IUCEA Annual Conference opens with call for stronger partnerships to transform higher education in East Africa
More than 400 participants convene in Nairobi as IUCEA launches its Strategic Plan 2026–2031 and the Regional AI Network of Universities
NAIROBI, Kenya, 29 July 2026 — The 17th Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) Annual Meeting and Conference opened in Nairobi today, with a call for stronger partnerships to transform higher education across East Africa.
The conference brought together more than 400 participants, including policymakers, university leaders, higher education regulators, researchers, students, industry representatives and development partners from East Africa and beyond.
The three-day conference was convened by IUCEA in partnership with the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kenya under the theme, “Powering the Future of Higher Education in East Africa through Strategic Partnerships and Collaborations.”
Speaking at the opening session, the Chief Guest, the Principal Secretary for Higher Education and Research, Ministry of Education, Republic of Kenya, who represented the Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, “Our universities should become living laboratories where students work alongside industry to solve real problems. We must build stronger bridges between knowledge and enterprise, discovery and deployment, and research and revenue” .
The Ag. Chairperson of the IUCEA Executive Committee, Prof. Rose Clarke Nanyonga, urged participants to form stronger partnerships and leave the conference with one bold commitment to advance higher education.
The Ag. Executive Secretary of IUCEA, Prof. Idris A. Rai said, “The question before us is no longer whether higher education should transform. The question is how we transform it—together. The universities that will shape tomorrow’s East Africa are not those that work in isolation, but those that collaborate across disciplines, sectors and national borders”.
New strategic plan and regional AI network
IUCEA used the conference to launch its Strategic Plan 2026–2031, developed through consultations with Partner States, universities, regulators, students, industry and development partners.
The Deputy Secretary General, East African Community, Ms. Annette Semuwemba, said, “The strategic plan must deliver tangible benefits to the people of East Africa. It should not remain a document that we merely discuss. It must become a practical blueprint demonstrating how IUCEA contributes to the wellbeing and prosperity of the region’s citizens”.
The Regional AI Network of Universities was also launched to connect institutions working in AI education, research and innovation, pool expertise and infrastructure, and strengthen capacity to develop universities to use artificial intelligence responsibly.
The Deputy Head of Development Cooperation, Embassy of Germany in Kenya, Ms. Friederike Hemker, said, “No Partner State can build world-class capacity in every field alone. A Common East African Higher Education Area allows universities to specialise, students to move where expertise exists, and qualifications to be trusted across borders”.
IUCEA is also expected to formalise new collaborations with the Information Centre on Academic Mobility and Equivalence (CIMEA) of Italy, the High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education (HCERES) of France, and the Christian Television System (CTS) of the Republic of Korea. A partnership and innovation exhibition is showcasing university research, innovation hubs, TVET innovations and enterprises led by young innovators.
About IUCEA
The Inter-University Council for East Africa is a specialised institution of the East African Community that coordinates higher education and research and supports quality assurance, academic mobility, qualifications recognition, research, innovation and cooperation among institutions across EAC Partner States.
Media contact:
Gai Peter Manyuon, PhD
Public Relations and Corporate Communications Officer
Inter-University Council for East Africa
E-mail: gmanyuon@iucea.org
Website: www.iucea.org
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