Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi has awarded certificates and cash prizes to the top three postgraduate researchers whose projects excelled during this year’s poster presentation competition organized by the AFRICA-ai-Japan Project.
The winning projects were selected from a pool of 17 researchers whose posters spanned health, agriculture, engineering, and emerging technologies.
Ruth W. Maina clinched the first position for the Design, Fabrication and Testing of Eco-Friendly Oil Sorbent Material Using the Locally Available Water Hyacinth, transforming an invasive plant into a low-cost, environmentally friendly solution for oil spills.
Second position went to Maureen Wambugu for the Development and Testing of a Ring Force Balance Calibration System for Aerodynamic Measurements in Subsonic Wind Tunnels, which provides precise calibration to improve aerodynamic study accuracy. Third place was awarded to Benardine Jemutai Chirchir for Seed Treatment-Based Management of Greenhouse Whitefly in Tomato, offering a sustainable approach to reduce pesticide use while enhancing tomato production.
Prof. Ngumi congratulated the winners for demonstrating technical depth, clarity, and scientific reasoning, encouraging them to publish their work and continue contributing to research with direct societal relevance. She also acknowledged supervisors, evaluators, and organizers for upholding the competition’s high standards.
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Prof. Robert Kinyua, described the awards as a fitting culmination of months of rigorous research, noting that they honor the dedication and perseverance of the top performers.
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration and Finance, Prof. Bernard Ikua, urged researchers to focus on developing viable projects that can be commercialized, while emphasizing the importance of protecting intellectual property rights.
Deputy Vice Chancellor, Research, Production and Extension, Prof. Jackson Kwanza, lauded the researchers for producing outstanding scientific work and encouraged the university to maintain the annual poster competition as a platform for fostering innovation and excellence.
Chief Advisor of AFRICA-ai-Japan, Prof. Hiroshi Koaze, congratulated the winners. He highlighted the initiative’s role in promoting collaborative, solution-driven research that addresses real-world challenges across Africa.
