Vicky Gent a student of Biomedical Sciences receives her award from Prof. Odhiambo.
The University held its prestigious annual awards ceremony to honour and reward academic excellence and achievement in other areas of human endeavor demonstrated by students from all academic departments during the 2012/2013 academic year under three award schemes namely, the Babaroa Awards, the Vice Chancellor’s Awards, and the JKUAT Achievement Award Programme (PAA Awards).
Speaking to the student achievers during the ceremony, Tuesday, December 2013, at Main Campus, Juja, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Mabel Imbuga, in a speech read on her behalf by the Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Academic Affairs Prof. Romanus Odhiambo, said during the 2012/2013 academic year, “a total of 132 students have benefitted from the awards, with 93 benefitting under the Vice Chancellor’s Award, while 36 and three (3) benefitted under the Babaroa, and the JKUAT Achievement Award Programme (PAA Awards) respectively.”
While congratulating the winners, Prof. Imbuga said the number of beneficiaries of the Vice Chancellor’s Awards had gone up, “consistent with the increase in the number of newly introduced academic courses.” To address the challenge of sustainability, Prof. Imbuga called upon previous beneficiaries of the schemes and other well wishers “to come on board in support of the initiative which seeks to deepen a culture of meritocracy already established at JKUAT.”
The Vice Chancellor further appreciated the immense contribution of the Japanese intellectuals through JICA whom she said, “had left a lifelong legacy that has significantly contributed to the enduring philosophy of excellence which continues to permeate all our endeavors as a university.”
A section of the winners during the Awards ceremony
Those who spoke at the function included the Academic Registrar Mr. Antony Kiswi and the Director of Alternative Degree Programmes Prof Grace Njoroge who represented the University Academic Community, congratulated the beneficiaries and challenged them to reciprocate the goodwill and confidence the award scheme stakeholders had bestowed upon them by upholding the highest excellence standards in academics and other areas of human endeavour.
The PAA Awards founding member Mr. Kiula Mwirigi explained the philosophy underpinning the establishment of the PAA awards which seek to recognize all-round student(s) in the University community who “have made significant and outstanding contribution in academics, research and innovation, community service, character disposition and the promotion of this in the community.”
The function was attended by members of the University community and parents who turned up to celebrate their sons and daughters’ achievement.
A mother’s joy: Ms.Grace Chege (R) accompanied her daughter, Hellen Njeri Chege, Bsc-in-Agribusiness and Enterprise Development student (C) in receiving the coveted Vice Chancellor’s Award from Prof Grace Njoroge
The awards, besides recognizing top achievers, also serves to motivate other students in their pursuits at the university and the community thus engendering a spirit of healthy competition, improved quality of education and identification of the best talent among students to prospective employers.
The award scheme is at three levels: cash prizes, a trophy and a certificate.