Kabale University has called for stronger partnerships with American universities and research institutions in health, tourism, research and innovation as it seeks to expand its contribution to national and regional development.
The call was made on Monday, September 28, 2026, during an outreach engagement by the United States Embassy Kampala Charge d’Affaires, Mikael Peter Cleverley, at Kabale University under the theme, “From Kigezi to America: Internationalization, American Partnerships and Industry Innovation in the Spirit of Freedom250.”
The university leadership said stronger collaboration with United States institutions would provide opportunities for technical expertise, mentorship, joint research, funding, academic exchanges and infrastructure development.
Kabale University Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Jonny Mugisha, described Cleverley’s visit as a remarkable occasion and an opportunity for the university to explore practical partnerships with American institutions.
He said the university has already benefited from collaborations with institutions in the United States, particularly in areas such as biodiversity, malaria research and anaesthesia, but there was a need to expand the partnerships to other priority areas.
In health and medical education, the university is seeking partnerships in tropical disease research, rural health systems, telemedicine and e-health to strengthen healthcare delivery in rural communities.
The university also wants to work with US research institutions and donor organisations to provide technical expertise and mentorship, support joint grant applications and funding opportunities, facilitate student and faculty exchanges and invest in research laboratory infrastructure.
The university leadership said such partnerships would help strengthen its research capacity and sustainability, particularly at a time when limited infrastructure remains one of the challenges affecting the expansion of research and international collaboration.
Kabale University also wants to establish a Tourism and Hospitality Centre of Excellence to take advantage of the region’s tourism potential and contribute to tourism education in Uganda and East Africa.
The proposed centre is expected to generate knowledge in eco-tourism and community-based tourism while producing graduates with practical skills aligned with the needs of the tourism and hospitality industry.
To develop the centre, the university is seeking collaboration with US professors in curriculum development and teaching, researchers and industry experts in research and innovation, as well as partners in capacity building, infrastructure development and technology transfer.
The university wants US partners to support training workshops and leadership development, resource mobilisation for training kitchens, simulation laboratories and eco-tourism centres, as well as access to modern hospitality software, e-learning platforms and management systems.
It is also seeking support for library and digital resources, including access to US university databases and hospitality journals.
Prof. Mugisha said joint academic and research projects could include co-publications, medical research, telemedicine and e-health collaborations, access to innovation laboratories, library resource sharing, conferences and cultural exchange programmes.
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Ambassador Cleverley said no country can achieve its development and economic agenda without an educated population, urging universities to use partnerships to strengthen education, research, innovation and economic development.
He said the United States remains committed to working with Ugandan institutions through collaborations in areas of mutual interest.
He also emphasized the importance of protecting people’s rights and creating an environment that enables private-sector investment, including investment in capital markets and local innovation hubs.
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Kabale District Resident District Commissioner Major Godfrey Katamba said Cleverley’s visit was an important milestone in the educational and cultural relationship between Kabale University and the United States Embassy in Uganda.
He said the engagement demonstrated the value of cross-border academic and cultural collaboration and could inspire students and researchers to pursue opportunities beyond Uganda.
Katamba also referred to the history of international education exchanges and university partnerships, noting that former US presidents Lyndon B. Johnson, John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama highlighted educational exchanges and university partnerships as tools for international understanding, diplomacy and shared human progress.
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Ruth Ndyabahika, former President of the International Community of the Banyakigezi, said thousands of people from Kigezi have travelled to the United States over the years, creating longstanding social, educational and cultural links between the region and America.
She said the US-Uganda partnership provides a foundation for strengthening educational and cultural exchanges and urged students to view the engagement as an opportunity to broaden their horizons.
