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TRANSITIONING HIGHER EDUCATION REGULATORS AND UNIVERSITIES TO COMPETENCE BASED EDUCATION IN EAST AND WEST AFRICA (TRUCE)

TRANSITIONING HIGHER EDUCATION REGULATORS AND UNIVERSITIES TO COMPETENCE BASED EDUCATION IN EAST AND WEST AFRICA (TRUCE)

Project Aim

The overarching aim of the TRUCE project is to enhance the capacity and capabilities of public universities and education regulators to contribute to a smooth and effective transition to Competence Based Education (CBE) that increases HEIs value creation to society and their economies. The project aims to accelerate the adoption of CBE in universities in Sub-Saharan African countries as a vehicle to drive job creation for young women and men on the continent.

Project Objectives

  1. To build capacity of universities and higher education regulators in Ghana and Uganda for management of transition of CBE in the higher education ecosystem.

  2. To develop guidelines for CBE-oriented engagement with industry for designing, delivery and impact assessment.

  3. To create a community of practice of Champions with capabilities to accelerate scaling up and roll out the CBE in HEIs ecosystem.

  4. To enhance the capacity of education regulators and university faculty to nurture and deliver at institutional, national and regional level CBE support services to HEIs in SSA.

Project Outcome

The project is expected to produce several tangible outcomes, including: CBE situation analysis reports; benchmarking reports on CBE best practices; guidelines for design, accreditation, facilitation, monitoring/support supervision and assessment of CBE programs; collaborative guidelines for academia/industry partnerships (World of Work framework); training materials and reports for collaborative learning; a pool of CBE Champions (Master Trainers) identified and trained; CBE-Champion guidelines; and a Dissemination and Communication Plan. The long-term impact aims to be a fully transitioned higher education system in Uganda and Ghana that produces graduates with relevant, market-ready competencies, reducing youth unemployment and contributing to socio-economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Team Members

  • Dr. Josephine Esaete (Makerere University) – Project Coordinator, Senior Lecturer & Researcher

  • Buluma Alfred, PhD (Makerere University) – Educational Researcher and Practitioner

  • Walimbwa Michael, PhD (Makerere University) – Research Coordinator & eLearning Champion

  • Nassali Teddie (Makerere University) – Administrative Secretary

  • Mbulankende Julius Shopi, PhD (Makerere University) – Lecturer, Teacher Trainer & Educational ICT Specialist

  • Kabasiita Jessica (Mountains of the Moon University) – Dean, Faculty of Education; Lecturer

  • Dr. Francis Otto (Mountains of the Moon University) – Director, Directorate of Information and Communication Technology

  • Prof. Anthony Egeru (RUFORUM) – Manager Skilling, Engagement for Community Development

  • Ms. Lois Nanono (RUFORUM) – Program Officer (Business Creation, Incubation, and Jobs)

  • Dr. Kulabako Mary (RUFORUM) – Education Expert

  • Joyce Senya Ama Anku, PhD (University of Ghana) – Lecturer in Teacher Education and Leadership

  • Dr. Simon-Peter Kafui Aheto (University of Ghana) – Youth Development & Capacity Building Practitioner

  • Clement Adamba, PhD (University of Ghana) – Director, Legon Centre for Education Research and Policy; Senior Research Fellow

  • Prof. Victus Bobonkey Samlafo (University of Education, Winneba) – Associate Professor and Dean, Faculty of Science Education

  • Miriam Ogah, MPhil (University of Education, Winneba) – Lecturer in Educational Foundations

  • Prof. Benjamin Ghansah (University of Education, Winneba) – Associate Professor (Senior Lecturer)

  • Dr. Godfrey Omoda-Onyait (NCHE Uganda) – Senior Higher Education Officer, Directorate of Quality Assurance and Accreditation

  • Dr. Maria Nakachwa (NCHE Uganda) – Principal Higher Education Officer, Programme Accreditation Department

  • Dr. Richard Ouma (NCHE Uganda) – Higher Education Officer, Programme Accreditation

  • Edmund Nibeneeh Aalangdong, PhD (Ghana Tertiary Education Commission – GTEC) – Deputy Director in Charge of Policy and Planning Division

  • Takyi Frederick Kwaku (GTEC) – Head, Research, Innovation and Analytics

  • Silvia Alcaraz-Dominguez, PhD (University of Barcelona) – Assistant Professor, Department of Didactics and Educational Organisation

  • Prof. Nuria Serrat Antoli, PhD (University of Barcelona) – Tenured Professor & Assistant at the Vicerectorate of Teaching Policy

  • Prof. Nuria Molas-Castells, PhD (University of Barcelona) – Assistant Professor, Dept. of Theory and History of Education

  • Prof. Nuno Escudeiro, PhD (Polytechnic Institute of Porto) – Local Project Coordinator & Technical Advisor on Curricular Innovation

  • Prof. Paula Escudeiro (Polytechnic Institute of Porto) – Curricular Innovation Lead & Capacity Building Specialist

Project Period
The project duration is 48 months

Project Funder
The European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme, specifically the Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) action under Call: ERASMUS-EDU-2025-CBHE-STRAND-3.

Project Leadership
The project is coordinated by Dr. Josephine Esaete from Makerere University (MAK). She provides expert guidance on research, capacity building, and curriculum innovation for the shift to Competency-Based Education (CBE). The project is supported by a consortium of African and European partners, with MAK serving as the overall coordinator responsible for ensuring all activities are completed as planned across all Work Packages.

Principal Investigator
Dr. Josephine Esaete, who holds ultimate responsibility for the project’s scientific and technical integrity, deliverables, and reporting to the funder.