Muyingo rallies education stakeholders on innovation
Muyingo made the remarks while officiating at the 16th Higher Education Exhibition in Gulu City on Thursday, March 26, at the Gulu University playground, where he emphasised the importance of leveraging research and technology to address national development challenges.
State Minister for Higher Education, Dr John C. Muyingo. (File photo)
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The State Minister for Higher Education, Dr John C. Muyingo, has called on higher learning institutions to prioritise innovation as a key driver of Uganda’s economic transformation.
Muyingo made the remarks while officiating at the 16th Higher Education Exhibition in Gulu City on Thursday, March 26, at the Gulu University playground, where he emphasised the importance of leveraging research and technology to address national development challenges.
The three-day exhibition, held under the theme “Harnessing Innovations in Higher Education for Accelerated Economic Transformation”, attracted universities and other tertiary institutions from across the country to showcase research findings, prototypes, and technological advancements.
Muyingo added that the exhibition should not merely be a display event, but a strategic platform for innovation, accountability, collaboration, and national transformation that provides institutions with an opportunity to demonstrate solutions to community challenges.
He urged stakeholders to ensure that research goes beyond academic shelves and is translated into real-world applications in industries such as agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing.
Prof Mary J. N. Okwakol, the Executive Director of National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), said the Higher Education Week, which begins with two days of conferences for scholars, policy makers and practitioners, is a premier event aimed at raising awareness about higher education.
She explained that the exhibition provides an opportunity to witness how innovations rooted in rigorous scholarship and strategic partnerships can drive economic growth, respond to societal needs, and position Uganda more effectively in a rapidly changing global landscape.
Okwakol added that the week offers an invaluable platform to showcase creative solutions, technologies, and research emerging from higher education institutions across the country.
This is the third year that NCHE has implemented the rotational format for the Higher Education Week, having hosted the event in Mbale in 2024, Mbarara in 2025, and now Gulu City in 2026.
The exhibition officially closed on Saturday, March 28, 2026.