Yesterday, the Executive Director of the National council for higher Education Prof. Mary J. N. Okwakol, welcomed stakeholders to the 16th Higher Education Exhibition, reaffirming their commitment to advancing quality, relevant, and innovation-driven higher education in Uganda.
Graced by the Chief Guest, Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo, the event highlighted the successful regional rotation of the exhibition from Mbale (2024), to Mbarara (2025), and now Gulu (2026), in line with government guidance to deepen national outreach.
Prof. Okwakol noted that deliberations from the Higher Education Conference held earlier this week will inform policy direction, strengthen institutional practices, support alignment with national priorities such as Uganda Vision 2040 and the National Development Plan IV.
Prof. Joy C. Kwesiga, Chairperson of the NCHE highlighted the importance of this year’s theme, “Harnessing Innovations in Higher Education for Accelerated Economic Transformation,” noting that universities must go beyond teaching to become engines of innovation, entrepreneurship, and problem-solving in an increasingly technology-driven global landscape.
She further reaffirmed government of Uganda’s commitment through ministry of education and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to advancing research and innovation as key drivers of Uganda’s socio-economic transformation, while positioning NCHE as a critical regulator ensuring quality, relevance, and responsiveness of higher education.
On reforms, she revealed that NCHE has approved standards to operationalise Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET) in line with the directive of Hon. Janet Museveni with full rollout expected by the 2027/28 academic year.
She acknowledged existing challenges—ranging from limited CBET understanding & staffing gaps to infrastructure constraints but expressed confidence in collaborative solutions, especially with industry partners.
She also called for urgent amendments to the legal framework to address regulatory overlaps and strengthen enforcement mechanisms, while urging institutions to tackle constraints affecting research and innovation capacity.
In her closing remarks, Prof. Kwesiga encouraged students especially those from secondary schools to actively engage with the Exhibition to make informed academic and career choices, and called on all stakeholders to deepen partnerships that translate research into practical solutions for Uganda’s development.
