Nairobi to Host Academic-Public-Private Partnership (APPP) Forum and Exhibitions 2018
The Inter-University Council for East Africa, Kampala, Uganda, 12th March 2018:
The Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), the East African Business Council (EABC), the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), and the East African Development Bank (EADB) are jointly organizing the Academia-Public-Private Partnership (APPP) Forum and Exhibitions 2018.
The forum’s theme is The East African Common Higher Education Area: Opportunities for Industrialization through Academia-Public-Private Partnerships. The forum seeks to explore the status and potential for linkage between the three sectors in utilizing opportunities brought about by the East African Community (EAC) Common Market Protocol. The forum will take place at Catholic University of East Africa in Nairobi, Kenya on 21st to 22nd March 2018.
The APPP focuses on (i) enhancing linkage between the academia, research institutions, and public and private sector enterprises; (ii) promoting the utilization of higher education research output and innovations by the private sector/business community; (iii) promoting consultative engagement in curriculum and research development and implementation and (iv), jointly organizing dialogue forums and exhibitions. The pioneer Forum organizers – IUCEA and EABC were joined by EADB in 2013 and EASTECO in 2017.
The key themes of discussion will include Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) as a catalyst for transformation of the production systems and outputs, contribution of medium, small and macro enterprises (MSMEs) to ensure optimization of productive potential for sustainable economic growth; education ecosystems for knowledge management and information sharing within the EAC industrialization processes; role of centers-of-excellence initiatives in the EAC Partner States in industrialization; and the role of media and creative arts in promoting APPP and EAC integration.
The plenary and breakaway sessions will be run in parallel with exhibitions, in which products, systems and services emanating from research and innovations from universities, research institutions and the private sector will be showcased as a way of promoting and enhancing academia-public-private partnerships.
“Academic-Industry linkages have become critically important at this stage when we know that the convergence between academic, public and private institutions both productive and service providers can drive innovative development,” said Prof. Alexandre Lyambabaje, Executive Secretary, IUCEA. “Whereas publication of research findings in peer-reviewed journals is good, translating these research findings into innovative products and services that can be commercialized and used in everyday life is greater,” he said.
He encouraged academics, researchers, innovators, students, SMEs and all interested members of the public to attend the forum for sharing experiences and use the forum as opportunity for learning.
Registration for the Forum and Exhibitions
The Forum which has been in place since 2011, is open to all stakeholders in East Africa and beyond from the academia, public and private sectors, higher education institutions, Africa Centers of Excellence (ACEs), employers, manufacturers and other players in the wide industry value chain and business community in general, national commissions and councils for higher education and national commissions and councils for science and technology as well as organizations responsible for research, development and industrialization and the media. To register to participate as an exhibitor, visit the website www.iucea.org/forum. Deadline for registration is 5th March 2018.
For more information, please contact Ms. Wilhelmina Balyagati, Inter-University Council for East Africa, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., +256774165467/ +255 788 497339
About the Organisers
Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA): IUCEAis an EAC Institution whose mission is to promote strategic and sustainable development of higher education systems and research for supporting East Africa’s socio-economic development and regional integration. www.iucea.org
East African Business Council (EABC): EABC is the umbrella organization of the Private Sector in East Africa and is at the forefront in facilitating Private Sector participation in the EAC integration process. EABC members are drawn from the Private Sector in the EAC Partner States, consisting of companies, business associations and government agencies involved in facilitating trade. www.eabc-online.com/
East African Development Bank (EADB). Established in 1967 under the Treaty of the then East African Co-operation that established the former EAC, and re-established under its own Charter in 1980, the role and under its mandate, EADB offers a broad range of financial services in the Member States of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda, with an overriding objective of strengthening socio-economic development and regional integration. The four Member States own EADB. www.eadb.org
East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO): EASTECO is a specialized EAC Institution with a mandate to promote and coordinate the development, management and application of science and technology to support regional integration and socio-economic development. https://easteco.org/