The Minister for Science,Technology and Innovation Dr. Monica Musenero has called upon researchers and educationists to embrace Artificial Intelligence to address Africa emerging challenges.
Opening the 5th African Research Universities Alliance (ARUA) Biennial International Conference on Research, Innovation and Artificial Intelligence on October 29, 2025 held at Makerere University,Musenero commended Makerere University for its key role it has played in Uganda.
The Secretary-General ARUA, Prof. John Owusu Gyapong, thanked delegates for their dedication and vibrant engagement saying the rich exchanges and collaborative spirit demonstrated ARUA’s growing strength and shared purpose.
He expressed deep appreciation to keynote speakers, panelists, and partners for elevating the dialogue on Africa’s research and innovation future, and extended special recognition to the organising committees and Secretariat for their tireless work behind the scenes.
Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Vice Chancellor of Makerere University expressed deep appreciation to the delegates for their active participation and commitment throughout the three days, noting that their engagement reflected the strength and promise of Africa’s research community.
He reaffirmed that Africa cannot afford to trail behind in the next technological era, emphasizing that the conversations and innovations shared at the conference.
Prof. Sizwe Mabizela Chairperson ARUA Board and the Vice Chancellor, Rhodes University urged Africa to take full charge of its destiny through research, innovation, and unity.
Dr. Nomakwezi Mzilikazi, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Strategic Partnerships at Rhodes University emphasized that universities must begin by defining the real problems AI should solve for African societies, and embed those questions into institutional missions, engaged research, and capacity building.
Prof. Sarah Ssali called for intentional policies, cultural awareness, and protections for indigenous and marginalized communities whose knowledge and identities are often overlooked.
“AI must reflect human dignity, agency, and African knowledge traditions, not simply mirror Western systems or deepen global and gender divides.”she stated.
Prof. David Asamoah, Vice-Chancellor of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana called upon universities to adopt ecosystem thinking, interoperability, national frameworks, phased implementation, and strong links with industry to scale AI meaningfully.
Speaking virtually, Prof. Francis Peterson, Vice Chancellor of the University of Pretoria, encouraged institutions to develop and share higher-education AI frameworks, case studies, and collaborative models, and to build stronger partnerships outside academia to turn research into practice.
Founder and CEO of minoHealth AI Labs, demonstrated how Africa can lead in health innovation by designing and deploying AI tools developed on the continent, for the continent.
Prof. Gyapong announced that the next ARUA Biennial Conference will be hosted by Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape, South Africa, from 27th to 29th October 2027.