Victoria University has graduated 2,600 students at its 10th graduation ceremony, with university leaders warning that graduates who fail to adapt to artificial intelligence (AI) risk being left behind in an increasingly technology-driven job market.
The two-day ceremony, held at Speke Resort Munyonyo under the theme “The Future Is Here”, began on Monday with graduands from the Faculties of Science and Technology and Health Sciences. Tuesday’s session covered Business and Management, and Humanities and Social Sciences.
On the opening day, the university said 89 per cent of the graduands were already employed, while more than 40 per cent had pursued science-related courses. The ceremony came days after the National Council for Higher Education’s revised ranking placed Victoria University second nationally, with 87.4 points, behind Makerere University.
University chancellor Prof. John Lawrence Opuda-Asibo urged graduates to prioritise practical skills and continuous learning as AI reshapes workplaces. He warned that those who ignore emerging technologies risk losing their competitive edge.
Vice chancellor Dr Lawrence Muganga used Monday’s session to call on the government to introduce a nationwide One Laptop Per Child policy, providing every learner from Primary Five through university with access to a laptop.
Addressing graduates on Tuesday, Muganga described AI as an iceberg that Uganda had already hit, while many people remained on deck waiting to see what would happen.
He cited chipmaker Nvidia, which he said was valued at more than $5 trillion, compared with Africa’s gross domestic product of about $3.6 trillion. He also said AI had attracted about $2.6 trillion in investment this year.
Muganga challenged the government to lead the transition, parents to rethink their expectations of education, universities to abandon outdated teaching materials and students to ask better questions. He urged graduates to embrace lifelong learning and make a daily effort to understand AI.
He said Victoria University had grown from 180 students in 2020 to more than 14,000, adding that it had trained 10,000 young Ugandans in AI free of charge.
Muganga also announced that construction of a new campus in Naguru would begin in January 2027. The planned facility will include AI laboratories, robotics workshops, media studios and a teaching hospital for the university’s newly established medical school. He added that doctoral programmes were also in the pipeline.
Tuesday’s ceremony paused for a minute of silence in honour of the late Rajiv Ruparelia, whom Muganga credited with providing the vision behind the university’s growth.
Jay Sakaria, vice-chairperson of the University Council, and Meera Ruparelia, a board member, represented Dr Sudhir Ruparelia, chairman of the Ruparelia Group, which owns the university.
Keynote speaker Tim Abel, a former technology executive at Dell and Microsoft, told graduates that businesses must first become competitive by adopting AI before they can create opportunities for others.
For the class of 2026, the message across both days was clear: a degree may open doors, but the ability to adapt to technology and keep learning will determine who thrives in the changing world of work.
The writer is a journalist and microfinance practitioner.