Graduates have been urged to use research and innovation to support Uganda’s transition to clean and sustainable energy.
The call was made on Wednesday during the 2025 Energy Symposium held on Wednesday at Makerere University Business School (MUBS) main campus in Nakawa.
The symposium, held under the theme “Graduates in the Energy Space: Showcasing Contributions to Business, Policy and Research,” was organised in partnership with the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), the University of Dar es Salaam, and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
It showcased how MUBS graduates and researchers are contributing to Uganda’s energy transformation through business, policy engagement, and technology-driven solutions that align with the country’s Vision 2040 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
MUBS Acting Deputy Principal, Assoc. Prof. Rachel Mindra, said research must guide decision-making and support innovation in both public and private sectors.
“Can we use our research or the work we are doing to support government to take decisions that are representative of the people, are representative of businesses, are representative of segments who are the people we are making decisions for,” she said.
She added that graduate research at MUBS is generating practical business models that can be turned into real products and solutions.
“The moment I do research, I understand the issues people have, the problems people have, the gaps in the products that are already in the market. But this kind of research can then frame the way bankers actually develop products that are relevant to their consumers,” she said.
Mindra said similar research in renewable energy can be used to guide ministries and inform innovations that promote clean and affordable energy.
“There’s so much work being done there, rich models, rich recommendations, rich discussions in there. Can we use them to advise the ministry?” she said.
She also noted that MUBS is extending beyond its traditional focus on business and management to contribute to Uganda’s national development agenda.
“We have grown beyond simply business and management but to go into spaces that are relevant in terms of the national development plan, Vision 2040, and the African Union’s Agenda 2063,” she said.
Delivering the keynote address, Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) Deputy Executive Director, Dr. Fred Senono, called for stronger links between research and policy to ensure energy decisions are based on evidence.
“As Uganda Bureau of Statistics, we recognise that data and evidence are the foundation of a sound energy policy. Statistics tell a story of our energy demand, production, and consumption patterns, which are important to change our country,” he said.
He said UBOS is now focusing on developing energy and environmental statistics to measure the sector’s contribution to Uganda’s economy.
“We are looking at how much energy is contributing to our gross domestic product. And without knowing how much energy contributes to the economy, then you cannot invest in it,” he said.
Senono added that UBOS is working with the Danish Embassy to strengthen Uganda’s energy accounts and environmental statistics.
“Many people think UBOS is only doing surveys and census, but one of the core activities is to generate national GDP figures. Any borrowing of the Ugandan government is based on GDP figures, and that means we need the right data, the right studies, and the right people to improve them,” he said.
The symposium featured research presentations, exhibitions, and panel discussions involving academia, policymakers, and private sector actors.
Organisers said the event sought to promote research dissemination, strengthen collaboration in the energy ecosystem, and raise awareness about clean cooking and other renewable energy innovations.