July 29 2025, (Kampala, Uganda): The 5th Board of the IGAD Council for Higher Education/IGAD Universities Forum meeting that was held July 28th – 29th 2025, in Kampala, Uganda, resolved to strengthen institutional governance and promote inclusion, equity and enhance access to Scholarships for displacement affected communities across the IGAD Region.
The Board also made recommendations to expand scholarship-supported disciplines to include green skills, digital transformation, and livelihoods-related training. As a platform for regional collaboration and integration, the members also made proposals proposed for student exchanges, joint research initiatives, and curriculum harmonization across IGAD member universities.
The IGAD Universities Forum is a platform that brings together University administrators from leading Universities in the IGAD Region and offers strategic guidance on numerous issues to enhance the coordination capabilities of the IGAD Education, Science, Technology, and Innovation Program.
The 5th Board met to deliberate on the status and progress on the implementation of the IGAD Regional Qualifications Framework (IGADQF), the status, progress and implementation of the IGAD Regional Scholarship Program and other similar initiatives across the region, and finalization of the selection process of the second cohort of beneficiaries under the IGAD Regional Scholarship Program.
The Head of Social Development at the IGAD Secretariat, Dr. Victoria Anib underscored achievements of the Board including efforts at harmonising curricula and credit transfer systems through the IGAD Qualifications Framework that is enabling students to pursue education across borders.
She also highlighted progress made under the IGAD Regional Scholarship Program whose aim is to enhance access to quality education for refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returnees, and host communities in the IGAD Region, emphasising the role of higher education institutions in building resilience.
“Universities are engines of innovation, social transformation, and hope, especially for young people whose lives have been shaped by conflict, displacement, and economic hardship,” said Dr. Anib.
Representing the Chairperson of the Board, Prof. Richard Onwonga from the University of Nairobi, recognised the important role of the forum in elevating universities in addressing displacement and other sustainable development initiatives in the region.
“We have seen universities rise to the challenge in offering support to refugees, IDPs and other displacement affected communities through policies and other welfare programmes, an agenda emphasised by the Board,” said Prof. Onwonga.
Prof. Justine Namaalwa from Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at Makerere University shared key experiences from the Scholar’s programme latest intervention that designates 25% of all scholarships to improve access to higher education for Displaced Persons. The programme partners with government, local and international partners in identifying beneficiaries among the refugee settlements and host communities. To enhance inclusion, the programme has representative of refugees at the governance level.
Visit to Makerere
Board concluded the 5th meeting with a courtesy visit to Makerere University. The Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic Affairs), Prof. Edward Bbaale on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, said Makerere University revels as being among the founding members of the IGAD Council for Higher Education. He lauded the participation of regional Vice Chancellors and Senior Administrators in IGAD’s interventions as a key foundation to regional integration.
“Your presence affirms our collective resolve to build stronger institutions and knowledge systems that respond to the developmental needs of our communities,” said Prof. Bbale.
On the IGAD Scholarship Scheme
On the IGAD Regional Scholarship Program, Board Members’s recommendations include operationalising a tripartite model with partnerships led by IGAD, Universities and Scholars, broadening the reach to support more displaced affected youths with special focus on persons with disabilities and scaling up the interventions to include psychosocial support for Scholars. Proposals were made to engage the private sector as a means to establish sustainable financing mechanisms.
About the IGAD Universities Forum
The IGAD Universities Forum/IGAD Council of Higher Education (ICHE) and its governing Board was established in 2021. The Board is mandated to serve as a strategic advisory body to IGAD, guiding regional efforts to ensure that higher education is accessible and equitable for all, with a particular emphasis on gender equality and inclusion for displacement-affected populations.
The 5th Meeting convened representatives from Makerere University, Somalia National University, University of Jigjiga and University of Addis Ababa from Ethiopia, Kampala International University, Uganda and University of Africa from Sudan. The engagement was supported under the IGAD Support Platform on Forced Displacement funded by the European Union.
