By Frank Kamuntu
Ugandan scholar and reformist educationist Professor Lawrence Muganga has been honoured with the prestigious Global Impact Award at the Excellence Awards held at the Meridian Arts Centre in Toronto, Canada.
The award, which celebrates individuals driving transformative global change, recognises Prof. Muganga’s exceptional leadership in redefining education for the 21st century, making learning more practical, technology-driven, and globally relevant.
Prof. Muganga, who serves as Vice Chancellor of Victoria University (VU) in Kampala, Uganda, has emerged as one of Africa’s leading voices in education reform. His career, spanning from the University of Alberta in Canada to his leadership at Victoria University, has been marked by a consistent commitment to bridging the gap between academia and real-world skills.
Since taking the helm at Victoria University, Prof. Muganga has spearheaded a radical transformation of the institution, positioning it as one of Africa’s most innovative universities. He introduced Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), a first of its kind in East and Central Africa, ensuring that every graduate leaves with industry experience, entrepreneurship skills, and employability competencies.
He has also been a vocal advocate for Competency-Based Education (CBE), steering universities away from rote learning and toward outcome-based, practical, and technology-empowered systems. Through the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital tools, Victoria University under his leadership has built a model of education aligned with the demands of the future workforce.
“Education must go beyond degrees, it must create thinkers, doers, and problem-solvers who can thrive in a fast-changing world,” Prof. Muganga often emphasizes in his public addresses.
Organisers of the Excellence Awards praised him as “an academic giant, a visionary leader, and a global force redefining Africa’s future.”
The recognition is more than an individual triumph, it’s a moment of pride for Uganda and Africa at large, symbolising the continent’s growing influence in global education reform.
Beyond universities, Prof. Muganga continues to advise governments and international organisations on building education systems that matter, systems grounded in relevance, skills, and innovation.
His Global Impact Award cements his reputation not only as a university leader but also as a transformative thinker shaping the future of education across borders.
“This is not just my award,” Prof. Muganga said in his acceptance remarks. “It belongs to every African educator who dares to dream of an education that empowers, inspires, and transforms lives.”
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