Taking the case of Makerere University, this study delved into the rati onale underlying university parti cipati on in development planning and steps that universiti es could take to enhance their partnership with government and the private sector. Data were collected from 381 respondents, who included academic staff , managers and student leaders at the University. The respondents suggested that the University should help the government in drawing and implementi ng development plans, adding that this could provide a means of overcoming its antagonisti c relati onship with the government. Regarding the steps the University could take to help government, they suggested that it could tailor its research and teaching programs to complement the latt er's eff orts; restrain from parti san politi cs; include more government representati ves on its committ ees; and mobilize private sector support for its programmes. Regarding government's role in harnessing the University's contributi on to nati onal development, the respondents suggested that government should respect the University's autonomy as well as its members' academic and democrati c freedom. Finally, the respondents argued for university-private-sector-alignment, urging that the University partners with relevant private sector actors to design curricula and research programmes that, respecti vely, produce graduates and informati on that are demanded in the contemporary market.