By Ambrose Gahene
The International Teacher Education Conference (ITEC) 2026, is scheduled to take place in Kampala from 1ST to 2nd October 2026. The revelation was made by officials from the Uganda National Institute for Teacher Education (UNITE), while addressing Journalists at the Uganda Media Centre on Monday.
Prof. Betty Akullu Ezati, UNITE Vice Chancellor, said the conference shall bring together scholars, policymakers, teacher educators and practitioners to share research, experiences and perspectives on the transformation of teacher education.
“The conference seeks to contribute to dialogue on strengthening teacher education and its role in developing the human capital required for social and economic transformation”, she said.
Ms. Akullu said Teacher education is critical to the quality of education and the development of future generations. She added that; as education systems respond to new technologies, artificial intelligence, competence-based approaches, inclusion and changing social and economic demands, teacher education must also evolve.
“ITEC 2026 provides an opportunity to bring together different perspectives and experiences to examine how teachers can be better prepared, supported and empowered to respond to these changes”, she added.
She enumerated the conference focus to include; preparing the 21st-century teacher; teacher standards, regulation and quality; teacher education programme design; modern pedagogy and assessment; continuing professional development and technology and artificial intelligence among others.
Prof. Proscovia Namubiru Ssentamu, UNITE Deputy Vice Chancellor, in-charge of Academic Affairs, said a pre-conference workshop will take place on 30th September 2026, designed primarily for early-career researchers and academics, postgraduate students, teacher educators, and institutional leaders.
She said the pre-conference is a practical, skills-intensive day, organized into five parallel streams comprising: digital responsibility, evidence synthesis and writing, inclusive competence-based, curriculum and assessment, leadership, and reform sustainability, and gender, equity and inclusion.
“These workshops are intended to strengthen capacity”, she said.
Prof. Ssentamu said the main conference will be themed: “Teachers at the Heart of Reform: Transforming Teacher Education for Human Capital Development in the 21st Century”.
“The two days’ main conference will take place on 1 and 2 October, 2026 and will bring together the broader community of International scholars, policy makers and practitioners in teacher education and training, to deliberate, and share challenges and best practices that move teacher education reform from commitment to measurable impact on human capital development”, she added.
Dr. Dennis Mugimba, Ministry of Education and Sports Head of Communications, said Government through the Ministry of Education is to come up with higher education policy, to review the quality of education in tertiary institutions. He said his Ministry is committed to supporting teachers in both private and government aided schools, through training.
“There is a need to support teachers through continuous training in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital transformation”, he said.
Hon. John Chrysostom Muyingo, the Acting Minister of Education and Sports will be the Guest of Honor at the Conference, according to organizers of the conference.