Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) has launched a data centre to enhance health, climate, and environmental research in the Lake Victoria region.
The data centre based at Joost Kisumu campus has been equipped to the tune of sh 6 million, funded by the Belgian government through the Vlir-OUS program.
The data centre is part of the deliverables in the 10-year cooperation between Jooust and Belgian (Flemish) universities, which include strengthening research capacity in Natural resource management, Agri-food systems, health, ICT, and climate change resilience projects.
According to Jooust director of ICT Prof Solomon Ogara, the data centre will be used to gather census-based data from the field. It will not only serve as a repository from which researchers worldwide will access the data, but also as a disaster recovery centre for the sustainability of the projects.
Speaking during the launch, JOOUST Deputy Vice Chancellor Prof Aggrey Thuo noted that the data centre will be key not only in digitising research data but also in supporting research and administrative activities.
Prof. Thuo observed that the collaboration has helped Jooust bridge the local resource gap, exuding confidence that phase two of the program will receive funding amid concerns about looming Belgian government funding cuts.
Prof. Jan Danckert, vice chancellor of Vrije University of Brussels (VUB), said he was proud of the mutual collaboration, terming it a win-win for JOOUST and VUB in Belgium.
Prof Danckert said that the data collected by Jooust is helpful for research undertaken by professors and students back in Belgium.
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On the other hand, the government of Belgium was urged to implement the intended budget cuts gradually, with transition periods to enable universities to adapt and look for new sources of funding to create stability.
Through the ten-year (2022-2032) collaboration between Jooust and Belgian universities, Jooust received a grant of shs 898 million, with the anticipated cuts expected to chop off shs 7.5 million annually from the research grants.
Flemish coordinator Prof. Ann Van Griensven expressed satisfaction with the joint investment, funding, and progress of sub-projects.
Prof Griensven underscored the importance of the newly launched data centre, revealing that, so far, a lot of data has been collected and project milestones recorded, which would not have been possible without it.
“If we collect data but we cannot make it available for use by researchers and the community, then our efforts will be pointless,” said Prof Griensven.
By Erick Nyayiera
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