Current Projects

1. NPT Project on ‘Strengthening ICT Training and Research Capacity in the Four Public Universities in Uganda’
   

   One of the recommendations made to Nuffic in the September 2006 project mid-term review report for the project ‘Building a Sustainable ICT Training Capacity in the Public Universities in Uganda’ was for Nuffic to find funds to extend this project to build on the impressive achievement. It was thus deemed useful to define a follow-up project in such a way that the projects overlap....read more

2. Connecting the EU & sub-Saharan Africa for ICT Partnerships (EuroAfriCa-ICT)
   

   This is a European Commission sponsored project that officially started on January 01, 2008. The new European Strategy for Africa adopted by the EU Council in December 2005 gave a comprehensive policy framework that reflects the priorities of the EU in its relationship with Africa - Towards a deeper and stronger cooperation between Africa & the European Union....more

3. International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Academy Programme

The ITU academy mainly focuses on human capacity building in telecommunication and ICT industry of Africa. The motivation is to enhance the African telecommunication and ICT industries global competitiveness as an engine for social and economic transformation for the continent...read more

4. DSDI Project - OpenXdata 'Malaria Control Program – Rwanda'

   Mobile devices are becoming essential as more consumers expect desktop like applications on their devices. Many organizations and research institutions have been using paper based questionnaires for data collection which is a manual process that is both error prone and time consuming. ...more
   

5. DSDI Project - OMEVAC (Open Mobile Electronic Vaccine Trials)
   

   OMEVAC is an interdisciplinary project to improve quality of vaccine trials in low-resource settings was accepted for funding. The project Primary objective is to develop OMEVAC, a complete secure, mobile and electronic system for data collection and management in vaccine trials, from source to publication and using and complying to international standards and requirements. It will be field tested in Africa in ongoing trials and be available at no cost including all developed source codes and documents...for more info visit DISD website. also visit CIT news for PhD position on Mobile Applications Architecture and Security.
   

6. DSDI Project - Ministry of Health ICT4Manpower Project

   Makerere University in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of ICT, Government of Uganda are engaged in an ICT4Manpower Project. The aim of the project is to provide improved effectiveness of health systems and empowerment of healthcare communities in Uganda for better health outcomes of rural population using information and communication technologies. ...more
   

7. National Software Incubation Centre (NSIC) changing the software landscape in Uganda
   

   On June 8, 2008, the Department of Software Development and Innovation (DSDI) started the National Software Incubation Centre (NSIC). The project aims at equipping fresh graduates from the university with the necessary hands on experience required to excel in the software industry. Students are arranged in groups and assigned mentors who work with them on stipulated project in conjunction with Industrial partners. In the process, the students learn and the industrial partners get working solutions that can be deployed. In February2009, the first graduates were passed out. Over 100 students received certification and the industrial partners too had their solutions commissioned to them. This year, more students have been admitted to the program that will run from June to December 2009 where they will work jointly with their mentors and industrial partners to develop solutions for the industry while at the same time learning software development skills.DISD website

8. Developing Staff-Training Programmes in ICT to Address Strategic Needs of IUCEA Member Universities

   Dr. Jude Lubega (of CIT) and Mr. Paul Myinda Birevu (of Makerere University Institute of Learning and Adult Education) were awarded a grant to implement ‘Developing Staff-Training Programmes in ICT to Address Strategic Needs of IUCEA Member Universities’Project of which contains three phases namely;
   (1) Undertaking a staff-training needs assessment for ICT in member universities; (2) Developing ICT training programmes for academic staff based on the identified needs; and (3) Piloting the training on selected staff of universities in East Africa

   The project is an activity of a bigger project ‘Enhancing the Capacity of East African Universities to Utilize ICT for Sustainable Regional Development’. It is part of the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) new strategic plan aimed at transforming the organization into an effective regional advocate and catalyst for the strategic development and management of higher education in East Africa.

9. CIT wins a grant under UNESCO-HP Brain Gain Initiative

   Makerere Faculty of Computing and IT (CIT) will receive funds and grid computing infrastructure to implement its proposed project under the HP-UNESCO Brain Gain Initiative.  The objectives of the UNESCO-HP initiative include building partnerships and establishing sustainable collaborations amongst the beneficiary institutions and between institutions in Africa and Diasporas.
   The project titled ‘Towards Fostering Localized Innovative ICT Solutions’ was proposed by Assoc. Prof. Idris A. Rai with three main objectives:

   1. To establish  linkages and collaborations between Makerere and  UNESCO-HP initiative's beneficiary institutions in West Africa, North Africa, and Middle  East, where Makerere currently has very few or no partnerships;
   2. To sustain existing links between Makerere researchers and researchers in Diasporas, and between Makerere and other public Universities in Uganda;
   3. To foster local ICT innovations at Makerere University 

   The project implementation shall involve connecting beneficiary institutions with advanced grid computing infrastructure.   The implementation shall take various phases in the next three years (2009-2012). Under the grant, staff from beneficiary institutions will also undergo technical training on the use of Grid Computing technology.

10. Mobile Innovation and Enterprise
    

    The Faculty of Computing and IT at Makerere University and the Faculty of Arts, Computing, Engineering & Sciences at Sheffield Hallam University, UK have received fund from British Council through its Education Partnerships in Africa scheme to establish partnership between the two universities. The fund obtained under the British Council’s competitive Partnership Project Grants was sought to implement a jointly proposed project titled Mobile Innovation and Enterprise whose main objective is to respond to the fast growing mobile market in the country in particular and in the region in general. The project proposal jointly submitted by Idris A. Rai, Associate Professor in Communication Networks at CIT Makerere and Andrew Darden, Reader in e-SocialAction at Communication and Computing Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University sought to blend teaching on mobile computing and innovation with experiences of entrepreneurship and user-centered design hoping to develop a cohort of young minds who have the skills to lead Ugandan innovation in mobile sector...read more

11. Pan-African E-Network Tele-Education Project
    

    CIT is taking lead in the implementation of the Pan-African E-Network Project on Tele-Education. As part of the Project, two VSat antennas were set up at CIT. The VSAT Connectivity was successfully tested for Audio, Video & Data Transmission for the Uganda ~ Senegal ~ India Route on September 24, 2008 at following Centers: Patient End Location, Mulago Hospital; Regional University Centre, Makerere University; and Learning Centre, Makerere University....more

12. New Wave Technologies, Amtullah Globe Trotter Ltd, and CIT Scooped Millennium Science Initiative Grant
    

    The grant winning proposal titled “Automated Cargo Route and Vehicle Management; Investment in Computer Based Management for Improved Productivity and Profitability’ was submitted under the Application for Technology Platform Mode 1 funding under the Uganda Millennium Science Initiative Component 1: Window C. The project that started in October 2008 is worth approximately US$ 56, 190. At the end of this project an application/software will be developed to facilitate the tracking and management of cargo vehicle that are involved in long route cargo handling.

13. AVOIR KEWL.NextGen E-Learning Project for African Universities
    

    CIT received multi-million dollar (Approximately $1.5M worth) of Equipment. This is collaborative project proposal that was written with several African Universities and the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in South Africa as the driving force behind the “African Virtual Open Initiatives and Resources” (AVOIR) network....more

    • Animal Health Information System Project

      The African Virtual Open Initiatives and Resources (AVOIR) initiative is an effort to strengthen the technology base of leading educational institutions throughout Africa and unify software developers and specialists in education, health, and business to produce business and institution-level software solutions while simultaneously building software design, development, and support for higher education....more

14. Creating Digital Content for Secondary Schools
    

    The Faculty is currently involved in a number of projects that are promoting ICT in Education. Through the outreach programmes that the faculty is currently running, expertise is being provided to schools and other learning institutions to enable them integrate ICT in the subject matter delivered....more

15. ‘Directory Service’ Call Center
    

    CIT is in the process of setting up a US$1million to provide national directory services and in future move to attract offshore work. The faculty’s strategic plan has a component of preparing the country’s human resources to work in the outsourcing industry and setting up a call center is an appropriate first step in that direction.

1. Cisco Systems
   • CIT REGIONAL CISCO ACADEMY
     

     Cisco Systems Inc. has provided training to CIT staff empowering them to undertake training on behalf of CIT in the region. As a regional academy, CIT is mandated to ensure that the Cisco programmes in the region are run according to the requirements....more

   • WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (WDP)
     

     WDP is an initiative to give students and graduates of CIT and the Cisco Networking Academy Program practical experience in Uganda’s growing ICT sector. Since the inception of this program in 2004, the UN Volunteers together with the Regional Academy Coordinator, the Legal Main Contact of the Regional Academy, and the WDP Coordinator have focused on promoting specific areas of the partnerships. These include: Worksite, Talk sessions, and Internships/Job opportunities. For more information, Click here.

2. Net Tel @Africa
   

   NetTel@Africa is a comprehensive capacity-building strategy focused on improving the use of information communication technologies (ICT) to achieve socio-economic development goals in Africa. More than a strategy, NetTel@Africa is an international Network of government officials, academics, researchers, service providers, consumers and civil society....more

3. Microsoft
   

   Microsoft is providing computing facilities for the Microsoft Academy. These facilities provide specialized training to students in Microsoft packages. Because of the competence of CIT students, Microsoft invited them to participate in the Imagine Challenge Cup competed for by students all over the world....more

4. IBM
   

   BM has provided unique opportunities for both staff and students in the recent past. The faculty has participated in the IBM Deep Dive Drive which brought together ICT academic fraternity, business leaders and politicians in Africa to discuss possibilities of an ICT-led transformation in Africa....more

5. Google Inc.
   

   Google Inc. has identified CIT as a partner in its programmes for Africa mainly in rolling out Google applications. In October 2007, Google organized a workshop for staff and students interested in participating in Google maps project. In March 3, 2008, CIT hosted a team of experts from Google to officially launch the East Africa Google Gadget Competition....more

6. HP
   

   HP mobile technology will enable us to address three major challenges that students and lecturers encounter in our learning and teaching environments, i.e.;

   1. Introducing efficient interaction mechanisms between students and a lecturer in a large undergraduate class
   2. Demonstrating wireless and mobile networking concept
   3. Providing hands-on skills through practical coursework assessments

   ...more

1. The Uganda Police Force
   

   On the 18th December 2007, Makerere University signed a MoU with the Uganda Police Force; this is to foster collaboration among the two parties. The overall objective of this MoU is to enable the Uganda Police Force integrate ICTs in its service delivery....more

2. The Council for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR) - Meraka Institute of CSIR
   

   On October 20, 2008, Makerere University signed a MoU with The Council for Scientific Industrial Research (CSIR), South Africa which encompasses the Meraka Institute of CSIR and CIT. This is aimed at seeing efforts and amount of research and development in S&T at these institutions increase exponentially.

3. The State University Of Zanzibar, Tanzania (SUZA) - Department of Computer Science
   

   On April 11, 2008, Makerere University and The State University Of Zanzibar, Tanzania (SUZA) signed a MoU on cooperation between the two institutions which encompass CIT and the Department of Computer Science of SUZA. This is aimed at collaborating in developing sustainable capacity through collaborations in teaching, research, training, student and staff exchange, transfer of technology and dissemination of knowledge on a long term non-commercial basis.

4. The New Vision Group
   

   Makerere University Faculty of Computing and IT reached an understanding with The New Vision Group to support the ICT initiatives....more

5. The East African Business Week (EABW)
   

   CIT has an understanding with the East African Business Week (EABW). EABW agreed to give staff and students one page every week to publish and educate the public about ICT issues and in return CIT provides IT support. This is intended to provide a platform that will be used to bring out CIT’s potential both at individual and faculty levels.

