East African Community (EAC) ministers have approved an Artificial Intelligence (AI) foundational module for university students across the region, in a move aimed at equipping undergraduates with essential digital skills regardless of their fields of study.
The ministers directed partner states to consider integrating the module into university degree programmes, while the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) was tasked with developing a regional implementation framework to guide its rollout.
The approval was among the key resolutions of the 21st Sectoral Council on Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports, held from October 27 to 31, 2026, at the newly completed IUCEA headquarters in Kampala.
The Council also directed the development of AI certification benchmarks for Kiswahili, in recognition of the language’s growing importance in regional digital innovation and technological development.
In a broader push to strengthen regional cooperation in emerging technologies, the ministers adopted the EAC Artificial Intelligence Strategy, the EAC Digital Transformation Strategy and the EAC Biotechnology Strategy, providing a coordinated framework for technological advancement across partner states.
The strategies, developed by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the East African Science and Technology Commission (EASTECO), are expected to guide the development and application of emerging technologies in education, agriculture, healthcare, industry and public administration.
Addressing the ministers, EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social and Political Sectors Andrea Ariik Malueth emphasised the need for education systems to prepare young people for a rapidly changing labour market through stronger foundational learning and improved teacher development.
The ministers also approved the establishment and operationalisation of the Regional Artificial Intelligence Network of Universities to strengthen collaboration in AI education, research and innovation across the region.
The Council further endorsed three regional AI instruments for teacher education, covering curriculum and competency development, institutional policy, and codes of conduct.
Meanwhile, the ministers reviewed the implementation of an EAC Council directive requiring students from partner states to pay tuition fees under the same regime as national students in their host countries, with fees payable in the host country’s local currency.
However, the Council noted that some universities had not fully implemented the directive and recommended a comprehensive regional assessment covering both public and private institutions.
IUCEA, working with national higher education regulatory agencies under the coordination of ministries responsible for EAC Affairs, will conduct the assessment and present its findings to the 23rd Sectoral Council.
The ministers also approved the EAC Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Qualifications Framework, which is expected to promote the comparability and recognition of qualifications and facilitate the movement of skilled workers across partner states.
On professional mobility, the Council called for the accelerated alignment of Mutual Recognition Agreements for engineers, architects, accountants and veterinarians with Annex VII of the EAC Common Market Protocol to facilitate cross-border professional practice.
The ministers noted that the EAC digital platform for engineers, launched in June 2026, provides a model for extending similar arrangements to other professions.
Chairing the ministerial session, Uganda’s minister of state for Education and Sports (Primary Education), Phyllis Chemutai, emphasised the need to eliminate barriers to the recognition of qualifications and professional practice across the region.
“We must work collectively to remove unnecessary barriers to the recognition of qualifications while safeguarding professional standards and the quality of services delivered across our partner states,” Chemutai said.