowned leaders whose academic prowess were sharpened during their time at Makerere University, and who have made significant contribution in shaping the continent.
A delegation comprising Unisans and Makerere University staff during Makerere University’s 75th graduation ceremony, where more than 490 students graduated with first-class degrees
This partnership affirms Unisa's internationalisation strategy of expanding its footprint in the continent and solidifying its position as one of the leading knowledge producers, shaping Africa's intellectual futures.
* By Godfrey Madibane, Acting Journalist, Department of Institutional Advancement
Publish date: 2025/01/14
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