Makerere Institute of Social Research

What Makerere Institute of Social Research does

Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) is an academic research institute within Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, founded in 2012, that conducts critical social research on Africa with a deliberate decolonial orientation. Its core academic product is an interdisciplinary MPhil/PhD program in Social Studies, organized around five research groups covering Identity, Political Identity, Labour Migration, Gender, and Land/Social Reproduction & Food Sovereignty, and supported by structured doctoral coursework (SSR7104, SSR7105, SSR7207, SSR8102). The institute also operates a specialized library of approximately 11,000 books and 300 bound periodical volumes, publishes the annual MISR Review peer-reviewed journal, and runs recurring programming including the Wednesday Seminar Series, the Global Lecture Series, and the Graduate Students' Conference. MISR affiliated researchers and faculty include prominent scholars in decolonial studies, with Prof. Lyn Ossome as Director and Prof. Mahmood Mamdani as an externally affiliated senior figure.

The institute's revenue model is a hybrid of institutional grants and modest direct charges. Primary funding flows from the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada under the MISR Think Tank Initiative, with additional project funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for the multi-university 'Decolonisation, the Disciplines and the University' consortium. Secondary, immaterial revenue streams include an annual affiliate fee of USD 1,000 charged to external researchers for research clearance purposes, Makerere University tuition for enrolled PhD students, and publication sales via [email protected]. The institute has no technology product surface, no proprietary software, and no commercial go-to-market motion; growth is driven by academic reputation, seminar and conference programming, and partnerships with African universities, Columbia University, the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences Calcutta, and the University of Ghana.

MISR's customers are scholars and graduate students rather than commercial buyers. The primary user segment is a cohort of 30+ currently enrolled PhD fellows pursuing interdisciplinary doctoral research, supported by postdoctoral fellows, research associates, and visiting research associates. Secondary segments include externally-based researchers who purchase MISR Affiliate status for research clearance and access to the library and seminar series, and the broader academic community that consumes MISR's journal, working papers, and public lectures. The institute operates under Makerere University's governance as a public university unit, with no venture capital, private equity, or public listing involvement.

Name

Makerere Institute of Social Research

Legal name

Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR)

Website

https://misr.mak.ac.ug

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR) is an academic research institute within Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda, offering an interdisciplinary MPhil/PhD program in social studies with a decolonial focus, serving graduate students, visiting researchers, and academic affiliates across Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

akta.pro primary industry

Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB) (EDADAKAH)

Keywords

• Social science research
• Doctoral education
• Decolonial studies
• Interdisciplinary research
• Academic publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Kampala

HQ country

Uganda

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: Primary funding from International Development Research Centre (IDRC) of Canada under the MISR Think Tank Initiative. Additional support from Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for specific research projects.
2. Affiliate Fees: Annual affiliation fee of USD 1000 charged to external researchers seeking formal affiliation with MISR for research clearance purposes.
3. Graduate Education: Tuition and fees from MPhil/PhD program students enrolled at Makerere University.
4. Publication Sales: Revenue from sales of MISR publications, books, and the MISR Review journal. Contact for orders directed to [email protected].

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MISR is an academic research institute within Makerere University that delivers an interdisciplinary MPhil/PhD program in Social Studies, hosts five active research groups on decolonization, identity, gender, labour migration, and land/food sovereignty, publishes the peer-reviewed MISR Review journal and book series, and operates a specialized library open to affiliated researchers. The institute also runs a recurring Wednesday seminar series, a Global Lecture Series featuring prominent visiting scholars, and an affiliate program for externally-based researchers paying USD 1,000 annually.

