University graduates have been challenged to turn their academic qualifications into innovations, businesses and industries that create jobs, as Uganda grapples with growing competition for employment among university leavers.

The call was made by Second Deputy Prime Minister Chrispus Kiyonga and Hon. Sanjay Tanna, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, during the 33rd graduation ceremony of Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), where 1,670 students graduated, including 49 PhD recipients.

Dr Kiyonga said the university was established to produce scientists, innovators and problem-solvers capable of applying scientific knowledge to address societal challenges and accelerate socio-economic transformation.

“We did not build MUST just for people to get papers and then go and look for jobs in offices,” Dr Kiyonga said, urging graduates to apply their knowledge to practical challenges facing the country.

He said Uganda could not achieve meaningful industrialisation by relying on the export of raw materials without adding value through processing and manufacturing.

“You cannot modernise a country by mere networking or by relying on export of raw materials. You must add value, you must invent, you must process and you must build industries,” he said.

Dr Kiyonga also defended the government’s emphasis on science education, saying the National Resistance Movement government had prioritised science disciplines, with 70 per cent of government-sponsored students expected to pursue science-related courses.

He said investment in education and skills development was essential to Uganda’s economic and social transformation, adding that human resources were central to national development.

Hon. Tanna, meanwhile, challenged graduates to look beyond academic qualifications and acquire practical skills that respond to the changing demands of the labour market.

He noted that Uganda’s higher education sector had expanded significantly since 1986, when the country had one university and about 1,000 graduates.

Uganda now has more than 55 public and private universities, according to Hon. Tanna, a development that has widened access to higher education but also increased the number of graduates competing for available jobs.

He observed that even professionals who previously enjoyed relatively assured employment prospects, including doctors, now face competition for jobs and placements.

Hon. Tanna said the expansion of higher education had helped build a more educated population, but urged graduates to use their knowledge and skills to create employment opportunities and contribute to national development.

The two leaders called on graduates to embrace innovation, entrepreneurship and practical problem-solving as Uganda seeks to strengthen its industrial base and expand employment opportunities.

The ceremony marked MUST’s 33rd graduation, with 1,670 graduands receiving qualifications, including 49 doctoral recipients.