Varsity Focus (September, 2009)

Abstract

Welcome to this edition of Varsity Focus that will give you a review of what has happened in the University of choice in the recent past. The edition highlights the visit by the US Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton in the country. Her visit climaxed with a highly publicized interaction with the University community and other stakeholders at Taifa Hall.

We also bring you the highlights of the visit by the Chancellor, Dr. Joseph Barrage Wanjui earlier in the year. The visit included the inauguration of various projects completed in the recent past and inspection of ongoing projects that will take the University to the next level and make it more attractive and competitive locally and internationally.

University of Nairobi academic units had a busy year too. The School of Education launched the education in emergencies course – the first ever in Africa – which among others seeks to address existing gaps in the provision of higher education during emergencies. The course is expected to carve a regional niche. More recently, the Faculty of Agriculture successfully hosted the annual Regional Universities Forum in Agriculture (RUFORUM) meeting.

RUFORUM seeks to address agricultural and environmental challenges facing the region. The University has continued with its outreach programme by participating in local and foreign education exhibitions. Among those the University took part in include the exhibition organized by the Commission for Higher Education. The University later on staged its own open day at the Great Court.

At the International level, UoN took part in a higher education exhibition in Tanzania organized by the country’s higher education authority. On another front, our online outreach efforts received international accolades after our website won a Commonwealth Universities award in the 2008 PR, Marketing and Communications category. To enhance partnerships locally and internationally the University of Nairobi has opened links with various organizations both private and public. This initiative has opened up more areas of collaboration.

Our students have had an active year with the election of students’ leaders of the Student Organization of Nairobi University (SONU) and with AIESEC’s engagement of diplomats in a bid to cast their net wide in terms of international opportunities.

This edition also features a new top management appointment of the Principal, College of Architecture and Engineering; Prof. Bernard Njoroge and covers the reappointment of the Chancellor, Dr. Joseph Wanjui and top managers mid this year – Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Prof. Jacob Kaimenyi, Principal, College of Education and External Studies, Prof. Henry Mutoro and Principal, College of Biological and Physical Sciences, Prof. Lucy Irungu.

- Charles Sikulu -