MKU Pursue Institutional Collaboration With Japan’s Hitachi High Technologies.

Hitachi Vice President Toshiyuki Ikenda pose for a group photo with MKU VC Prof. Stanley Waudo together with MKU staff and Board of Directors

Mount Kenya University (MKU) is poised to become the first university in Africa to partner with Japan’s Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation with a view to coming up with an educational and innovational programme that will see its students benefit from an exposure that will inadvertently improve their fundamental technology capabilities.

Speaking during the tour of the university, Hitachi Vice President Toshiyuki Ikenda said that their company was happy to discuss their corroboration with MKU which he said will go a long way in creating competence based education among their students as well as creating opportunities for exchange of experts. He added that this was a great avenue to tackle the challenges that existed in research and technological innovations.

“I am happy that our partnership will be an opportunity to provide solutions to the problem experienced in technological innovations and research and especially among the students and researchers. We are here to explore ways of sharing technology with MKU and exerting skills with a view to equipping the students with a hands-on approach,” said Ikenda.

Hitachi High-Technologies International Sales & Marketing Manager David P. Semiono said that they were open to any form of partnership with the university and would support the delivery of significant technology enhancements for the benefit of students, staff and partners.

“Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation will use their knowledge, innovation and ideas of its technology experts to help the University escalate the efficacy of its technological systems, services, and capabilities. This will in turn strengthen its position as a leading technological university. This aims to provide enhanced educational and employability benefits for students and graduates as well as economic and community benefits to Kenya and Africa in general,” said Semiono.

MKU Vice Chancellor Prof. Stanley W. Waudo emphasised that the university endeavoured to offer holistic education to its students that was value and competency based. This, he said, explained the reason the institution was excited about the prospects of partnering with Hitachi Technologies.

“Our institution lays so much emphasis in imparting both knowledge and skills as we focus on student progress in demonstrating competency, that is their ability to prove that they have mastered knowledge and skills required for a particular course. We seek partnerships between our University and industries that promote sharing of expertise and resources so as to increase quality of operations and competitive advantage,” said Waudo.

He pointed out that these partnerships guaranteed their students with opportunities for attachments and internship for graduate. This also facilitated their integration of knowledge acquired at the university with skills acquired in a work environment.

Prof. Mwangi Peter Wanderi (PhD.), MKU’s Director, Quality Assurance, Linkages and Partnerships, said that they were inspired by the reality development in this country only takes place in the presence of good partners.

“The issue of partnership for development is key to the achievement of Kenya’s Vison 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals. We at MKU take a lot of interest in enhancing this partnerships to ensure that they impact our community. We source for partners from across the globe who come and work with our students and faculties to give the interface between research and the community,” said Wanderi.

Wanderi said that their collaboration with Hitachi would explore areas such as medical technology and in ICT.

Hitachi High-Tech Group was established in April 1947 in Chuo-ku, Tokyo, as Hinode Shokai Co Ltd. It has developed a global business around the four segments of Science & Medical Systems, Electronic Device Systems, Industrial Systems and Advanced Industrial Products.