Mount Kenya University (MKU) has stepped up efforts to prepare its students for the international job market by partnering with international organizations and foreign universities as unemployment continues to frustrate new graduates in the country.
The university’s founder and chairman of the board, Prof Simon Gicharu, says whereas the jobs are few in Kenya, there are many opportunities outside the country.
“We are training Kenyans not only for the local job market but also for the international one,” he said.
The chairman congratulated the university management for establishing partnerships with other organizations in Germany and Austria.
“Such partnerships are providing our graduates with opportunities to work abroad. Though we partially agree that the jobs are few in Kenya, there are many opportunities outside the country.
We are training Kenyans not only for the local job market but also for the international one,” he said.
Prof Gicharu said MKU will do everything practically possible to attract international students to come and study at MKU.
“Currently, we have 8,000 international students from over 40 countries. And today, we have over 400 graduates from 11 different countries,” he said.
The MKU chairman said he usually advises young people not to aim to study at a university that is in their county and still look for a job within their counties.
“They should aim for international jobs,” he said.
Previously, MKU used to compete with other universities to set up campuses in Kenya. “But in our endeavor to expand access to higher education, we decided to go international.
We started with a campus in Rwanda, which is now a fully-fledged autonomous university called Mount Kigali University.
The Kigali campus has employed over 100 Kenyans- highly-trained professionals who dared to look for opportunities beyond Kenya’s borders,” he said.
The chairman said his Board of Directors has been very committed to the improvement of academic facilities and learning infrastructure.
This is in form of additional learning space for students, and laboratories for research.
Some of these efforts have been reinforced by development institutions such as Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and collaborating institutions such as Osaka City University.
Recently, MKU launched a Sh300 million Centre for Malaria Elimination at Thika Main Campus with the support of JICA.
“Part of our drive towards internationalization is further evidenced by the fact that we have identified our honorary graduates from the international community.
Dr. Karim Khan is the Prosecutor at International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands. He is receiving an Honorary Doctor of Laws,” said Prof Gicharu.
Prof Gicharu spoke as another 6,108 (3,138 are male and 2,970 female) graduated at MKU’s Happy Valley grounds in Thika town on Friday.
They included one honorary doctorate, 15 Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degrees; 349 Masters Degrees 162 postgraduate Diplomas and 3,618 bachelor’s Degree recipients.
The university has also waived Sh80 million on outstanding student levies that include library and storage of certificate charges.
“The issue of uncollected certificates was worsened by the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Prof. Gicharu. “Over 4,000 past students have accumulated storage fees, library arrears, and late return of graduation gowns.”
The university’s chancellor, Prof Struthers, praised the many cutting-edge multidisciplinary partnerships that MKU has engaged in during the last eight months, a major thrust in the internationalization of the university.
MKU now trains students in the German language which will give them an edge to offer their services in Germany and Austria.
Others include the state-of-the-art malaria research laboratory referred to as the Malaria Elimination Centre and the Institute of Tropical Medicine launched at the Thika Campus with the support of the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The Centre focuses on biomedical research in genomics and cell-biology techniques and its facilities and resources are open to other researchers from Kenya, Africa, and beyond.
Similarly, the university’s African Center for Career Enhancement & Skills Support (ACCESS) project which runs from 2020 to 2024, has continued to bring together seven partner universities including Leipzig (Germany), IGRIB (Benin), Knust (Ghana), Ibadan (Nigeria), Tunis er (Tunisia), INES (Rwanda), and MKU (Kenya).
This centre has a very worthy aim which is to facilitate employment creation for African university graduates and has so far sent two members of staff to Leipsiz University in Germany for the PhDs.
Another example of interdisciplinary collaboration is the collaboration with the Vincent Pol University in Poland and the support they provided to MKU, especially during the 8th International Inter-Universities & Inter-disciplinary Consortium (African) Conference in 2023.
“Such partnerships also extend to student and staff exchange opportunities,” the chancellor said.
Prof Struthers noted that a partnership between MKU and the Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences in Germany saw eight MKU students and two staff members visit Germany in May 2023 under the Erasmus Plus program.
Earlier in February 2023, four members of Staff and two postgraduate students joined the University of Tartu network in Estonia in Northern Europe under another Erasmus Plus program-sponsored project.
“These partnerships are only a sample of similar programs that have contributed towards enhancing the profile of our university, which since its inception has always been partnership-driven.
Moreover, MKU and my home university, the University of The West of Scotland (UWS) saw no fewer than eight MKU staff members (including some of them in-person) participate in the 7th Annual Conference organized by the Centre for African Research on Enterprise and Economic Development where I serve as the Director,” said the Chancellor.
