Kampala International University (KIU) medical students have beaten teams from Makerere and three other universities to win the first-ever Inter-University Surgical Skills Competition, scoring 86.3% overall.The contest, organised by the Uganda University Surgical Societies Consortium (UUSSC), was held at Makerere University on Saturday, September 26. Teams from student surgical societies were tested on hands-on surgical skills, medical quizzes and surprise tasks assessing clinical knowledge, teamwork and decision-making.UniversityScoreKampala International University86.3%Makerere University75.5%King Ceasor University74.6%Kabale University72.01%Busitema University67.54%Source: KIUKIU finished nearly 11 points clear of hosts Makerere. The winning team was made up of KIU Surgery Society president Modestus Faith Akello, Morris Muchangi Karimi, Melissa Lynette Takuwa, Caroline Amaguru, Lily Rhoda Auma and Farhat Tinka. Karimi was also named Best Overall Participant.KIU announced the win at a press conference at its Kansanga main campus on Friday, October 2, alongside a string of other milestones.A regional first for KIU’s law journalThe Kampala International University Law Journal (KIULJ) has been accepted into Scopus, one of the world’s largest abstract and citation databases for peer-reviewed research. KIU says this makes it the first Scopus-indexed law journal in Uganda and East Africa.The coverage is backdated to 2022, so eligible articles published since then will now be easier for researchers worldwide to find and cite. The journal publishes work on governance, human rights, AI and emerging technology, public procurement and sustainable development.In rankings, KIU says it placed 49th in Africa and second in Uganda in the July 2026 Webometrics Ranking of World Universities, making it the country’s highest-ranked private university.$60M for cancer, heart and brain surgeryThe biggest announcement was a $60 million expansion at KIU’s Western Campus in Ishaka, Bushenyi, to set up what the university describes as Uganda’s first private specialised Cancer Institute, Heart Institute and Neurosurgery Hospital.KIU says the European Union is providing 30% of the funding through a grant, with the university covering the remaining 70%. It did not give a construction timeline or say when the facilities would start receiving patients.The university is also launching a Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, which it says will support precision medicine and digital health research.“This will bridge the critical gaps in regional cardiovascular and cancer care while equipping the next generation with elite skills in artificial intelligence,” a KIU representative said in the statement.Moving to competence-based learningKIU also says it is leading the shift to Competence-Based Education and Training (CBET), which all higher education institutions are expected to adopt fully by the 2027/28 academic year. The model puts more weight on practical skills, internships and hands-on assessment. KIU recently hosted a regional capacity-building workshop by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE) and is working with Canada’s Mount Royal University and Ivey Business School to train lecturers in case-based teaching.Dates to noteEventDateVenue4th International Research and Development Conference (IRDeC 2026)October 12 to 16Main Campus, KansangaAlumni Homecoming Dinner and Leadership ElectionsFriday, November 6Sixth Floor, Main Campus, Kansanga34th Graduation CeremonySaturday, November 21Western Campus, Ishaka-BushenyiIRDeC 2026 will focus on how digital innovation and AI can boost workforce efficiency, economic transformation and industrialisation, with sessions on topics such as smart manufacturing, cybersecurity and responsible AI.Alumni registration for the homecoming dinner is open, with an alumni football match among the build-up events.The 34th graduation will run under the theme “Empowering Graduates for Global Transformation through Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.” KIU has urged graduands to complete academic and financial clearance within the set timelines, since only cleared graduands will appear on the final list.KIU students, which of these milestones matters most to you? Let us know. @campusbee.ugThe post 86.3%: KIU beats Makerere to top inaugural surgical skills contest, unveils $60M health expansion was written by the awesome team at Campus Bee.