A new council inaugurated at the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology has promised a major paradigm shift in running of the institution.
The seventh council gazetted by Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on May 22 was inaugurated on Thursday by Principal Secretary State Department for Higher Education and Research Dr Beatrice Inyangala.
The council is chaired by Dr Pamela Sitienei with Grace Kimotho, Dr Kennedy Olungo, Dorothy Kimeu, George Lutomia and Susan Nyasing'a as members.
It takes over from the sixth council that was chairs by Dr Jane Musangi, whose term of office ended in March.
Sitienei promised a radical shift in management style to revolutionise the way education is perceived and to position the institution as a centre of excellence not only in Kenya but regionally and globally.
Sitienei said that the council will spearhead transformation of the teaching methods, create partnerships for both expansion of the job market and resources mobilisation and engage closely with students to achieve the institution’s development goals.
“We are focused on aligning our processes towards becoming a top performer in Kenya and globally. Being a science and technology university, there are certain things we must do in order to move forward,” she said.
Sitienei said that the council, in collaboration with the government and other stakeholders, will optimise available resources and benchmark with the best globally to ensure the university is ahead of the perk in performance.
She said that the seventh council will ensure that the institution acquires modern facilities that are aligned with a science, innovation and technology university.
Sitienei said that the university will major in innovations in cyber crime and Artificial Intelligence, pointing at the possibilities of acquisition of robots to aid in teaching science and technology in order to compete in today’s world.
“The rapid technological development is affecting the industries. It does not matter which sector, AI is in use and that’s the way to go,” she added.
“We shall leverage available resources and technology to ensure that Masinde Muliro University is the leading institution in providing global solutions to mitigate climate change,” she said.
The chairperson said that funding model by relying on the exchequer cannot drive the long term sustainability of the university’s agenda, hinting at likelihoods of establishing an endowment fund.
She said that her leadership will create partnerships that will create linkages to the job market and support the university in resource mobilisation.
She said that the university will consider developing carbon credits.
“Since we host the biggest why can’t we develop carbon credits as part of revenue generation because companies are out there are ready to buy them,” he said.
She said that students deserve the best and needs to be prepared beyond just the four-year of university education.
Sitienei said that leading universities globally prepare their students to begin working while in the third year as a way of linking them with the industry.
“Universities churn out many students every year. After leaving university, you are a graduate so what? The job market is accepting the best of the best. We must therefore start appreciating and thinking of ways through which we can create partnerships to expand the job market,” she said.
She said that students should be prepared to become job creators besides getting jobs themselves. She said that the university will benchmark from the best globally, adding:
“I’d like the university to engage differently. We will make the student body the central pillar in the management of the institution to achieve our plans.”
Inyangala said the government will continue to provide enabling policy environment to support university education.She said that her ministry will give the new council full support as it assumes its responsibility.
Vice chancellor Prof Solomon Shibairo said that the university has chosen engineering and health sciences as niches.
MMUST will establish an independent school of health sciences on a 34-acre piece of land opposite the main campus.
“We’re looking for development partners for the project. We want to make the school of health sciences as independent as possible,” he said.
He said that the university plans to built 10, 000 housing units for students and staff to address the issues of accommodation shortage.
“Our students are attacked every other day. This results to death in some cases. When the President was here recently we talked and agrees this will address the insecurity challenges,” he said.