Professor Sarah Evelyn Nabwire Ssali has been appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Makerere University.
With this appointment, she becomes only the second woman in the university’s 102-year history to hold the role , a milestone that underscores progress in gender equality and the rising influence of women’s leadership in higher education across Africa.
Prof. Ssali’s appointment crowns a remarkable career spanning over two decades of service at Makerere University. She has held key leadership roles, including Dean of the School of Women and Gender Studies (2017–2024) and Acting Director of the Institute of Gender and Development Studies.
Currently, she also leads the Centre of Excellence in African Identities under the African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) — a platform that amplifies African scholarship on identity, gender, and transformation.
An accomplished Professor of Gender and Development Studies, Ssali has authored or co-authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, edited volumes, and book chapters. Her research has significantly influenced policy and practice in public policy, institutions, social transformation, gender, global health, and health systems.
Beyond academia, she has been instrumental in strengthening Makerere’s governance, serving on the University Council since 2010 and chairing critical committees on Quality Assurance, Gender Mainstreaming, and ICT — ensuring that gender perspectives are embedded in institutional reform and policy.
Prof. Ssali’s academic journey reflects a lifelong commitment to empowering women and shaping inclusive institutions. She holds a PhD in International Health Studies from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh, and both a Master of Arts in Women and Gender Studies and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences (Political Science and Public Administration) from Makerere University.
She follows in the footsteps of Professor Lillian Tibatemwa-Ekirikubinza, the first woman to hold the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs), who later became a Justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda. Like her predecessor, Prof. Ssali’s appointment reinforces the message that women’s leadership belongs at the highest levels of academia and governance.
A New Chapter for Makerere
Vice-Chancellor Barnabas Nawangwe lauded Ssali as an “outstanding scholar, administrator, and leader whose service will further strengthen the University’s academic excellence.” The appointment has also drawn praise from the Makerere University Endowment Fund and Uganda’s Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Thomas Tayebwa, who both hailed the milestone as a beacon for women aspiring to leadership in academia.
As Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Prof. Ssali will oversee teaching, learning, and research policy, playing a central role in shaping the academic future of Uganda’s oldest and largest public university.
Her leadership marks not only a personal achievement but also a powerful symbol of progress — affirming that women’s voices and expertise are integral to Africa’s academic and social transformation.
“When women lead, institutions thrive. Prof. Ssali’s journey is an inspiration to the next generation of African women scholars and leaders.”
