STATE WARNS VARSITIES TIME IS RUNNING OUT FOR CBC CURRICULUM PREPARATIONS
By James Wakahiu
The government has told universities they are likely to be caught unawares and unprepared by the implementation of the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC) system.
Amb. Simon Nabukwesi, the Principal Secretary for University Education and Research says the institutions of higher learning risk being caught by the CBC trap unless they move with speed to review their curricula and re-orient their institutions from knowledge-based to become competency based
Photo/Ms. Grace Karamuta Karemu is awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business Administration and Management from the school of Business and Economics.
Her thesis title was “analysis of organizational ownership culture in performance of mobile telephone network operations in Kenya”She is escorted by her supervisors Prof. Musa Nyakora, Dr. Erastus Thoronjo and Dr. Evans Nyamboga.
“The re-organisation of academic schools, faculties and departments will become necessary before student’s who are already following the new curriculum join universities. Consequently, teachers taking learners through CBC will be required to go back to school for refresher courses,” he noted.
Photo/Graduands in procession to the graduation ceremony.The PS was speaking in Thika town during the 20th graduation ceremony of Mount Kenya University (MKU) where he was the chief guest. More than 5,300 graduands were feted during the event held under the theme: “The role of higher education institutions in enhancing East African regional integration”.
Photo/MKU founder, Prof. Simon Nyutu Gicharu releases a balloon to mark the 20th Graduation Ceremony which was held at Mwai Kibaki Convention Center last Friday. Amb. Simon Nabukwesi, the Principal Secretary for University Education and Research, left and MKU Council Chairman, Prof. David Serem, right and MKU VC. Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi, second right looks on.
The PS urged university managements to strictly adhere to the laid out Quality Assurance and Standard structures and carry out regular reviews of the academic programmes to ensure that they in line with market demands.
Photo/MKU founder, Prof. Simon Nyutu Gicharu reads his speech during the 20th graduation ceremony.
.This follows complaints from employers especially in the industrial sector on the conduct of recent graduates. “Questions have been raised about the professional and ethical conduct of our graduates, especially in the industrial sector. The links between the demands of industry and university programmes has at times been found to be wanting,” he said.
Nabukwesi also challenged universities in East Africa to boost regional integration by combining forces to tackle the challenges bedeviling the region. “This is already evident in Inter-University Council for East Africa’s numerous measures which have led to a consolidation of the people of the region,” he added.
He praised MKU’s joint funding of Sh10 million launched in 2018 for joint human health research between the institution and Makerere University of Uganda. He also urged universities to form research and innovation consortia as a strategic way of enhancing their visibility and synergy.
Photo/Amb. Simon Nabukwesi, the Principal Secretary for University Education and Research at MKU graduation where over 5,300 candidates who sat for various courses were awarded certificates, diplomas and degrees. Thee ceremony was presided over by MKU Council Chairman, Prof. David Serem who represented Chancellor, Prof. John Struthers.
The retired president is an alumnus of Makerere University and returned to the institution in 2012 to receive an honorary degree from it. The PS decried the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the education sector. “Academic programmes were adversely affected when many universities were closed abruptly as a containment measure,” he noted, and congratulating MKU management for putting ICT measures in place to ensure continuity of learning during the turbulent period.
Photo/Thika Parliamentary Aspirant, Juma Hemed follows proceedings during the above graduation.
The PS said notwithstanding the devastation caused by the outbreak, there are also emerging opportunities in areas of innovation and technology that the granduads can exploit in coming days.
photo/Media max reporter, Mathew Ndungu who graduated with a Bachelor Degree in Mass Communication and Art at MKU on friday is flanked by his colleague, James Wakahiu.
The institution’s chancellor, Prof John Struthers, said the Covid-19 pandemic has reinforced MKU’s confidence in the value of partnerships. “Partnerships are instrumental in the implementation of MKU’s latest 10-year strategic plan,’ he said.
At the height of the pandemic last year when the government shut schools to control the spread of the virus, MKU turned to partnerships to help faculty deliver learning and teaching online, Prof Struthers points out.
He expressed happiness at MKU’s recognition as the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI) SDG10-Reduced Inequalities Hub. The partnership with the UN is vital to the discharge of the university’s mandate as a teaching, research and community outreach higher education institution.
