Kampala – Uganda: Top researchers, policymakers, graduate scholars and innovators from across Uganda and the continent have converged at Makerere University today for a two-day multidisciplinary conference.
The event kicked off yesterday at the School of Public Health Auditorium, Makerere University. It is dubbed the 3rd NEMRA All-Africa Multidisciplinary Research Conference 2026.
The conference is hosted by the Network for Education and Multidisciplinary Research Africa (NEMRA), in partnership with the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST) and Bishop Stuart University.
The conference which ends today, has flagged as its theme “Science, Innovation, and Research for Holistic Development: An ATMS Framework for Transformative Progress.”
The ATMS framing, tying together Academia, Technology, Markets and Society, signals organizers’ intent to push research outputs beyond journal pages and into policy and practice in line with the Ugandan government’s 10-fold growth strategy it intends to achieve by 2040.
According to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development, Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy is a national economic blueprint designed to expand the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from roughly US $50 billion to US $500 billion by the year 2040. It targets double-digit annual GDP growth rates above 10%, aiming to raise average yearly individual income from about $1,039 to $7,000.
At the heart of this strategy is a deliberate effort to link applied research with policy and industry. A conference of this nature, no wonder, is going to be graced by top government officials.
Top among these is the Chief Guest and Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation How Eng Jonard Asiimwe who is expected to turn up at the closing ceremony today. The Chairperson of the National Planning Authority Prof. Pamela Mbabazi gave the keynote address read by former member of parliament for Buliisa Hon Mukitale.
Other keynote speakers included the UNCST Executive Secretary Dr. Stephen Kisaale, Dr. Martin Muhereza from the Uganda Management Institute and Dr. Stephe Sebbale from the UNCST.
The conference opened on the heels of a leadership shake-up at NEMRA, which this week unveiled its incoming 2026–2029 Board of Directors. The new team is chaired by Dr. Martin Ongol, Deputy Executive Secretary of UNCST, alongside Vice Chairperson Dr. Dennis Aguma of the Uganda Management Institute, Finan.
NEMRA Secretary Patrick Mutabwire said the board was “assembled deliberately to widen NEMRA’s reach and deepen its impact on the research landscape in Uganda and across the continent.”
Conference organiser and NEMRA Managing Director Dr. Karlmarx Rutaro told the audience that this year’s event was memorable because the various topics that were cleared for presentation speak to the national development agenda.
He added that the conference has taken keen adherence to health measures and a health desk to manage any accidental and incidental happenings is in place, said Dr. Rutaro, urging early arrival:
Inside the Book of Abstracts
Ahead of the opening session, NEMRA released its official Book of Abstracts, available digitally via QR code on conference materials. The compilation gives a snapshot of the breadth delegates can expect over the two days.
The abstracts span public health and health systems research, agriculture and food science, education and pedagogy, entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems, gender and social policy, governance, ICT and information systems, and community-based development work.
“The book of abstracts reflects NEMRA’s founding mandate to “break silos” across disciplines and connect academic research to real-world problem-solving in Africa,” said conference focal leader, Dr. Apophia Agiresasi.
How to join the conference
Delegates unable to travel to Kampala can follow proceedings live via Zoom (Meeting ID: 890 4950 9913, Passcode: NEMRA2026). Those heading to the venue can access directions via Google Maps to the Bombo Road, Eastern Gate entrance of Makerere University, adjacent to the School of Public Health Auditorium. Organizers are encouraging participants and the public to follow real-time updates using the hashtag #NEMRA2026 via social media platforms.
With UNCST, Bishop Stuart University, Makerere University and a coalition of academic and civil-society partners backing the event, this year’s conference arrives at a pivotal moment for NEMRA, eight years since the network’s founding in 2018.
For a continent still working to translate research output into policy impact, the next 48 hours in Kampala could set the tone for how African multidisciplinary research positions itself for the rest of the decade.
Sessions begin promptly following the 8:00 a.m. registration window, with the full programme and abstract listings accessible via the NEMRA conference portal.
And the day being a public holiday to allow for the process of electing local leaders move smoothly, Dr. Rutaro has assured participants that the conference organisers have sought clearance from the Ugandan Ministry of Public Service.
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