KAMPALA, Uganda – During the week of 4 to 10 May, a high-level delegation from the Republic of Zimbabwe undertook a benchmarking visit to Uganda to learn from one of Africa’s most promising higher education innovations: the Higher Education Access Certificate (HEAC). The visit, conducted under the FAWE and Mastercard Foundation Phase II Programme, aimed to understand how Uganda designed, institutionalized, and scaled a “fourth pathway” into higher education, enabling capable young people who would otherwise be excluded to access and succeed at university, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields.
The Zimbabwean delegation was led by Professor Fanuel Tagwira, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Higher and Tertiary Education, Innovation, Science and Technology Development, and joined by Professor Kuzvinetsa Dzvimbo, Chief Executive Officer of the Zimbabwe Council for Higher Education (ZIMCHE). In Uganda, the delegation engaged with Professor Mary J. N. Okwakol, Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE Uganda), and her team, alongside FAWE Africa and FAWE Uganda leadership. Also present were FAWE Africa Executive Director Dr. Martha Muhwezi, FAWE Africa Deputy Executive Director Teresa Omondi-Adeitan, FAWE Zimbabwe Executive Director Lydia Madyirapanze, and FAWE Uganda Chairperson Ms. Margaret Atom Mugenyi and Executive Director Mrs. Susan Opok Tumusiime, together with representatives from five Zimbabwean universities and key technical teams.
Across Africa, the challenge is not a lack of talent but rather education systems that lack the flexibility to accommodate it. HEAC stands as a homegrown African solution, built through policy alignment, university partnerships, and targeted academic support. As Professor Fanuel Tagwira noted in his remarks, “No qualified student should be left behind due to structural challenges.” Reinforcing Zimbabwe’s national vision of leaving no one and no place behind, he added, “We must carry the burden of the children who cannot afford education.” Professor Kuzvinetsa Dzvimbo highlighted the broader shift needed in higher education, observing that “advances such as AI are already challenging the core assumptions of our universities and how we prepare students for the future.”
The benchmarking visit extended beyond policy dialogue to include a field engagement at Busitema University, one of the Ugandan institutions that piloted HEAC. According to Professor Paul Waako, Vice Chancellor of Busitema University, HEAC is “by far the biggest innovation in higher education in Uganda.” The delegation examined the innovation where it mattered most, engaging directly with faculty, administrative systems, and students whose lives had been transformed through this pathway. The engagement was further strengthened by the presence of Mr. Ochira John Lakony, Assistant Commissioner for University Education at Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports. This on-the-ground visit allowed the Zimbabwean team to see how policy meets practice, how systems are tested and refined, and how Africa can build inclusive, scalable pathways into higher education by learning from what works and adapting it across different contexts. FAWE also celebrated progress on literacy in Uganda, sharing recognition of the country’s advancing literacy levels as a testament to the power of collective action and investment in quality education. FAWE reaffirmed that literacy remains the foundation for empowering girls and women, unlocking their potential to lead and transform their communities. The benchmarking visit concluded with a renewed commitment from both nations to continue translating proven African solutions into national systems that expand access at scale, ensuring that thousands of young people who would otherwise remain locked out of higher education gain structured, dignified pathways to opportunity.