It is a great pleasure to welcome all delegates and participants from near and far to this research conference. We are excited to receive the participants in this year’s Conference at the University of Kisubi (UniK), which is blessed with a conducive learning and teaching environment. UniK is committed to remaining a hallmark and a niche for quality education in Uganda and the broader East African region. It is a private Chartered University owned by the Registered Trustees of the Uganda Brothers of Christian Instruction. It is a great pleasure and honour to address the participants of this second International Research Conference organised by UniK from today, 10th to 11th April 2025, under the theme: Community Transformation through Research and Innovation for Improvement of Human Condition in the ‘New Normal’, a global topic. It takes an in-depth look at the many issues raised by rapidly changing technological advancement, e.g. Artificial Intelligence (AI), the obstacles and opportunities created by the new products and services and pandemics and Climate Change.
This Conference is a step towards achieving our vision of becoming a leading catholic-based university responsive to national and global needs through providing an evidence-based holistic education for social transformation grounded in the Catholic ethos. The University attaches great importance to the integral nature and development of the human person. Through holistic education, it strives to empower its graduates to self-actualise and improve the human condition through research and innovation, holding on to values that ennoble humanity.
Today, we live in a world with human and environmental disruptors that rapidly change or challenge the normal and create a new one! Among the recent disruptors affecting humanity are the spreading of infectious diseases, technological changes, political escalation between countries and the ever-changing economic terrain bedevilled with greed with little regard for the future generation. Although change is a fact of life, scholars should challenge humanity to embrace new ideas and ways while ensuring a sustainable lifestyle. Therefore, the success of this Conference will depend on the relevance of the recommendation to the needs of our time and those of the posterity.
We congratulate the School of Graduate Studies, Research, and Innovations for their commitment and superb drive in organising this Conference. We also extend our sincere appreciation to the University Management for the financial support and to those who have stood with UniK during the Conference’s organisation. This Conference will serve as a springboard for strengthening our knowledge-sharing relationships while providing the necessary thrust for joint research collaborations and product commercialisation. It will also serve as a foundation for developing new ideas towards a better tomorrow.
We thank the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovations, Dr Monica Musenero, for attending this Conference. Her presence at this Conference is a testimony to the value the Government attaches to research and innovations. UniK, as one of the leading Universities in the Country in innovations, is proud to host the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovations.
We also thank all those who have contributed their research work, all session chairs, and sponsors for their continued support and interest in us.
Finally, we thank distinguished keynote speakers, reviewers, sponsors and participants. We wish all the participants a successful academic research dissemination exercise.
Br. Dr Deogratias Mugema
Vice Chancellor
University of Kisubi