
On Friday, November 8, 2024, the School of Engineering, Makerere university, in partnership with Cadence Design Systems and additional support from the UNESCO CFIT III project, hosted the Cadence Innovation Challenge Pitching Event. This event was held under the theme “Green Skills for a Sustainable Future.” It brought together twenty-five student teams from the College of Engineering, Design, Art, and Technology (CEDAT) and the College of Computing and Information Science (CoCIS). The students showcased their vision for a more sustainable future through green skills and technology-driven projects.

During the event Professor Henry Alinaitwe, the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Finance and Administration, encouraged students to take advantage of such platforms to hone their skills and embrace the opportunity to contribute to sustainable development. He further commended the initiative’s efforts to promote cross-disciplinary collaboration.
In attendance was Nick Heaton, a special guest from Cadence Design Systems, who provided guidance and professional insights to the teams. He added real-world industry perspective to the competition, enabling students to better align their projects with global trends in sustainability and technology.
Following the pitching event, the participants returned on Saturday, November 9, 2024, for an intensive mini boot camp held at the CEDAT Boardroom in the Old Building. This boot camp provided an interactive learning environment that emphasized essential career development skills, from effective pitching techniques to work plan design. The students engaged in a hands-on session, where they were divided into two groups to design work plans.
By bringing together industry expertise, academic resources, and student ingenuity, such initiatives exemplify how Makerere University is empowering the next generation of innovators to address real-world challenges and build a greener, more sustainable future.
By Denise Kazooba