PROGRAMME

9th – 11th September 2025 | Kampala, Uganda

Time
Activity

8.00-9.00 am

Arrival and Registration
IUCEA Secretariat & Local Organising Committee

Opening Ceremony of the 1st Regional Ministerial Conference on the East African Common Higher Education Area

Chair of Session

Prof. Gaspard Banyankimbona – Executive Secretary, IUCEA

9.00-11.00 am

  • Ugandan anthem
  • EAC anthem
  • IUCEA Prayer
  • Introduction of Participants
  • Remarks by the Chairperson, Forum of CEOs of Higher Education‑ Councils/ Commissions – Prof. Mary J. N. Okwakol.
  • Statement of the Secretary General of EAC, H.E. Amb. Veronica M. Nduva.
  • Address by the First Lady and Minister of Education & Sports, Republic of Uganda, Hon. Janet Kataha Museveni.

 

Keynote Presentation: “Enhancing the EAC Regional Integration through Harmonised Higher Education Systems” by H.E. Jakaya Kikwete, Former President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

Official Opening by H.E. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of the Republic of Uganda.

11.00 – 12.00 am

Group Photograph & Health Break

Chair of Session

Prof. Mike Kuria, Commission Secretary, Commission for University Education (CUE), Kenya

12.00 -12.45 pm

Keynote 1: “The East African Common Higher Education Area (EACHEA) – Progress, Promise and the Road Ahead” by the Executive Secretary of IUCEA – Prof. Gaspard Banyankimbona

12.45 -1.00 pm

Plenary Session 1 – Open Discussion

1.00-2.00 pm

Health Break (Lunch)

Sub-Theme 1:
Chairperson

Harmonisation of the East African Higher Education System
Prof. Chacha Nyaigoti Chacha, Former Executive Secretary of IUCEA

2.00 – 2.20 pm

Presentation 1: Harmonising Legal and Policy frameworks for effective Implementation of the EACHEA- Prof. Bonaventure Rutinwa, DVC-ARC, University of Dar es Salaam

2.20 – 2.40 pm

Presentation 2: Quality Assurance and Accreditation Systems in East Africa – Prof. Mike Kuria

2.40 – 3.00 pm

Presentation 3: Curriculum Benchmarks and Credit Transfer in East Africa – Prof. Paul Muoki Nzioki, President of East Africa Higher Education Quality Assurance Network (EAQAN)

3.00 – 4.00 pm

Panel Session 1 (3 Panelists): Legal and Policy, Quality Assurance and Curriculum Benchmarks

  • Prof. Charles Kihampa – Executive Secretary, Tanzania Commission for Universities (TCU) – URT
  • Dr Edward Kadozi, Director General, Higher Education Council (HEC) – Rwanda
  • Prof. Leonidas Ndayizeye, Permanent Executive Secretary, National Commission for Higher Education (NCHE) – Burundi

4.00 – 4.30 pm

Open Discussion

4.30 -5.30 pm 

Tour of Exhibition Stalls & Health Break

Time
Activity

8.00 – 8.30 am

Arrival and Registration
IUCEA Secretariat & Local Organising Committee

Ministerial Session

Chair of Session

First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Hon. Janet Kataha Museveni

8.30- 9.00 am

Recap of Day 1 & submission of draft communiqué to Ministers

9.00 – 11.00 am

Ministerial Round Table (Closed Session)
 Ministerial Statements on the Status of the EAC Common Higher Education Area in each Partner State

  • Republic of Burundi
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Republic of Kenya
  • Republic of Rwanda
  • Federal Republic of Somalia
  • Republic of South Sudan
  • The United Republic of Tanzania
  • Republic of Uganda

11.00 -11.30 am

Health Break

11.30 -1.00 pm

Deliberation on Common Issues, Challenges and Policy Options for a Joint Ministerial Communiqué

1.00 -2.00 pm

Lunch Break

2.00 -4.00 pm

Tour of Exhibition Stalls and Ministerial Networking Session

Technical Session

Chair of Session

Prof. Charles Kihampa, Executive Secretary, Tanzania Commission for Universities

8.30- 9.00 am

Recap of Day 1 & announcements
Rapporteur

Sub-Theme 2:

INCLUSIVITY AND ACCESS TO HIGHER EDUCATION

9.00 -9.30 am

 


9.30 -9.50 am

Keynote 2: Ensuring all students and staff in EAC have an equal opportunity to succeed – Dr. Abdinur Sheikh Mohamud, Chairperson, Somali National Commission for Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education, Federal Republic of Somalia

Presentation 4: Recognition of Academic and Professional Qualifications in East Africa; Barriers and Opportunities for Regional Integration- Dr. Alice Kande, Director General, Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA)

9.50 -10.10 am

Presentation 5: Towards a Gender-Inclusive and Transformative Higher Education System – Prof. Mabel Imbuga, Former Vice Chancellor, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)

