MKU a model for African Universities, says envoy
 |
| Amb. Eunice Kigenyi, Deputy High Commissioner, Uganda High Commission, Nairobi, Kenya |
Universities around Africa have been urged to benchmark with Mount Kenya University whose model has is since seen the institution make major milestones in its academic programmes.
Amb. Eunice Kigenyi, Deputy High Commissioner, Uganda High Commission, Nairobi, Kenya, said the university culture of having top lecturers and researchers on its faculty has greatly contributed to the institution’s academic growth as well as being a leading producer of globally-qualified workforce.
“The university has a continuous presence of lecturers and researchers from other countries including India, Germany, Nigeria and so on. This is a model that is worth emulating by other universities in Africa and beyond,” said Amb. Kigenyi during the university 26th graduation ceremony at the institution’s Happy Valley Grounds, Thika, Kenya, December 6, 2024.
Those who attended the colourful ceremony included Dr. Jane Nyutu, the MKU Co-Founder; Dr. Vincent Gaitho, the university council chairman; Prof. John Struthers, the MKU Chancellor; and the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi.
Some 7,448 students graduated: 12 doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees; 617 Master’s degrees ; 120 postgraduate diplomas; 5,087 bachelor’s degrees; 1,353 diplomas; and, 259 certificates.
Sirisia MP John Walukhe was among the graduands. He earned a Master of Arts in Development Studies.
He joins other notable graduates, including Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs Beatrice Askul and Nairobi Rivers Commission, Commissioner Chebichii Lelei.
The ceremony’s theme was: ‘Internationalization of University Education Towards Development of a Competitive Global Workforce.’
“The world is changing and MKU as an institution must remain well in tandem with that change. Within the world-of-work, this global change is significantly brought about by the fast-evolving 4th Industrial Revolution which is powered by digitization and stimulated by artificial intelligence, “ said Amb. Kigenyi and talked of two areas that needed more attention; The United Nations Guidelines on Internalization of the Labour Force; and, The International Labor Organization’ “Global Job Pact.”
The United Nations Guidelines on Internalization of the Labour Force, is well explained by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No. 8 on ‘Decent Work and Economic Growth’ but it also touches on the International Labor Organization (ILO) “Global Job Pact.” These two are inter-related as reflected on SDG 8’s Target 8(B) which states as follows:
“The world and global institutions (such as Mount Kenya University) shall develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization”.
The Global Job Pact, the envoy reminded the congregation, is a set of policy measures that countries with the support of regional and multilateral institutions can adopt to ease employment crisis. The Global Jobs Pact calls on ILO member states to emphasize on creation of decent work opportunities.
Amb. Kigenyi commended MKU for its commitment to the International Labor Organization Jobs Pact and SDG 8 Creation of Decent Work to Serve the Global Economy.
She cited the university efforts, since inception, of striving to create campuses around East Africa and in turn create more job opportunities.
MKU has a regional office in Kampala, Uganda, with its sister institution in Kigali Rwanda being “a good international employer.” There also are MKU employees in Hargeisa, Somaliland.
“To this end, I also note that MKU Alumni are serving the global community in many countries of the world. This situation is flavored by MKU students who are employed online in the USA-based Roadstar Work-Study Project that has continuously run since December 2019.
“This provides MKU students with international exposure and practical experience in the logistics industry taking their employment alongside their studies and experiencing the world-of-work at an international perspective from an early stage in their lives.
“The University is also working with a German-based organization and one German University to secure nursing job-opportunities in Germany and Austria for MKU Alumni,” said Amb. Eunice Kigenyi.
Dr. Vincent Gaitho, the Mount Kenya University Council chairman, said the university “ is at the forefront of global integration through internationalization of university education for fostering a workforce that can thrive in a competitive global economy.”
The university innovation, incubation and research centres align with Kenya's 10-Year Innovation Master plan, “which will position Kenya as a global innovation hub, supporting start- and empowering the youth.”
On accessibility and inclusion in education, Dr Gaitho said MKU has leveraged innovative solutions to enhance accessibility and affordability, inspired by the fact that education is a right for all.
“These initiatives empower students from marginalized backgrounds to pursue their career dreams. Digital transformation is reshaping access to education for instance; E-learning and blended learning reduce costs and overcome geographical barriers.
The council chairman said MKU has incorporated Interactive Display Units for smart classrooms in her campuses and made significant Investments in ICT infrastructure expanding access to high-quality education to learners across the globe in line with UNESCO’s "Education for All" initiative.
“It is in line with this reality that Mount Kenya University has sourced for the Nanjing Zhongxing Xinyanda Information Technology Co. Ltd. so that with the due approvals by the relevant ministry this partnership could push Kenya’s ICT Infrastructural expansion to the next level,” said Dr Gaitho.
Prof. John Struthers, the Chancellor, said MKU was committed to producing world class manpower.
