Collaboration in Uganda
Makerere University in Kampala is Karolinska Institutet's main partner in Uganda. The collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and Makerere University is one of the most comprehensive international collaborations at KI, ranging from education to research activities and the establishment of the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health.
A strong partnership for mutual benefit
The collaboration started in 2000 and was initially focused on research. A Memorandum of Understanding as well as an agreement regarding doctoral education were signed in 2003. The cooperation expanded to include exchange of students and teachers within several educational programmes. With time, an active alumni network of hundreds of healthcare professionals and researchers has grown and reflects the success of the collaboration. To deepen the collaboration, the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health was established in 2021.
Vice Chancellor Professor Barnabas Nawangwe and delegation from Makerere University visited KI October 14-15 to celebrate five years of collaboration through the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health and 25 years of collaboration between KI and Makerere University and to sign the extension of the Memorandum of Understanding between Makerere University 2021-2025, for the period 2026-2030 and the enewal of the Collaboration agreement 2021–2025, för Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health, for the period 2026-2030.
This is an important next step in the long-standing collaboration. Deepening our partnership will be a significant contribution to increase action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda.
Collaboration on bachelor's and master’s level
More than 300 students and teachers at both universities have taken part in exchange mobility since 2001, through scholarships from the Swedish Linnaeus-Palme programme, financed by Sweden’s government agency for development cooperation Sida, KI travel grants, funding raised by alumni and the European Union’s Erasmus+ programme.
Study programmes that have, or have had, bilateral exchange of students and teacher are:
- Dentistry
- Medicine
- Midwifery
- Nursing
- Occupational Therapy and Physiotherapy (conducted at Paramedical school, affiliated to Makerere)
- Public Health Sciences
- Speech and Language Pathology
Additionally, students from KI can have supervision of their master’s degree project and dissertation from MakCHS. The agreement involves the Master’s programme in Global Health, Master’s programme in Public Health Sciences (tracks epidemiology, and health economics, policy and management) and Master’s programme in Health Informatics at Karolinska Institutet.
For current agreements on student exchange and more information search the map where all agreements can be found.
Collaboration on doctoral education
In 2003, the universities established a collaborative doctoral programme. The collaboration has been financed through the Sida Research Training Partnership Programme 2001-2022, and has resulted in more than 40 PhD graduates and more than 500 peer reviewed articles.
More information on the collaboration on doctoral education
Research collaboration
Over the last 20 years, KI and Makerere have collaborated closely in research areas such as HIV, sexual and reproductive health, infant care, malaria, tuberculosis, global health, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and mental health.
Photo: Torun SwartlingKI President visited Uganda and Rwanda to strengthen global collaborations
KI President Annika Östman Wernerson, travelled to Uganda and Rwanda in November 2024.
Photo: Elena Verhoturova GettyImagesCentre of Excellence for Sustainable Health
The virtual Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health is a collaboration between Karolinska Institutet and Makerere University in Uganda. The aim of the Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Health is to develop capacity and mobilise actions to drive the agenda for sustainable health. The Centre is permeated by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.