During the visit, Prof. Mushengyezi toured UMU’s facilities and commended its steady institutional growth and transformation agenda.

He acknowledged the leadership of Prof. Kyamanywa, noting that UMU’s progress reflects deliberate planning and consistent commitment to academic quality and institutional development.

He emphasized that African universities must increasingly position themselves as co-creators of solutions to pressing societal challenges, including climate resilience, food systems transformation, and youth employment.

He stressed that the future of higher education will be shaped less by competition and more by the depth of collaboration among institutions.

This direction is already being advanced through the Universities Futures Network (UFN), a consortium comprising UCU, UMU, Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), and several East African universities.

As Chair of UFN, Prof. Mushengyezi provides strategic coordination aimed at strengthening future-oriented curricula, cross-border research collaboration, and digital transformation in higher education.

The universities also continue to collaborate under the RUFORUM-led Transforming African Agricultural Universities to Meaningfully Contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev) Programme, which supports agricultural transformation, climate resilience, and inclusive development.

Prof. Mushengyezi has consistently described TAGDev as a shift toward practical, impact-oriented education that equips young people with skills to build sustainable livelihoods through agriculture and innovation.

On 12 June 2026, Prof. Mushengyezi held discussions with the Vice Chancellor of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Prof. Pauline Byakika-Kibwika, focusing on expanding cooperation in research, innovation, and institutional capacity development.

The meeting resulted in a commitment from MUST to support UCU through specialists from its Research Institute and Centre for Innovations and Technology Transfer.

(Left) MUST VC Prof. Pauline Byakika-Kibwika and (Right) UCU VC Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi during discussions on research and collaboration at Mbarara University of Science and Technology.

These experts will train UCU staff in research design, competitive grant writing, and innovation management, areas critical for strengthening institutional research competitiveness and global engagement.

Prof. Mushengyezi noted that universities must transition from primarily teaching-focused institutions to stronger engines of research, innovation, and policy engagement. He emphasized that building robust internal research capacity is essential for universities seeking to actively shape development agendas rather than respond to them.

The two Vice Chancellors also agreed to strengthen cooperation in science curriculum development and to exchange best practices in governance, strategic planning, and institutional management.

Prof. Mushengyezi shared insights from his experience managing a large, multi-campus university, highlighting the importance of adaptive leadership, decentralized systems, and balancing institutional growth with academic quality assurance.

Overall, the engagements reflect Prof. Mushengyezi’s contribution to strengthening collaborative higher education practice in the region. His approach emphasizes structured partnerships, shared innovation systems, and institutional cooperation as key drivers of impact and relevance.

Through his stewardship of the Universities Futures Network and continued engagement with initiatives such as the TAGDev Programme, UCU is contributing to a broader shift in African higher education toward collaboration, innovation, and development-focused impact.

These partnerships with UMU and MUST reinforce UCU’s commitment to building a connected, responsive, and future-oriented higher education ecosystem that addresses Africa’s evolving needs.