The NCHE held its 3rd Higher Education Conference from the 18th – 20th of May 2021 at Makerere University Business School (MUBS), Nakawa.
Although it was the 3rd Higher Education Conference, it was, however, the first Virtual Higher Education conference on the theme of Adapting current and future challenges for Higher Education under the Covid- 19 pandemic.
Speaking at the opening of this conference, Executive Director Prof. Mary J. N. Okwakol highlighted the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic which has affected Higher Institutions and brought learning to a halt with many institutions closing down.
She said the world will live with the pandemic and other services such as learning must also go on amidst the pandemic and therefore the need to adopt measures that will enable continued learning in Institutions despite the Covid pandemic.
She said that Institutions in the developed world that had adapted electronic learning were not affected like those in Uganda which were forced to close down to avoid the spread of the pandemic.
She advised institutions to embrace the emergency ODeL system which NCHE approved to ensure continued learning in Institutions.
While Closing the conference on its 3rd day, the Deputy Executive director Rev. Canon Dr. Alex Kagume advised institutions to embrace change saying that it is high time Institutions changed their attitude towards online learning because it is now the way to go.
He said there is a need to have infrastructure development to have internet connectivity and Institutions should also invest in technological development if they are to adapt to the current challenges in higher education as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
