By Timothy Okurut
Uganda Christian University (UCU) successfully kicked off day one of the annual National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) Exhibition in Mbarara. The three-day event, running from March 27 to 29 at Kamukuzi City Headquarters, is themed “Strategies, Challenges, and Practices for Artificial Intelligence Integration in Higher Education in Uganda”.
The exhibition has drawn participation from 37 universities, 14 tertiary institutions, and seven non-educational organisations, including the Inter-University Council for East Africa and Enabel, the Belgian government’s development agency. UCU, known for its innovation driven approach to education, is showcasing its latest advancements in AI integration and higher learning solutions alongside other institutions.
UCU’s team, led by Vincent Kisenyi, the Dean of the School of Business, comprises representatives from the Schools of Business, Law, Journalism, Education, Social Science, and the Faculty of Engineering, Design, and Technology. In his welcome remarks to the team, Kisenyi encouraged them, saying the exhibition is not just about outclassing other institutions but involves sharing UCU values and principles. “We have not come to compete but to show the work of the Lord,” he said. Voicing his confidence in UCU’s previous performances during such outings, he encouraged the team to replicate the success. “We are an A team,” he said.
UCU goes to Mbarara following a five-year streak of being awarded best exhibitor at the NCHE exhibitions. The Director of Student Affairs (DOSA), Ms Pamela Tumwebaze, is confident that UCU can keep this trend. “If you walk around the stalls, we have a wider variety than all the others,” she said. She also added that a number of staff members are manning the stalls of other universities, while UCU’s presentation is student-led. “If you move around, you’ll discover that most people have more staff than students even to explain; our things are manned by students, which I think is also cool.” She also added that this mode of handling things is credible. “A university that fronts their students shows that it actually knows how to empower,” she noted.
The Deputy Speaker of Parliament, the Rt Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, is expected to grace the event as the curations close on Saturday.