Vice Chancellor Prof Deogratius Jaganyi said in order to boost possible job opportunities globally, MKU students participated in Start-up Talent Session between the Africa Berlin Network and MKU early this year.
“In liaison with the Becoming Inter-cultural Diversity Ambassador (BIDA) Program, eight students participated in a student exchange with Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (H-BRS) University,” he said.
To align emerging trends and address the market demand, MKU has approved two new programs; namely; Doctor of Philosophy in Biotechnology and Bachelor of Pharmacy (upgrading).
“The University Senate also approved revised curriculum or: Bachelor of Laws curriculum, Diploma of Laws Curriculum, Bachelor of Science in Actuarial Science, Bachelor of Science in Science Laboratory Science, and Bachelor of Science in Animal Health & Production,” said the VC.
He said to make MKU programs cost-effective in the era of technology integration, the university has progressively upgraded its e-content modules into SCORM files digital content, which is self-paced with voice-over.
The digitization of content helps to have online content that is comprehensive and easy to navigate for the learner. Additionally, the university’s new common units are now offered online and are accessible to all our learners in various modes of study.
Climate change
Recently, the university was awarded a Sh4 million grant by the UK’s Knowledge Transfer Network (UK KTN) to pilot an Internet of Things-enabled machine that allows shopkeepers to accurately dispense as little as a few cents’ worth of washing powder into reusable containers thereby increasing profit margins for store owners and reducing single-use plastic, which is a major contributor to environmental pollution and climate change.
According to Prof Gicharu, the climate change challenge comes with numerous opportunities for innovative and creative entrepreneurs.
“These include coming up with innovative solutions for clean and green energy, tree planting, restoration of water towers, conservation, and Cloud Seeding Technology,” he said.
He asked the graduates to apply this innovative spirit in their areas of training and expertise. “If your field is I.C.T., you should not just be an I.C.T. specialist.
Be innovative and identify other opportunities in areas such as Artificial Intelligence. Use the existing e-resources to discover the emerging opportunities arising from disruptions,” he said.
National Assembly Speaker Dr. Moses Wetangula, who was the chief guest called for the adoption of multi-faceted strategies by governments throughout the world to address the issue of climate change.
He also encouraged Kenyans to support the Government of Kenya’s initiative to plant 15 billion trees by the year 2032.
“The rise in research on ‘greenhouse’ effects/ climate change mitigation is a vital input by universities and research organizations for bridging the glaring policy gaps in environmental education, consumer behavior, rewarding and sanctions systems, legislation and government/ organizational support in climate change mitigation,” added the Speaker.
During the fete, Prof Gicharu congratulated the outgoing chairman of the MKU Council, Prof David Serem who has served diligently for the past six years and has left after the government appointed him as chairman of the Chuka University Council.
Prof. Agong’ Stephen Gaya, who has more than 30 years of experience in education, training, research and science, management, and leadership is the new chairman of the MKU Council.
Thanking the MKU board for appointing him, Prof Gaya appreciated the support by the Board of Directors in making MKU the hub for quality university education and training.
“I commit to steering the team to ensure we offer support to the university management as the university grows to the next level.
Prof Gaya said the university council has approved a Health Services Policy to ensure that students have access to essential healthcare services, promoting their physical and mental well-being.
The policy helps in addressing common health issues and provides preventive care, early intervention, and treatment options.
Mku will also be encouraging partnerships with local healthcare providers and specialists.
Further, the Management of the Chaplaincy policy will foster an all-inclusive and supportive university environment as well as honoring the diverse religious and spiritual needs of all members of the University Community.
“We now also have a policy that provides the procedure and guideline by which an academic award may be conferred posthumously to a deceased candidate who before the unfortunate death had fulfilled the requirement of the award of the degree,” he said.
The 23rd graduation ceremony marked the last in which students from what was formerly MKU Kigali Campus will be traveling to Kenya.
The Campus gained full autonomy in April this year and now operates under the name Mount Kigali University.
In the future, Mount Kigali University will be holding its graduation ceremonies in Kigali, Rwanda.
Others who attended the colourful event were Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a, and her counterparts Paul Melly (Tinderet), Musa Sirma (Eldama Ravine), Ferdinand Wanyonyi (Kwanza), Gertrude Mbetu (Kilifi), and Innocent Mugabe (Likuyani) among others.
Others were Paul Mungai from the State Department for Higher Education and Research at the Ministry of Education, Ambassador Francis Muthaura, Chuka University Council Chair Prof. David Serem, Dr Richard Thacker of the University of West Scotland, and Prof. John McNulty of Loyola University, U.S.A.
By James Wakahiu
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