The International University of East Africa (IUEA) has announced that starting January next year, it will be teaching robotics and climate smart agriculture as some of its new programs.

Speaking during the launch of the admissions for the 2025 January intake, IUEA vice chancellor, Prof Emeka Akaezuwa unveiled three new programs including Bachelor of Science in Mining Engineering, Bachelor of Science in Mechatronics and Robotics, and Bachelor of Science in Climate Smart Agriculture which he said are crafted to meet evolving industry demands and support sustainable development in the region and continent at large.

"We consider these new programs to be groundbreaking because they talk to the real demands of the market today. They talk to the real demands in skills because climate smart agriculture requires a whole set of different skills from traditional agriculture," Prof.Emeka said.

He said with the onset of climate change and agriculture being the backbone of Uganda, climate smart agriculture is the way to go if the country and continent at large are to build more sustainable food systems that protect the environment.

"We are talking about mining because Africa has a lot of minerals but we need ways to be able to sustainably mine them but also add value to them and we are starting a program in that line. We have also had of the fourth industrial revolution with AI and our program in Mechatronics and Robotics will the skills the people need to take advantage of the new processes."

IUEA vice chancellor, Prof Emeka Akaezuwa. The IUEA vice chancellor said the three new programs are important because they speak to the economic growth and development of the country and the continent at large and intellectual ability and capability of the citizens.

"We are probably the first university to make AI a common core course across the board. It doesn't matter what you are studying, you must know some AI. You don't have to be an expert in AI , or do its programming but need to know what it is and its application in your area of specialization, whether in marketing, accounting or law," he said.

He said the university was founded on a bold vision of science and technology, and remains committed to introducing impactful new programmes in this field.

Officials noted that the university offers both physical and online learning options, empowering students to engage with flexible educational experiences that fit their needs