On Monday, 11th March 2019, Makerere University together with North Carolina State University (NC State) USA convened the East African Higher Education Summit under the theme: Teaching, Research and Engagement in the East Africa Sub-region: Agenda for Building Communities for Resilience in Kampala, Uganda. The purpose for the Summit was to develop strategies to strengthen higher education in the East Africa region, which expands the partnership between Mak and NC State established in 2015.

Pursuant to the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals and the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the partnership has been expanded to form a collaboration to include Gulu University (Uganda), Mount Kenya University (Kenya) and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (Uganda).

Recognizing that Universities are expected to change their role from simply knowledge generation to a more proactive role of generating knowledge that contributes to development, on Tuesday, 12th March 2019 the Vice-Chancellors and senior representatives of Universities assembled at this Summit and signed a communiqué expressing their commitment to further deepen the strategic partnership between the collaborating institutions.

They also underscored the importance of multilateral collaboration as an instrument to address current and future global challenges namely; food security, climate change and public health through community engagement.

Ugandan and Regional Universities were represented by Prof. George Openjuru – Vice Chancellor Gulu University, Assoc. Prof. Gertrude Kiwanuka – Mbarara University of Science and Technology, and Prof. Peter Wanderi, Principal Corporate Services, Mount Kenya University (MKU).  

As the Directorate for Research and Graduate Training (DRGT), we commend the Vice Chancellors for their decision to explore how higher education in East Africa can be strengthened, with emphasis on regional collaboration mechanisms, to improve and build communities of resilience.

On the opening day, Prof. A.B. Kasozi delivered a keynote address on The State of Higher Education and its role and national Development. Dr. Robert Ayine – Senior Higher Education Officer Quality Assurance, National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) also made a presentation on The Role of National Council for Higher Education in Promoting Quality in Higher Education.

The NC State delegation was led by Dr. Bailian Li – Senior Vice Provost for Global Engagement. It was also made up of David Dixon – Director of Global Partnerships in the Office of Global Engagement, Assoc. Prof. James Kiwanuka Tondo – Department of Communication, Prof. Juliana Nfah-Abbenyi – Assistant Dean for Diversity, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dr. Steve Lommel – Professor of Plant Pathology, Dr. Craig Yencho – Program Leader Sweetpotato and Potato Breeding and Genetics Programs and José Cisneros – Assistant Professor of Practice Horticulture International & Entrepreneurship.

Prof. Josip Simunovic – Research Professor of Food Science, Dr. DeLeon Gray – Associate Professor of Educational Psychology, Dr. Matthew Booker – Associate Professor of History, Dr. Moses Khisa – Assistant Professor of Political Science, Dr. Lokendra Pal – Associate Professor of Forestry, Dr. Veronica Cateté – Research Scientist Computer Science, Dr. Siddhartha Thakur – Professor of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Jessica Murphy – Director of Student Involvement and Dr. Daniel Findley, Senior Research Associate with the Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) also made up the delegation.

Please see Downloads for the Communiqué

Article by Professor Buyinza Mukadasi, Director, DRGT, Makerere University