In 2014, the government of Japan, through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) initiated the Africa-ai-JAPAN Project at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). The Project was intended to fortify JKUAT’s place as effective host for the African Union led Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI).
A decade later, Africa-ai-JAPAN Project has registered impactful outcomes that have not only improved learning and research environment at JKUAT and PAUSTI but also improved global visibility of both institutions through networking opportunities with similar institutions in Africa, Asia, Americas and Europe.
Speaking during the Projects’ annual joint coordinating committee meeting at JKUAT on Thursday November 7, 2024, the Principal Secretary for Higher Education and Research, Dr. Beatrice Inyangala thanked Japan for steadfast support to Kenya’s higher education sector through Africa-ai-JAPAN Project.
The PS noted that thanks in part to the Project, JKUAT is today, one of the most preferred public universities in Kenya while PAUSTI is the most successful of the Pan African University institutes.
Dr. Inyangala added that innovation enterprise remains an important focus of government as it is only through production and utilization of functional knowledge that Kenya could meet national development goals such as Vision 2030.
The PS remarks were delivered by Milton Njuki, Deputy Director at the State Department of Higher Education and Research.
Hiroshi Mochizuki, Senior Deputy Director Higher Education and Social Security Group at JICA Headquarters lauded the Project for setting an enviable spirit of promoting brain circulation between Japan and Africa.
Hiroshi proposed a three pronged approach to anchor internationalization at JKUAT/PAUSTI namely strengthening linkages between universities and industry; develop regional academic networks and expanding study abroad programmes with Japanese universities.
Vice Chancellor Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi noted that in the last year, Project had helped more than 30 teaching and technical staff at JKUAT to acquire masters and doctorate degrees – mostly in Japanese universities. She added that the Project had injected over KSh. 20 million annually to support innovation research at JKUAT.
“The productive linkages with universities in Japan and the larger ASEAN countries, has fostered staff and student exchanges – bringing the world to JKUAT and taking JKUAT to the world,” Prof. Ngumi said.
JKUAT Council Chairperson, Dr. James Micah Onsando said the Africa-ai-JAPAN Project had become a key driver of partnerships between JKUAT and Japanese industries – facilitating functional technology transfer from Japan to Kenya and the rest of Africa through PAUSTI.
On his part, the Director General of the National Council on Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Walter Oyawa said that JKUAT had emerged as innovation thought leader, with the highest number of patent fillings among public and private universities in Kenya.
Separately, Haruko Kamei Director General for Human Development Department at JICA headquarters has commended JKUAT for the role it has played in strengthening ties between Japan and Kenya through higher education exchanges.
The official was speaking during a courtesy call on JKUAT Vice Chancellor on Thursday November 11, 2024 where she lauded the growth of the university from initiation in the 1970s to become one of the top universities in Kenya.
Kamei noted that JICA was keen to bring together a network of universities supported by Japan in Africa and that JKUAT is now well positioned to play a constructive role in the process.
