Kampala International University (KIU) has scooped a prestigious award from the European Society for Quality Research (ESQR), with the institution’s leadership attributing the recognition to a sustained focus on academic excellence, quality enhancement and strong international research collaborations.
Prof Mohammed Ngoma, the vice chancellor, said the award reflected the university’s efforts to improve standards and broaden its global footprint. He made the remarks at the awards ceremony held at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Dubai, which attracted about 50 global leaders from academia, business, healthcare, construction, government agencies and the diplomatic community across 49 countries.
“It is with profound honour that this award symbolises our unwavering commitment to academic excellence, innovation and high-quality education,” Prof Ngoma said.
Prof Abanis Turyamureeba, the deputy vice chancellor, noted that this was the second time KIU had been invited for the accolade after missing an earlier ceremony in Stockholm, Sweden. He said East Africa’s largest private university continues to lead in higher education excellence, with a multicultural student body drawn from more than 40 countries and a workforce representing over 30 nationalities.
According to the university’s top management, the award underscores KIU’s dedication to pushing boundaries in teaching, research and innovation. They credited the achievement to the hard work and commitment of staff and students.
The honour was dedicated to the university’s founder and chairman, Hassan Basajjabalaba, who was recently named African Educationist of the Year 2025 for his role in promoting quality education on the continent.
KIU has made its mark through strong programmes in medicine and health sciences, pharmacy, nursing, engineering, agriculture, environmental sciences, law, education, business and management, computer science, information technology and artificial intelligence.
The university, which says it wants to strengthen its position as a transformative force in African higher education, joins other regional and continental institutions such as Makerere University, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, the University of Cape Town, the University of Abuja, the University of Nairobi, the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Cairo University that have won international recognition on the global stage.
