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Govt urged to support universities to prepare students for disruptive technologies
Minister of Sate for ICT making her remarks during the opening of the third two-day conference on disruptive technologies in the business world in Uganda. Photo | Roland D. Nasasira
What you need to know:
- Ms Ssebugwawo noted that preparing students with knowledge on disruptive technologies will bridge the gap in Uganda’s STEM programs
The Minister of State for Information and Communications Technology, Joyce Nabbosa Ssebugwawo has asked the government to commit and support universities in their mission to teach, mentor and inspire students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs to prepare them for the fast-evolving world of disruptive technologies.
Ms Ssebugwawo noted that preparing students with knowledge on disruptive technologies will bridge the gap in Uganda’s STEM programs, fields that are engines and drivers of economic development that enhance social wellbeing to create opportunities across various industries and sectors.
“We live in a complex and changing world and the future of our country rests on the quality of education we provide to young people. Unlike sustaining technologies which improve existing systems, disruptive technologies change existing systems and create new ones. Disruptive technologies have become drivers of fundamental change across industries by reshaping business models and introducing innovative approaches. To match this trend, we must be prepared as a country but it starts with skilling young people,” Ssebugwawo said.
The minister made these remarks on Thursday while presiding over the opening of the third two-day international conference on the impact of disruptive technologies on the business world; challenges and opportunities for Africa at ISBAT University in Kampala.
Much as the government is investing in infrastructure and research and ensuring that academic institutions are equipped with resources necessary to offer world class education to young people, the minister challenged university students to discuss new knowledge to address challenges introduced by increasing technological trends.
“I challenge the researchers, academicians and industry experts participating in this conference to introduce new technologies that will assist in development of policy guidelines for building innovation that aligns with the objectives of the national development plan three but also address challenges that will come with disruptive challenges,” Ssebugwawo added.
On his part, Pradeep Kumar, the Director of academic affairs at ISBAT University defined disruptive as the kind that are introduced from the fourth industrial revolution that have the power to transform the way humans work traditionally and have to completely change the order of work and how they perform in different sectors. Examples of disruptive technologies include the internet of things that has advanced to become the internet of everything. Other technologies include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, 5G network, 3D printing, blockchain, machine learning, among others.
For example, under healthcare, without visiting a doctor, you’ll just wear a watch that will keep track of your health while giving you a daily report. In case anything wrong is detected, it will send a report to your doctor, updating them that within a given time, you’ll experience, for instance a heart attack, all using artificial intelligence.
“You must study and acquire knowledge about the latest technology trends. Do not run away from technology because it is only used with information technology. Technology has been integrated into business, science, public health and every other sector. Whether you’re a public lawyer, medical doctor, engineer or constructor or logistics, no job is sustaining without technology. Most importantly, the benefit of disruptive technology is that it produces the same thing at low cost, less effort and in less time,” Kumar advised.
According to Kumar, disruptive technologies are low-cost but need infrastructure, internet and skilled manpower. The opportunities for Africa, he argued, are tremendous because of the fast-increasing industrial growth, coupled with more manpower of the youthful population of more than 70 per cent under 35 years.
“Whereas many jobs will be lost, more job opportunities will also be created. When it comes to job opportunities in the UK, US, Canada and Australia, the first preference will come to Africa because of the English-speaking manpower, especially in Uganda. Africa is near to Europe compared to other countries,” Kumar noted.
Timothy Ssejjoba, the Commissioner for Higher Education at the Ministry of Education and Sports urged students to appreciate technology as an important aspect in day to day lives.
“Prepare for the best and worst that can come from anything. The benefits of disruptive technology are significant. Issues like data privacy and cybersecurity are major considerations that businesses are adopting. The skill gap and employee resistance to change can hinder the adoption of new systems. Addressing these challenges requires a proactive approach such as upskilling of employees and establishing clear governance around technology use. Utilise this conference to discuss, elaborate and bring out new technology to address the challenges and the way forward to eliminate disruptive technology in Africa,” Ssejjoba said.
The two-day conference which ended on Friday and gathered over 100 academicians from different universities across the country.
