The Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE) will host its inaugural International Teacher Education Conference from September 30 to October 2, 2026, at Hotel Africana in Kampala.
The three-day conference will bring together scholars, policymakers, teacher educators and education practitioners from Uganda, Africa and beyond to discuss ongoing reforms in the teaching profession and how teacher education can respond to the changing demands of the 21st century.
The conference will be held under the theme: “Teachers at the Heart of Reforms: Transforming Teacher Education for Human Capital Development in the 21st Century.”
UNITE Vice Chancellor Prof. Betty Akullu Ezati said the conference comes at a time when education systems globally are undergoing major changes driven by competency-based education, digital technology, artificial intelligence, inclusion and the growing demand for high-quality human capital.
Speaking at the unveiling of the conference at the Uganda Media Centre in Kampala, Prof. Ezati said the meeting will provide an opportunity for education stakeholders to examine how teacher education can be transformed to meet emerging challenges.
She said discussions will focus on issues such as preparing the 21st-century teacher through appropriate standards, curricula, teaching methods and assessment systems.
The conference is also expected to provide a platform for researchers and practitioners to share experiences and identify practical approaches that can strengthen teacher preparation and professional development.
Prof. Proscovia Namubiru Ssentamu, UNITE Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, said the conference will focus on several emerging areas, including digital technology, research and innovation and artificial intelligence.
She said Uganda needs teachers who are adequately prepared to respond to the changing needs of learners and society.
“We need a transformed and prepared teacher in this 21st century, a teacher who is decent in terms of nurturing a learner with education, knowledge, discipline and good manners,” Prof. Ssentamu said.
She also stressed the importance of professional conduct among teachers, including good morals and appropriate dressing.
The conference comes as UNITE takes on its mandate as a specialised institution responsible for coordinating and providing teacher education and training in Uganda.
The institute was established as a degree-awarding institution as part of reforms aimed at strengthening teacher education in the country.
Dr Dennis Mujimba, the spokesperson in the Ministry of Education and Sports, described the conference as an important platform for stakeholders to discuss issues affecting the teaching profession.
He said the conference will also serve as a precursor to World Teachers’ Day, which will be observed on October 5, 2026.
World Teachers’ Day is marked annually on October 5. In 2026, UNESCO says the day will mark 60 years since the adoption of the 1966 ILO/UNESCO recommendation concerning the status of teachers, with the global celebrations focusing on protecting and advancing the status of the teaching profession in a rapidly changing world.
Mujimba also said the government is at an advanced stage of developing a national higher education policy, which he said is expected to contribute to improvements in higher education, including student enrolment.
“As a ministry, we are proud to see Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education organising its first-ever conference, in which all stakeholders in the sector will have the opportunity to discuss pertinent issues that can improve the standards of a teacher in the 21st century,” he said.
