Connecting Local Realities to Global Goals by Exploring Students’ Perceptions of the Quality of Higher Education in Uganda

This descriptive study explored the perceptions of higher education quality among students in Uganda. This paper connects insights to the strategic framework for the transformation of Africa (Agenda 2063) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Agenda 2030) with a focus on Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4). Drawing on semi-structured interviews (n = 19) and online survey data (n = 70), the study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. It examined how students perceive higher education quality in relation to SDG 4 dimensions (e.g., equity, teaching and learning environments and support). The mixed-method study revealed four key themes, namely resilience, contradictions in perceptions, strengths, and inequalities in Uganda’s higher education quality. The participants demonstrated remarkable resilience in navigating challenges despite systemic constraints. While institutions like the host higher education institution (HEI), where the research study was conducted, were perceived as spaces of autonomy, gaps in pedagogical quality, curriculum relevance and equity indicate a disconnect between policy aspirations and lived realities. We advocate for more responsive, student-prioritizing strategies for achieving the global goals and aligning higher education outcomes with the attainment of market-driven employability skills required for success in the 21st-century workplace, since students are the future.