MKU gets new Vice-Chancellor - Prof Jaganyi

Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi is the new Mount Kenya University (MKU) Vice-Chancellor (VC). 

Prof Jaganyi, who reports on January 4, 2021, will be the university’s 2nd Vice-Chancellor to replace Prof Stanley Waudo, who has diligently served them since its inception in 2008. 

Prof Waudo has served two full terms of 5 years each. However, due to his sterling leadership, the university awarded him extension of service.

Prof Jaganyi will provide stewardship towards achieving the university’s Mission, Vision and strategic goals for the benefit of stakeholders.

ACADEMIC AND RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Prof Jaganyi, a distinguished scholar and leader, is a full Professor with a PhD in Physical Chemistry obtained in 1992 from Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London, England.

A National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa rated researcher, Prof Jaganyi has:

• Won over $1 million in grants for his competitive research proposals.

• Supervised 42 Honours, 31 MSc, 12 PhD students and 4 postdoctoral scholars.

• In the last 25 years been external and internal examiner of postgraduate students at PhD and Masters levels.

• Published 105 articles, 93 of them in peer-reviewed international journals, with more under review. He has written over 90 conference abstracts.

• Presented his research findings at local and international conferences. His research work has also appeared in some high impact journals, such as Nature.

• Developed and reviewed a number of research partnership agreements.

WORK EXPERIENCE

• More than 10 years’ senior leadership and management experience. He rose from Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture to Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science (DVC- HoC CAES)) at the University of Kwa Zulu-Natal (UKZN).

 His responsibilities included grant mobilisation and management, research project management, data and research dissemination, and diverse training, just to mention a few.

• Served on the Boards of the UKZN affiliated institutes: The Sugar Milling Research Institute (SMRI); the Institute for Commercial Forestry Research (ICFR); and Msunduzi Innovation and Development Institute (MIDI).

• Member of various committees at college, university and national levels, on matters relating to research, teaching and learning and general university issues while at UKZN.

• A Trustee of the Msunduzi Innovation and Development Institute (MIDI) and has chaired the internationally funded Boards of African Centre for Crop Improvement (ACCI) and Centre for Water Resources Research (CWRR).

• Recipient of various awards, including the 2010 University of KwaZulu-Natal, Distinguished Teachers Award.

TASKS

• Provide strategic leadership in the implementation of the University’s teaching and learning mandate through consistent provision of relevant academic programmes delivered in innovative settings, including enhanced e-learning as supported by state-of-the-art ICT infrastructure and technologies.

• Enhance the University’s status as a premier Research and Innovation institution dedicated to the generation, dissemination and preservation of knowledge that effectively addresses the challenges facing communities, so as to transform lives. MKU is among the top 10 universities in research funding, and its research grants have grown from the internal Ksh1 million Board of Trustees’ Research grant to the current Ksh700 million won nationally and internationally.

• Plan, develop and implement strategic institutional linkages, a pillar supporting the internationalisation of the University.

• Oversee the implementation of the University’s 2020-2029 Strategic Plan.

• Consolidate the University’s campuses into Centres of Excellence and ensure the proposed Mount Kigali University