Makerere university launches PhD Training Project

Makerere university launched a PhD Training Project on 30th April 2014.

The PhD training project in aquaculture and fisheries, is aimed at improving food security and livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa through increased fish production and sustainable resource management.

It also aims at strengthening the PhD training program in aquaculture and fisheries so as to produce graduates and staff that are fit-for-purpose.

The Vice Chancellor, Prof. John Ddumba-Ssentamu presided over the launch on 30th April 2014.

It will be a joint project between the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) .

The project will rely on associate project partners like the National Agricultural Research Organisation (NARO), Uganda, NEPAD regional Fish Node and the World Fish Centre, both located in Malawi in order to harness the regional capacity to strengthen delivery capacity and enhance regional learning.

Addressing participants at the launch, Dr. Charles Masembe a Senior Lecturer of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, CoNAS noted that the PhD training project will also seek to build upon previous research that assessed the adaptation and mitigation responses of communities dependent on aquatic ecosystems.

This previous project which produced two MSc. students Ms. Alweny Salome and Mr. Ojambo Daniel was supported by a Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) Grant.

RUFORUM is also facilitating the EDULINK II Project for PhD training in Aquaculture and Fisheries and Makerere University is one of only two African Universities (the second being Egerton University) that won 3 out of the total 30 ACP-EU EDULINK II projects.

Successful implementation of the project is expected to establish a framework for engaging national, regional and international partnerships for PhD training in Aquaculture and Fisheries Science and strengthen the institutional capacity of The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR), Malawi to host regional collaborative aquaculture and fisheries graduate training.

The project will also lead to a reviewed curriculum of the PhD programme in aquaculture.