Makerere University PhD forum, a union for students pursuing Doctorate degrees, has got a new leadership. The leadership was ushered in on Thursday April 20th, 2022 in an event conducted at the Directorate of Research and Graduate Training (DRGT) at the Senate Building.
The function was honoured by Professor Buyinza Mukadasi, the forum’s patron and DRGT director, who witnessed the leadership transition from the outgoing leadership led by Mr. Simon Peter Okiror to Mr. Gerald zihembire Ahabwe.
Prof Buyinza urged the new leaders to emulate the outgoing leadership and serve with dignity and selflessness. He also credited the former leadership for it’s achievements despite the covid interference.
“I am very much aware that your tenure was disrupted by Covid-19. Nevertheless, you were able to achieve a lot,” he said.
“The University acknowledges and appreciates this Forum as a springboard for Peer Learning where students take stock of shared challenges and benchmark amongst themselves best practices. We will continue engaging the University Top Management to support PhD students with a Common Room for PhD Colloquium and provide orientation to new students,” he added.
The incoming president, Mr. Gerald Zihembire Ahabwe, a PhD Fellow in the Department of Sociology, School of Social Sciences, pledged to work tirelessly to have a vibrant PhD Community at Makerere University in line with the University’s strategic direction of being a research-led institution.
“We promise to constructively engage Management and other stakeholders within Academia, Government and Industry for a turn-around in the way PhD students are organized and supported in their doctoral journeys for the socio-economic transformation of their communities,” he pledged.
Below is the new leadership structure:
President: Gerald Ahabwe
1. Vice President: James Mukoki
2. Speaker: Arinaitwe Rugyendo
3. General Secretary: Lillian Tukahiirwa
4. Finance Secretary: Monica Mbabazi
5. Chief- Welfare: Claire Cheromoi.
The forum was formed to help bring together PhD fellows to actively provide each other with mutual academic support, producing timely high quality research through networking, peer reviewing, sharing funding opportunities and timely study completion. The group has about 500 registered students from the 10 Colleges and Makerere University Business School (MUBS).
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