Background
In association with the LSHTM and Cambridge University, this Programme was initiated to help East Africans pursue a research career in Infection and Immunity, focussing on endemic diseases of the region. There is a huge infectious disease burden in sub-Saharan Africa, and a real shortage of highly trained East Africans available to tackle and help solve the problems faced in overcoming this challenge.
MUII was set up to help train local people to tackle local diseases. Founded on a collaboration between Makerere University and the Uganda Virus Research Institute, the programme works with regional research centres and leading international Universities to ensure excellence in collaborative training activities including short courses, research attachments and research fellowships.
Our Vision
Our vision is of Africa as an equal partner in global infection and immunity research and of African scientists empowered to identify and ask scientific questions, to lead international funding initiatives from the perspective of issues they see as critical to Africa, to lead research groups and establish world-class laboratories, to train students and to produce scientific results of both local and global significance.
Objectives
The Makerere University – Uganda Virus Research Institute (UVRI) research training programme in Infection and Immunity (MUII) is a strategic initiative, designed to establish a centre of excellence for Infection and Immunity research in Uganda. It builds on the relative strengths of these two institutions in tertiary education and health research, and upon strong regional and international collaborations which provide a world-class research training platform. The programme has so far received funding for two phases. The combined objectives of these phases have been as follows:
1. Partnership. In phase 1 we aimed to establish a vibrant partnership between Makerere University – one of the leading institutions for tertiary education in the region – and the Uganda Virus Research Institute – one of the leading research centres. In phase 2 we extended the partnership to other interested, local stakeholders.
Achievements
The Makerere University – UVRI Research Training Programme on Infection and Immunity was launched in 2008 with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions, and a joint symposium in Infection and Immunity.
Since its inception, the Makerere – UVRI partnership has flourished, fostered by shared supervision of postgraduate students and post-doctoral scientists, shared teaching, joint symposia and workshops, mutual participation in seminars, collaborative research and capacity building activities, a mutual effort to foster the development of capacity for immunology research, and a vibrant immunology research hub, networked between Makerere University and UVRI, and now expanding to include other local stakeholders.