“MKU has been a hub for manpower development at an international level as evidenced, for example, by her number of international students and Alumni across the world.”
The quality of the graduates produced lead to the overall growth of Mount Kenya University for as they graduate and join the global workforce, they do so as alumni and ambassadors of the University.
“The epitome or essence of MKU’s growth is clearly demonstrated by this quality workforce who have been educated and trained for the international job market,” said Prof. Struthers.
The Chancellor said MKU has since embraced a growth strategy through a deliberate emphasis on participating in several consortia to drive the university mission.
Consortia Prof. Struthers cited included the Africa Center for Career Enhancement and Skills Support (ACCESS) which brings together five African universities, including Mount Kenya University and German’s Leipzig University.
Then there is the Students Training for Entrepreneurial Promotion on Sustainability (STEP-S) project that brings together three universities in Africa including Mount Kenya University, and the Leuphana University of Germany;
The International Interdisciplinary Consortium – Africa, brings together two universities in Kenya including Mount Kenya University, three other African Universities in Uganda, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and two European universities, one in Poland and one in Slovakia.
“Another example has been MKU’s students’ involvement in the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2024 which is a consortium-driven global forum that saw a joint team of over 400 universities from over one hundred nations across the world demonstrate their diverse capacities in support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Agenda,” said Prof. Struthers.
Millennium Fellowship is a global program for undergraduate university students supported by the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) Office in collaboration with the Millennium Campus Network (MCN).
He congratulated MKU students who are members of the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2024, adding that all graduands “are well trained to compete globally and should feel confident in being able to offer your services anywhere in the world.”
Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi, the MKU Vice-Chancellor, said this year, between August and October, the university faculty won over Kshs. 52 million to support research and innovation.
The university, he added, has continued to align, review and revamp its’ curricula across all programmes offered in the 13 schools to mainly address emerging trends and the market demands.”
Prof. Jaganyi said on the innovation front, two students won the regional innovation competition dubbed Zindigi, sponsored by the Zindigi Bank of Pakistan, a competition that had 38 different teams.
MKU, he added, has continued to implement her strategy on research, innovation, and community engagement.
Some of the highlights include Research and Innovation, and Community engagement.
Prof. Jaganyi said the university has continued to build strategic partnerships to strengthen research and innovation ecosystem.
“Several members of faculty from different schools and departments have continued to travel to Europe under the Erasmus mobility grants and Access project scheme to engage with colleagues in different universities to discuss future collaborations,” said Prof. Jaganyi.
Besides, the Vice Chancellor, said the University has since established a strategic partnership with Umea and Lulea Universities from the Region Norrbotten in Sweden on mental health research and education.
“Additionally, the university has continued to receive inquiries and requests of affiliation from faculty members of universities in different countries. These partnerships will enhance both the quality of our research outputs and student supervision.
“MKU has recently acquired and installed Next-Seq 1000 Illumina sequencer at the Center for Malaria Elimination Laboratory. This is one of the latest sequencers in the market with a capacity of generating 160 GB of data per sequencing cycle. This will enhance the capacity of research outputs from the University and offer opportunity for collaboration with other institutions,” said Prof. Jaganyi.
He said the university, through the Vice-Chancellor’s Research and Innovation Grant has this year funded eight research teams led by faculty members selected through a competitive process.
“Each team was awarded Kshs 1.8 million as a seed grant for their research. Each team will support the training of a postgraduate student at the project level. The MKU faculty members continued to source for external research funding by applying for competitive research grants.”
Dr. Jane Nyutu, the MKU co-founder, said the institution was building an office block at Kibuli in Kampala in a bid to expand if services and bring them closer to the people.
The building will serve as a strategic point of expanding access to quality education to a wider region covering South Sudan, and parts of Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), said Dr Nyutu, who represented MKU Chairman, Board of Directors and Founder, Prof. Simon Gicharu.
Dr Nyutu said the university was committed to motivating its academic staff and announced that the Chairman and Members of the Board of Directors “have offered a Christmas Token of Appreciation” to the staff.
Irene Nyagah, the MKU alumni representative challenged the graduands to “embrace lifelong learning.” “The degree, diploma or certificate you receive today is not just a document—it is a passport to explore, grow, and evolve in ways you never imagined.
“Education is not an endpoint—rather, it is a lifelong pursuit. Every milestone you achieve will present new challenges and opportunities for growth. You must remain curious, adaptable, and committed to continuous learning,” she said.
Ms Nyagah asked graduands to always remember MKU as their Alma Mater.
“Your Alma Mater is more than just a place where you earned your credentials; it is a family, a foundation, and a network of infinite possibilities. Stay engaged with MKU by participating in alumni activities, mentoring current students, and contributing to the University’s growth. By staying connected, you empower others, get empowered and continue to evolve in your own journey,” she said.
No comments: