::IUCEA -

Following the dissolution of the University of East Africa, and the establishment of the University of Dar es Salaam, Makerere University and the University of Nairobi in 1970, an Inter-University Committee for East Africa was created under the East African Community (EAC) to facilitate collaboration among the three national universities. The committee functioned very well under the aegis of the Community and after the collapse of the latter body in 1977, in 1980, the three Vice-Chancellors agreed to maintain the committee through signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which led to the birth of the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA). The MoU set out the objectives, functions, membership and governance of the Council. In 1999, after the Partner States recognized the Inter-University Council as one of the surviving institutions of the former East African Community, it was agreed to establish a corporate body to be known as the Inter-University Council for East Africa. At that time IUCEA was not a legal entity. Following the revitalization and recruitment of a new set of staff in 2000, the Governing Board embarked on the development of legal instruments to make IUCEA a legal body corporate. In 2002 the Protocol for the establishment of the IUCEA was signed by the three Partner States with the aim of harmonizing and providing a legal framework within which to undertake activities of the IUCEA.

Objectives of IUCEA

To facilitate contacts between the universities of East Africa.
To provide a forum for discussion on a wide range of academic and other matters relating to higher education.
To maintain high and comparable academic standards.

Functions of the IUCEA

(a) Coordination of inter-university co-operation

To promote collaboration between member universities, governments and other organizations, both public and private.
To strengthen regional and international communication.
To coordinate research collaboration in the region.
To coordinate the exchange of staff and students between
member universities.

(b) Facilitation of the strategic development of member universities

To assist and encourage the development of East African higher education institutions of learning.
To assist member universities in the management of institutions.
To keep abreast of international developments and disseminate information on higher education
To solicit for funds from local and international sources for strategic inter-institutional interventions in higher
education.

To promote quality assurance and maintain international standards.
To advocate for and assist governments and other appropriate bodies and authorities with the development of strategies for rational development of higher education in East Africa.

Activities of IUCEA in Brief

The Member Universities Staff Exchange Programme IUCEA coordinates staff exchange programme for the purpose
of fostering inter-university cooperation among East African universities. Participants of the programme undertake a range of assignments in their host institutions including teaching, special lectures and research. The participants also serve as external examiners, and they participate in seminars, workshops and conferences. They also undertake collaborative research assignments. This process will develop and sustain a culture of quality in its member institutions. Students’ Exchange Programme Recognizing the need for the people of East Africa to share their limited resources in order to accelerate the development of their region, and in the bid to promote co-operation among East African Universities, the IUCEA maintains a programme for the exchange of students in universities of East Africa both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. New guidelines have been approved to involve students from all the 5 East African Partner States in the Programme.

Core Activities
These meetings are intended to enhance the exchange of information, transfer and development of new knowledge,
as well as feedback and application. Currently the thematic clusters under which these meetings are held are as follows:-

Education
Agriculture and Forestry
Environmental Management
Arts and Social Sciences
Business Studies
ICT and Library Sciences
Engineering and Technology
Health Sciences
Gender and Youth
HIV and AIDS
Physical and Biological Sciences
Veterinary/Animal Science