The Executive Secretary of the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), Prof. Gaspard Banyankimbona, has hailed the successful conclusion of the 1st Regional Ministerial Conference on the East African Common Higher Education Area, describing it as a historic milestone for regional integration in higher education.
Speaking at the closing ceremony in Munyonyo, Kampala, Prof. Banyankimbona said the conference had proven that East Africa’s commitment to a shared higher education vision was no longer an aspiration but a reality.
“This 1st Ministerial Conference has demonstrated our collective will to achieve a common higher education area — from quality assurance frameworks, accreditation of programmes, harmonization of qualifications, to ensuring our graduates are relevant and competitive,” he noted.
The three-day meeting brought together ministers, parliamentarians, heads of higher education commissions, vice chancellors, development partners, student leaders, and industry representatives from across the East African Community (EAC). Delegates reviewed progress on the Common Higher Education Area, assessed challenges, and charted new innovations to strengthen quality, mobility, and mutual recognition of qualifications.
Prof. Banyankimbona extended special appreciation to the Government of Uganda for hosting the event, describing Kampala as the “beating heart of East African higher education this week.” He also commended the EAC Partner States for elevating higher education from a national priority to a regional imperative, and praised the IUCEA member institutions and organizing committees for their role in delivering a successful conference.
In a moving personal reflection, Prof. Banyankimbona — who will soon transition to a new assignment at the African Union Commission in the Education, Science, Technology and Innovation docket — paid tribute to ministers, permanent secretaries, vice chancellors, development partners, and his IUCEA team for their trust and collaboration during his tenure of four years and six months.
“This conference has reignited a fire — to build a truly Common Higher Education Area where students move as freely as ideas and our graduates are unstoppable. IUCEA will remain the heartbeat of regional academic integration,” he declared.
The conference, attended by Deputy Speaker of the Ugandan Parliament Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa and senior EAC officials, concluded with renewed commitments from all stakeholders to fast-track harmonization of higher education systems in the region.
