The Minister of State for Education, Claudette Irere, has emphasised that higher education must play a central role in advancing regional integration within East African Community (EAC).

"If we are to realise meaningful regional integration, education, particularly higher education, must play a critical and central role,” Irere said.

Speaking on Monday at the launch of the stakeholders’ sensitisation forum on the EAC Common Higher Education Area, organised by the Inter-University Council for East Africa in Kigali, the minister stressed that universities are key to producing the skilled workforce needed to drive economic, social, and technological transformation across the region.

The three-day workshop, which runs from Monday, March 9 to March 11, brought together policymakers, university leaders, regulators, and development partners to discuss frameworks aimed at harmonising higher education systems across the East African Community.

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According to the minister, higher education institutions must go beyond knowledge transmission to becoming drivers of innovation and development.

"Higher education is not only about knowledge. It is about building the skilled workforce that will drive the economic, social, and technological transformation of our countries,” she said.

Irere reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to developing a critical mass of skilled professionals capable of contributing to national development and regional prosperity.

However, she noted that achieving a harmonised higher education system requires addressing key questions about quality, innovation, and mobility.

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"Is the quality of our education globally competitive and relevant? How are we integrating emerging technologies into teaching, learning, and research? And what barriers still prevent the free movement of students, academics, and professionals across the region?” she asked.

She argued that reflecting on such questions would help guide the region toward a stronger and more integrated higher education system.

The forum aims to increase awareness of regional policies, frameworks, and tools designed to operationalise the East African Common Higher Education Area.

The initiative is rooted in commitments made under the Treaty establishing the East African Community and the EAC Common Market Protocol, which call for cooperation in education and the harmonisation of education systems across partner states.

Irere said the initiative also aligns with reforms taking place across education systems in the region, including the adoption of competency-based learning, digital education, and stronger linkages between universities and labour markets.

"These reforms are essential to ensure that our systems remain relevant, innovative, and responsive to the needs of our societies,” she said.

She also encouraged institutions to take advantage of regional initiatives such as student mobility programmes, staff exchanges, and scholarship opportunities, which can help strengthen collaboration among universities in the region.

At the same time, the minister cautioned against policies that may hinder academic mobility.

"For example, charging different tuition fees to students from other EAC partner states can limit access and mobility. Education should bring our people together, not create new barriers between them,” she said.

IUCEA’s role in regional higher education

Speaking at the forum, Idris Rai, the Acting Executive Secretary of the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), said the workshop is part of a broader effort to sensitise partner states on the implementation of the Common Higher Education Area.

He noted that the initiative represents one of the most important milestones in the region’s higher education agenda.

"The declaration signalled a clear regional aspiration that East Africa should become a space where students, academic staff, researchers, knowledge, and qualifications can move more freely between partner states,” Rai said.

He explained that the Common Higher Education Area is anchored on several pillars, including common quality assurance frameworks, harmonised qualifications systems, academic programme benchmarks, and increased student and staff mobility.

Together, these mechanisms aim to ensure that academic programmes meet shared standards and that qualifications are recognised across borders.

Rai also highlighted the growing importance of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence in shaping the future of higher education.

According to him, universities must adapt to the rapidly evolving global education landscape.

"Artificial Intelligence is redefining how knowledge is created, taught, and applied,” he said, noting that institutions must equip both staff and students with the skills required to engage with these technologies responsibly.

IUCEA has launched several initiatives to support this transition, including training programmes for academic staff on the use of artificial intelligence in teaching, learning, and research.

Rwanda’s commitment to regional education agenda

Also speaking at the event, Edwards Kadozi, Director General of the Rwanda's Higher Education Council (HEC), said the forum provides an important platform to strengthen cooperation among stakeholders involved in higher education.

He noted that through its initiatives, IUCEA has played a key role in advancing academic collaboration, strengthening quality assurance systems, and supporting the harmonisation of higher education across the East African region.

According to Kadozi, the forum aims to share the outcomes of the 2025 Regional Ministerial Conference on the Common Higher Education Area and sensitise national stakeholders about the frameworks and expected benefits of the initiative.

"The pillars of the EAC Common Higher Education Area are critical for ensuring that our higher learning institutions produce graduates who are skilled, innovative, and competitive in the regional and global labour markets,” he said.

He added that implementing these frameworks will help increase mobility of students and academic staff within the region, while also strengthening research collaboration and innovation networks.

Kadozi also reminded participants that Rwanda will host the next Regional Ministerial Conference on the Common Higher Education Area in 2027, a milestone that calls for stronger national engagement in implementing the agreed resolutions.

He emphasised that the success of the initiative will depend on concrete actions by universities, regulators, professional bodies, and industry partners to align policies and strengthen quality assurance systems.

"The Common Higher Education Area provides an important platform to deepen partnerships and strengthen our regional ecosystem of academic excellence,” he said.