Call for Applications: Mak-CAD 2025 Internship Program for Ugandan Students

The Makerere Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (Mak-CAD) is at the forefront of AI research and innovation in Africa. Our mission is to harness the transformative power of Artificial Intelligence to address critical continental issues, improve human development indices, and contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We are committed to “Building Responsible AI Research and Innovations for Impact,” ensuring our work is ethical, fair, and beneficial to society. As an intern, you’ll be part of a dynamic team working on projects funded by prestigious partners like IDRC Canada and the UK’s FCDO.

Eligibility Criteria for Call for Applications: Mak-CAD 2025 Internship Program for Ugandan Students

The eligibility criteria include:

1. Currently enrolled in a bachelor’s degree program in Computer Science, Information Technology, Software Engineering, Data Science, or a closely related field at a recognized Ugandan university.
2. Must maintain student status throughout the internship duration (June-July 2025).
3. Basic programming experience (Python is highly preferred; Java or JavaScript also considered).
4. Solid understanding of fundamental data structures and algorithms.
5. A demonstrable passion for AI and its potential for positive impact in Africa.
6. Eagerness to learn, adapt, and contribute proactively in a dynamic research environment.
7. Familiarity with machine learning concepts is an added advantage.
8. Prior experience with relevant projects (academic or personal) is desirable but not mandatory.
9. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
10. Excellent teamwork and communication skills.

Focus Areas & Potential Projects:

1. Software Development for AI:

1. Design and develop software solutions for AI-driven applications in health, agriculture, or other key sectors.
2. Contribute to building and maintaining AI-ready datasets for African contexts.
3. Develop robust back-end systems and APIs for AI models.
4. Engage in agile development practices and collaborative coding.

2. Computer Vision:

1. Assist in designing, training, and evaluating computer vision models for applications like medical image analysis or precision agriculture.
2. Work with image/video datasets, including augmentation, annotation, and pre-processing.
3. Explore and implement state-of-the-art deep learning architectures for vision tasks.

3. Natural Language Processing (NLP):

1. Contribute to projects focusing on under-resourced African languages (e.g., data collection, model building for machine translation or speech recognition 10).
2. Work on NLP applications such as sentiment analysis, text summarization, or information extraction tailored for local contexts.
3. Explore techniques for low-resource NLP and culturally relevant AI

Benefits of Call for Applications: Mak-CAD 2025 Internship Program for Ugandan Students

The internship benefits include:

1. Hands-on experience with real-world AI research and development projects
2. Mentorship from leading AI researchers
3. Opportunity to contribute to high-impact solutions in sectors like health and agriculture
4. Exposure to global partnerships and professional development within a top-tier research environment

Internship Program Courses

1. Computer Science
2. Data Science
3. Information Technology
4. Software Engineering

How to Apply

Interested and qualified? Go to Makerere University Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science (Mak-CAID) on docs.google.com to apply

For more details, visit Mak-CAD Internship webpage

Application Deadline

May 14, 2025

Application Link(s)

• Apply for Call for Applications: Mak-CAD 2025 Internship Program for Ugandan Students