6. Fast Scanning
   

   CIT signed a MoU with Fast Scanning in April 2008. FAST Scanning is a fast growing Business Company that does scanning of documents. An affiliation with universities in the State of California educational system; the Faculty gets bragging rights for students working on very important engineering documents for major universities throughout the United States; Students also gain experience working with Virtual Servers, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, Citrix, Xen and many other advanced Adobe and Autodesk products.

7. First Exec Company [acting on behalf of the Government of Mauritius]
   

   On August 8, 2008, CIT signed a MoU with First Exec Company [acting on behalf of the Government of Mauritius] on possible external recruitment of IT fresh graduates and professionals to help fill their (Mauritius) human resource gap. The MoU was seen as a first step in understanding and meeting the growing ICT needs of the region. 300 Ugandans IT professional will have an opportunity of working in the Indian Ocean Island of Mauritius.

8. Other Private Companies
   

   In 2008, CIT also agreed to partner and collaborate with private companies such as; D-Mark Mobile Ltd, Yo Uganda Ltd, Centre for International E-Governance Solutions Ltd, and Jobs ICT Bangladesh. Areas of collaboration are but not limited to; ICT Application Development, research and Development, and Knowledge Exchange.

Past Projects

1. Nuffic project on ‘Building a Sustainable ICT Training Capacity in the Public Universities in Uganda’.
   

   This was a NUFFIC funded project dabbed “NUFFIC One” came to a close on 30th June 2008. NUFFIC One will be remembered in the corridors of CIT and the other beneficiary public universities as the catalyst that saw them catapult to greater heights. The lead institution in the South was Makerere University with partners; Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Gulu University (GU) and Kyambogo University (KYU). The lead institution in the North was the University of Groningen (RUG) and the consortium partners in the project were Radboud University Nijmegen (RUN) and Hanze University of Professional Education (HHG)....more

2. Low-class Communities Income-generating e-business: Outreach Action-driven e-business for Rural and Art-craft Women Communities
   

   The main objective of this project is to harness ICT as a driver of socio-economic development within low-income communities in Uganda by collaboratively helping to increase the income generation of participating groups of women selling African artifacts and cultural goods around Kampala and organized in cooperative or small or medium enterprises (SMEs), by use of appropriate web technologies. Furthermore, the project allows rural communities to have access to cash money from any mobile telecommunication end-point service providers (TESP) in their immediate reach through the use of mobile airtime voucher-transfer system from their relatives living in the intensive economic activity areas like Kampala.

3. NPT Project on ‘Strengthening the Institutional Capacity of Uganda’s Technical Colleges
   

   After the start of the project ‘Building ICT Training Capacity in Public Universities in Uganda’, there was a realisation of the need to strengthen institutional capacity in technical colleges in Uganda. This project was subsequently awarded by Nuffic to the four technical colleges in Uganda namely: Uganda Technical College (UTC) Bushenyi; UTC Elgon; UTC Kichwamba and UTC Lira. The Lead institution in the North is Hanze University Groningen. Co-partners in the south are Makerere University and Kyambogo University. Its implementation started on 1st March 2006 and will end in 2009 with Nuffic grant of Euro 1,999,990.

4. Department of Software Development & Innovations (DSDI) Projects
   
   • MobileHRS
   • Epihandy Mobile
   • HEITML
   • OpenMRS
   • E – Voting Application
     

     In March 2009, Makerere University Office of the Dean of Students approached the Department of Software Development and Innovation (DSDI) and requested that an application be developed that could help to alleviate among other things election rigging, loss of votes, disparities in regard to how many voters registered and the number of votes counted and any other election malpractices that have plagued the university over the years. The system is supposed to be used in the Makerere University Guild Elections. A prototype of the system was used in the Guild Representative Council elections at the halls of residence where the students were electing student leaders. Basing on this, the system was enhanced and is now ready to be used in the entire Guild elections. Because of the project success, Makerere University administration asked the department to maintain it for future elections that shall be conducted at the university.

   • Students’ Results Management System Version 1.1
   • Records Management System Version 1.0
   • Human Resource Management System Version 1.0
   • Research Management System Version 1.0