Product overview

MISR is an academic research institute within Makerere University offering an interdisciplinary MPhil/PhD program in Social Studies. The portfolio includes five research groups (Identity, Political Identity, Labour Migration, Gender, and Land/Social Reproduction), the MISR Review peer-reviewed journal, specialized library services, structured doctoral courses, an affiliate program for visiting researchers, and regular seminar/events programming. These components work together to advance critical interdisciplinary social research focused on decolonization, postcolonial studies, and African political, social, and cultural phenomena.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MPhil/PhD Program in Social Studies An interdisciplinary MPhil/PhD program covering major debates in African studies, political thought, economic theory, colonialism, decolonization, and specialized thematic areas including cultural studies, political economy, and historical studies. Designed for prospective doctoral candidates seeking Africa-centered training in critical social research.
• MISR Affiliate Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple PhD completions annually with graduates assuming academic positions at universities across Africa
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Makerere University Library ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMISR Library operates as a branch library under Makerere University Library Services, providing reference and information services with focus on Anthropology, Sociology, Economics, Political Science, Education and Psychology. Library catalog accessible through makula.mak.ac.ug:8080/.
• Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProspective affiliates must understand UNCST requirements for research applications. MISR directs researchers to NRIMS platform (nrims.uncst.go.ug) for research clearance procedures.
• LEMU (Land and Equity Movement in Uganda)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMISR collaborates with LEMU's working group on land and agrarian questions. The land research group undertakes loose collaboration with LEMU on issues of land enclosures, evictions, dispossession, and food sovereignty.
• Various African Universities and Research InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMISR is developing Academic Collaborations with universities and research institutions primarily in Africa but also throughout the global South. Contact: [email protected] for collaborative relationships.
• Centre for Studies in Social Sciences Calcutta (CSSSC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Mellon Foundation-funded Decolonisation project. Hosts joint workshops and institutes with MISR on Cultural Studies and Political Studies.
• Institute of African Studies, University of GhanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Mellon Foundation-funded Decolonisation project. Collaborates on workshops and intellectual exchange programs.
• Ifriqiyya Colloquium, Columbia UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Mellon Foundation-funded Decolonisation project bringing together scholars from Columbia University and African institutions.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Broad incumbents

• Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA): Pan-African social science research council headquartered in Dakar. CODESRIA is the dominant African social science research network, comparable to MISR in mission but substantially larger and continent-wide in scope.
• Nordic Africa Institute: Sweden-based research institute focused on contemporary African studies with a similar combination of research, publication, and library programming. Comparable in mission but operates from a Northern institutional base.

Direct peers

• Centre for Studies in Social Sciences Calcutta: Direct academic research partner with MISR on the Mellon-funded Decolonisation consortium. CSSSC is a peer interdisciplinary social science research institute in South Asia with a comparable focus on critical theory and postcolonial scholarship.
• Centre for African Studies, University of Cape Town: UCT's Centre for African Studies is a multi-disciplinary African-focused research and graduate-training unit. Comparable to MISR in combining research, graduate training, and a regional focus on African social science.
• Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research (WiSER): WiSER at the University of the Witwatersrand is a leading African social research institute with a similar interdisciplinary focus on critical social science. It is a close comparable in scale, mission, and funding model.
• African Studies Centre Leiden: Leiden's African Studies Centre is a leading European hub for African social science research with a comparable mix of research, library, and publication activities. Directly comparable in academic mission and structure.
• Institute of African Studies, University of Ghana: Direct partner in the Mellon Decolonisation consortium. University of Ghana's Institute of African Studies is a West African academic research institute focused on African social, political, and cultural studies, directly comparable to MISR's mission.

Emerging players

• Institute for Humanities in Africa (HUMA), University of Cape Town: HUMA is a UCT-based interdisciplinary humanities research institute focused on African intellectual life. Comparable in pursuing critical, Africa-centered humanities research, though it is more emergent in scale.
• Bayreuth International Graduate School of African Studies (BIGSAS): BIGSAS is a structured doctoral program in African studies at the University of Bayreuth. It is comparable in combining graduate training with research on African social and political themes, though based in Germany.

Regional players

• Institute of Social Studies (ISS), Erasmus University Rotterdam: ISS is a graduate research and teaching institute focused on social science for development, with significant work on African contexts. It is comparable in combining graduate education with policy-relevant social research, though domiciled in Europe.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/makerere-institute-of-social-research

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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