10.10 -10.30 am

Presentation 6: Strategies for Financing Education of disadvantaged populations – Prof. Buyinza Mukadasi, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Makerere University

10.30 – 11.00 am

Open Discussion

11.00 – 11.30 am

Health Break

Chair of Session

Prof. Kabule Weva-Wetu – Permanent Secretary, Commission for Higher and University Education, DRC

SUB-THEME 3:

STUDENT AND ACADEMIC STAFF MOBILITY

11.30 -12.00 am

Keynote 3: Accelerating Regional Integration through Student and Academic Staff Mobility in East African Community – Prof. Mary J. N. Okwakol, Executive Director, National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), Uganda

12.00 -12.40 am

Panel Session 2 (4 panelists): Student Mobility; Staff Mobility; Managing regional and international students; financing mobility programmes.

  1. “Promoting regional integration through Students Mobility Programs: Lessons from IUCEA” – Prof. Meshack Amos Obonyo, Senior Principal Exchange and Partnership, IUCEA
  2. “Promoting regional resources sharing through Staff Mobility: Sharing experiences and drawing lessons from the past” – Prof. Amandus P. Muhairwa, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Sokoine University of Agriculture
  3. “Integration of regional and international students in HEIs: Experiences from INES RUHENGERI, Rwanda” – Rev Fr. Dr. Jean Bosco Baribeshya, Vice Chancellor, INES RUHENGERI
  4. “Financing mobility and Scholarship Programs: Lessons from DAAD and Erasmus+ Programmes” – Mr. Stefan Bienefeld, Head of Division Transnational Education and Cooperation Programmes/ P2, German academic Exchange Service (DAAD)

12.40 – 1.00 pm

Open Discussion

1.00 -2.00 pm

Lunch Break

Chair of Session

Prof. David NIYONZIMA, Vice Chancellor, International Leadership University, Burundi

SUB-THEME 4:

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION OF HIGHER EDUCATION

2.00 – 2.30 pm

Keynote 4: Enhancing Learning and Institutional Efficiency through Digital Transformation – Prof. Silas Lwakabamba, Former Vice Chancellor and Minister of Education, Republic of Rwanda

2.30 – 2.50 pm

Presentation 7: Digital Networks and Infrastructure for Digital Transformation of Higher Education – Prof. Leonard James Mselle, Principal College of Informatics and Virtual Education, University of Dodoma

2.50 – 3.10 pm

Presentation 8: Developing Digital Learning Platforms and integration of AI in teaching and learning for Regional Integration – Dr. Ernest Mwebaze, Executive Director, Sunbird AI, Uganda

SUB-THEME 5:

RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIPS IN HE
Chairperson: Prof. Robert Mayom Kuoirot Deng, VC University of Juba, South Sudan

3.10 – 3.40 pm

Keynote 5: Funding and Support for Research and Innovation across East Africa – Dr. Sylvance Okoth Executive Secretary, EASTECO (Rwanda)

3.40 – 4.00 pm

Presentation 9: Strengthening Public-Private Partnerships for Regional Development – Mr. Bernard Paul Mono, Ag. Director General, East African Development Bank (EADB) – Kampala

4.00 – 4.20 pm

Presentation 10: Building Research Networks and Centers of Excellence for Regional Development – Prof. Celestino Obua, Former Vice Chancellor, Mbarara University of Schience and Technology

4.20 – 5.00 pm

Plenary Session – Open Discussion

7.00 – 9.00 pm

Dinner and Cultural Integration

Time
Activity

8.00-8.30 am

Arrival and Registration
IUCEA Secretariat & Local Organising Committee

Chair of Session

Hon. Julius Migos Ogamba, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Education – Republic of Kenya

8.30- 9.00 am

Recap of Day 2 & submission of draft communiqué to Ministers

9.00-11.00 am

Ministerial Round Table

  • Ministerial Closing Statements
  • Republic of Burundi
  • Democratic Republic of Congo
  • Republic of Kenya
  • Republic of Rwanda
  • Federal Republic of Somalia
  • Republic of South Sudan
  • The United Republic of Tanzania
  • Republic of Uganda

Adoption of the Joint Ministerial Communiqué

Parallel Session

Parallel Session

9.00 – 11.00 am

Parallel Dialogue for other delegates: Operationalising Action Points and Partnerships

11.00 -11.30 am

Health Break

11.30 -1.00 am

Presentation of Ministerial Kampala Communiqué

1.00 – 2.00 pm 

Health Break (Lunch Break)

Closing Ceremony

Closing Ceremony

Chair of Session

Prof. Idris A. Rai, Deputy Executive Secretary, IUCEA

2.00 – 4.00 pm

  • Vote of thanks – Chair, Forum of CEOs for Higher Education Commissions
  • Remarks – Executive Secretary IUCEA and EAC Secretariat
  • Official Closing by the Host Minister – First Lady and Minister of Education & Sports, Republic of Uganda, Hon. Janet Kataha Museveni.