Kampala, Uganda: Former Makerere University Vice Chancellor and renowned mathematician Professor Livingstone Serwadda Luboobi has died. His death was confirmed Wednesday evening by close family members.
Prof. Luboobi, 80, passed away at Mulago National Referral Hospital, where he had been admitted for several weeks battling an undisclosed illness.
Born on December 25, 1944, in Kalisizo, Rakai District, Prof. Luboobi’s academic journey spanned over five decades. He joined Makerere University in 1970 as a Special Assistant and rose steadily through the ranks: Lecturer (1973), Senior Lecturer (1977), Associate Professor (1985), and Full Professor (1997).
A celebrated academic, Prof. Luboobi held a PhD in Applied Mathematics (Biomathematics) from the University of Adelaide, Australia (1978–1980), an MSc in Operations Research from the University of Toronto, Canada (1971–1972), and graduated First Class with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Makerere University.
He further trained at the University of California, Berkeley as a Fulbright Scholar and carried out research at the University of Bergen, Norway.
He served as Head of the Department of Mathematics (1990–1991) and Dean of the Faculty of Science for two terms (1994–2001) before ascending to Vice Chancellor. He was also a founding member of the Makerere University Private Sector Forum.
Prof Luboobi served as Vice Chancellor of Makerere University from 2004 to 2009, during which he championed international collaborations, strengthened alumni-driven fundraising efforts, and spearheaded strategic investments aimed at bolstering the university’s global profile.
In 2008, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Bergen for his efforts in fostering internationalisation. In 2013, Makerere University honoured him with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his exceptional contribution to academia and university leadership.
Throughout his career, Prof. Luboobi lectured internationally, including at the University of Toronto and the University of Dar es Salaam, and supervised numerous Master’s and PhD students in applied mathematics.
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