“We live in a complex and changing world and the future of our country depends on the quality of education we provide to young people. Unlike sustainable technologies that improve existing systems, disruptive technologies modify existing systems and create new ones. Disruptive technologies have become drivers of fundamental change across all sectors by reshaping business models and introducing innovative approaches. To follow this trend, we must be prepared as a country, but that starts with training the youth,” Ssebugwawo said.

The minister made the remarks on Thursday while chairing 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 Kampala.

As the government invests in infrastructure and research and ensures that academic institutions are equipped with the necessary resources to provide world-class education to young people, the minister challenged university students to discuss new knowledge to meet the challenges introduced by growing technological trends.

“I challenge the researchers, academicians and industry experts participating in this conference to introduce new technologies that will help in the development of policy guidelines to build innovation that aligns with the goals of the third national development plan, but which will also address the challenges that will come with disruptive challenges. ”added Ssebugwawo.

For his part, Pradeep Kumar, Director of Academic Affairs at ISBAT University, defined disruptions as those introduced from the fourth industrial revolution and which have the power to transform the way humans traditionally work and must completely change the order and way of working. they operate in different sectors. Examples of disruptive technologies include the Internet of Things, which has evolved into the Internet of Everything. Other technologies include artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, 5G network, 3D printing, blockchain, machine learning, among others.

For example, in healthcare, without consulting a doctor, you will simply wear a watch that tracks your health while giving you a daily report. If anything abnormal is detected, it will send a report to your doctor, informing them that within a given time frame you will suffer, say, a heart attack, all thanks to artificial intelligence.

“You need to study and gain knowledge about the latest technology trends. Don’t run away from technology because it is only used with IT. Technology has been integrated into business, science, public health and every other sector. Whether you are a public attorney, doctor, engineer, builder or logistics worker, no job is sustainable without technology. More importantly, the advantage of disruptive technology is that it produces the same at low cost, with less effort and in less time,” advised Kumar.

According to Kumar, disruptive technologies are inexpensive but require infrastructure, internet and skilled manpower. The opportunities for Africa, he argued, are enormous due to rapid industrial growth, coupled with a larger workforce, made up of more than 70 percent young people aged under 35. .

“Although many jobs will be lost, more employment opportunities will also be created. When it comes to job opportunities in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia, the first preference will be Africa due to the English-speaking workforce, especially in Uganda. Africa is close to Europe compared to other countries,” Kumar noted.

Timothy Ssejjoba, Commissioner for Tertiary Education at the Ministry of Education and Sports, urged students to consider technology as an important aspect of daily life.

“Prepare yourself for the best and worst that can happen. The benefits of disruptive technologies are considerable. Issues such as data privacy and cybersecurity are major considerations that businesses are adopting. Lack of skills and employee resistance to change can hinder the adoption of new systems. Addressing these challenges requires a proactive approach such as upskilling employees and establishing clear governance around the use of technology. Use this conference to discuss, develop and bring out new technologies to address the challenges and find the way forward to eliminate disruptive technologies in Africa,” said Ssejjoba.

The two-day conference, which concluded on Friday, was attended by over 100 academicians from different universities across the country.