Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and Japan’s Nagasaki University have amplified efforts to diversify and deepen cooperation across research and academic exchanges. This was revealed during discussions between the two institutions held on Wednesday, July 18, in Nairobi.

Nagasaki University President, Prof. Takeshi Nagayasu said that JKUAT had proven to be good partner in Africa and that he hoped to see the partnership with JKUAT expand to include research areas such as global health, marine technology, ecology and aquaculture.

In 2021, JKUAT and Nagasaki University signed an agreement of academic cooperation, setting the pace for a number of exchanges and joint research initiatives that have so far been implemented.  Four JKUAT staff have so far completed postgraduate training in Nagasaki University in different areas such as fisheries and environmental health, reproductive physiology, medical parasitology and marine engineering.

JKUAT Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi said besides human capacity building, the two institutions have also jointly participated in projects such as Lake Victoria Comprehensive Ecosystem and Aquatic Environment Research for Development Project (LAVICORD).

In remarks conveyed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration and Finance, Prof. Bernard Ikua, the Vice Chancellor welcomed more visits by professors and students of Nagasaki University to JKUAT, noting that such interactions offer pathway for pollination of ideas and creative synergy.

While lauding JICA for the strong support for the partnership with Nagasaki University, Prof. Ngumi welcomed new initiatives by Japanese counterparts to strengthen the collaboration and generate durable solutions to various development concerns facing the two countries and the world at large.