Universities under the Inter-University Council for East Africa have been tasked to invest in quality research and data management systems if they are to transform society.
Speaking at the Inter-University Council of East Africa Forum, the state minister for Higher Education, Dr John Chrysostom Muyingo, noted that a lot of data collected is under-utilised due to poor coordination among regional university researchers.
"We are losing a lot of data due to recklessness among teachers and researchers from different universities. We need to keep track of our data," Muyingo said.
Muyingo added that proper data management is key for future generations.
"All the youth that are growing and will have to be enrolled in these universities ought to find all this data ready for use", Muyingo said.
The executive director of East Africa Science and Technology Commission Dr Sylvance Okoth, noted the need for universities to consider regional data collection efforts in addition to fostering networking as a way of strengthening higher education in the region.
"Let regional data collection be our focus if we need to strengthen higher education in the region and other neighbouring regions," Okoth said.
The Inter-University Council of East Africa is an umbrella body that brings together 137 universities in East Africa.
