UPEI signs MOUs with three Kenyan universities
The University of Prince Edward Island has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) today with three Kenyan universities: the University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology.
The MOUs are the first step in establishing formal exchange programs and collaborative research/study opportunities between UPEI and the three African institutions.
'UPEI has had a long-standing relationship with Kenya, with many students and faculty being engaged in that country," said Dr. Tim Goddard, Dean of Education and Lead Dean-International. 'With these MOUs, we are now able to extend our relationship to include scholarly exchanges, joint research projects, and other initiatives which will partner both students and faculty from UPEI and these three important Kenyan universities.'
His Excellency Simon Nabukwesi, the Kenyan High Commissioner, who visited UPEI twice in the fall of 2010, was instrumental in organizing today's visit and bringing the three Vice-Chancellors of the Kenyan universities to PEI to sign the agreements with UPEI President and Vice-Chancellor, Wade MacLauchlan.
Nabukwesi said, 'After many meetings and talks with our friends at UPEI, I am very pleased to see this signing come to fruition. These relationships will be mutually beneficial for Canadian and Kenyan students, faculty, and researchers for years to come.'
UPEI has long had a partnership with Farmers Helping Farmers, a local NGO on PEI, and has developed strong links to a number of Kenyan communities. Students and faculty from the Atlantic Veterinary College have been involved in a number of initiatives including the establishment of a very successful dairy operation, student teachers from the Specialization in International Education program have been completing their final practicum in Kenyan schools for over ten years, and students from the School of Nursing and the Department of Family and Nutritional Science work in hospitals and community health centres.
After the signing, the Kenyan delegation of Vice-Chancellor George Magoha, University of Nairobi; Vice-Chancellor Olive Mugenda, Kenyatta University; and Vice-Chancellor Mabel Imbuga, Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology met with UPEI students, staff, and faculty to explore potential program collaborations.
About the Kenyan Universities
The University of Nairobi (UoN) has a great variety of disciplines within its wide array of academic programs. These disciplines include: Humanities and Social Sciences; Natural and Mathematical Sciences; Engineering and the Built environment; Arts and Design; Computing and Informatics; Law and Business Studies; Medicine and Health Sciences; Agriculture and Food sciences; Veterinary and Animal Sciences; and Education.
Kenyatta University (KU) offers academic programs under the following Schools: Education, Pure and Applied Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, Graduate School, Economics, Environmental Studies, Applied Human Sciences, Business, Health Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts, Agriculture and Entrepreneurship, Engineering and Technology, and Law.
The Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) has academic programs cutting across various disciplines including Engineering, Science, Agriculture, Information Technology, Applied Science, Health Sciences, Social Sciences, and Business.
