The National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) hosted this year’s Higher Education Week in Gulu City from 23rd to 28th March 2026.
This marked the third edition of the event to be held outside Kampala, following the second edition in Mbarara City in 2025 and the inaugural edition in Mbale City in 2024.
The week-long event was conducted in accordance with Section 4(b) of the Universities and Other Tertiary Institutions Act, Cap 262, Laws of Uganda, which mandates NCHE to disseminate information on higher education for the benefit of the public. The event featured a conference and exhibition aimed at promoting innovation, quality assurance, and collaboration within the higher education sector.
The conference was graced by Hon. Norbert Mao, the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, as the Chief Guest. In his address, he emphasized the critical role of universities and tertiary institutions in shaping a skilled and forward thinking workforce. He called upon institutions to embrace reforms and align their programmes with national development priorities, highlighting the need for creativity, research, and practical. skills among graduates.
Mao further commended NCHE for organizing this year’s event in Gulu, noting that the platform provided an opportunity for the people of Gulu to interact with academia, reflect, engage in dialogue, and share best practices among institutions of higher learning.
The exhibition, which ran for three days after the conference, was officially opened on 26th March 2026 by Hon. John C. Muyingo, who applauded universities and other Higher Education Institutions for showcasing innovative projects and research outputs. He reiterated the government’s commitment to supporting higher education reforms, particularly the shift towards competence-based education and training.
Participants at the exhibition had the opportunity to explore a wide range of innovations, research findings, and academic programmes presented by universities and other tertiary institutions. The displays underscored the growing emphasis on practical, solution-oriented learning in Uganda’s higher education landscape.
The Higher Education Week in Gulu served as a significant platform for strengthening partnerships between academia, government, and the private sector. It also reaffirmed NCHE’s commitment to ensuring quality, relevance, and innovation in higher education across the country.
The event was also graced by the Woman MP for Gulu City, Hon. Betty Aol Ochan; the RDC of Amuru, Odong Latek Stephen; and the Mayor of Gulu City, Alfred Okwonga.
In his closing remarks, the MP for Gulu West (Bardege-Layibi Division), Ojara Martin Mapenduzi, called upon students in the region to use the information obtained from the exhibition to make informed decisions. regarding institutions and academic programmes.
Uganda Christian University emerged as the best exhibitor( photo below), followed by Mountains of the Moon University and Uganda Martyrs University emerged the third in the category of Public and Chartered Universities.
In the category of Provisional License and Other Degree Awarding Institutions, LivingStone International University( photo below) emerged as the best exhibitor, followed by Kumi University and Equator University of Science and Technology emerged the third.
in the category of Other Tertiary Institutions, Uganda Institute of Information and Communication Technology( photo below) took top position , followed by Mildmay Institute of Health Sciences and the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services emerged as the third.