Additionally, Prof Struthers said MKU also partnered with the Kilimanjaro Blind Trust Africa to provide 20 Orbit Reader electronic devices to replace Braille devices. Also established is the Yunus Social Business Centre at its main campus in Thika in honour of the world famous social entrepreneur, Prof Mohammed Yunus.
Photo/Amb. Simon Nabukwesi, the Principal Secretary for University Education and Research is escorted by MKU founder, Prof. Simon Nyutu Gicharu to the graduation site at Mwai Kibaki Convention Center, Thika Main Campus of Kiambu County last Friday. Over 5,300 candidates who sat for various courses were awarded certificates, diplomas and degrees. Amb. Nabukwesi was the Chief Guest. The ceremony was presided over by MKU Council Chairman, Prof. David Serem who represented Chancellor, Prof. John Struthers.
Last month, the centre hosted the 10th YUNUS Social Business Academic Conference, as well as the 10th YUNUS Global Social Business Summit at MKU. Other conferences successfully hosted at the university within the last three months include the Talloires Network Conference, and the First Entrepreneurial University of Africa Conference. MKU also participated in the Inter-Universities Consortium’s 7th International Interdisciplinary Conference. The latter event was co-hosted by the consortium of the four-member universities at Kyambogo University, Uganda.
MKU chairman Prof Simon Gicharu said the gap between what was experienced after the outbreak of the pandemic and where the institution is today has been closed up by ICT connectivity. “We all have seen the power of ICT revolution and its usefulness in mitigating against COVID-19 pandemic challenges at the institutional level,” he said, and promised that his Board will continue to invest more on ICT to ensure improved connectivity for students and staff.
Gicharu said MKU is working towards establishing a stand-alone medical facility for use by the students of the College of Health Sciences. “This block will have an inbuilt hostel facilities for medical students, classrooms and laboratories including an Anatomy Laboratory to supplement the Thika Level 5 Hospital facility,” he said.
MKU management has also approved a Ksh1 billion budget to develop an Ultra-Modern hostel facility for MKU students to be located within a walking distance from the university. And following the advice of Cabinet Secretary of Internal Security during his recent visit to MKU, a security committee that includes representatives of the local community has been formed to boost the areas’ security services.
Gicharu promised continued support to the East African Regional Integration and urged the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi and the Rwanda campus Vice-Chancellor Designate Prof Edwin Odhuno to come up with research based community engagement project proposals at a regional level to be funded by the college as a way of additional contribution to regional integration.
Prof David Serem, the MKU University Council chairman, says the university has released a series of policies and guidelines which improve service delivery and enhance the university’s corporate image. One of the most recently released policies focuses on improving the safe use of laboratories in the university. Prof Serem said various independent surveys have consistently ranked MKU among the top universities in Kenya for several years.
“The July 2021 edition of the Webometrics ranking of world universities placed MKU among the top five private universities in Kenya. And on Google’s list of the most searched institutions in Kenya in the last 15 years, MKU ranks sixth,” he added.
Prof Serem asserted that the University Council will continue supporting the institution to enhance stakeholder satisfaction. “This will create an awesome customer experience and lead to the university attracting and retaining students and employees,’ he said.
Among the corporate social responsibility programmes at the institution, is support for bright and needy students by the MKU Foundation. “The foundation supports these students through its annual Ksh5 million Vice-Chancellor’s scholarships and the Chancellor’s KSh1.5 million scholarships,” he said.
According to the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Deogratius Jaganyi, commitment to quality is why MKU continues to attract huge numbers of both government and self-sponsored students. MKU is the first private university to be accredited by the Kenya National Qualifications Authority (KNQA). KNQA awarded MKU a certificate of accreditation and recognition as a Qualification Awarding Institution (QAI) for 198 academic programmes.
The university innovated Nutri-Kid, a low-cost, Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic-Food (RUTF) for the management of malnutrition in children. Yet another recent innovation is Lipa Fees, a fintech solution developed by a student to enable financial inclusion and access to education.
MKU recently received a Ksh7 million grant from International Research and Development (IRD) to train and implement Covid-19 guidelines in Kiambu and Nairobi counties. In partnership with the International Agency for Research on Cancer (a WHO agency), MKU researchers are studying the genetics of breast cancer in Kenya and other low and middle income countries.
The university also collaborated with KNATCOM-UNESCO and National Research Fund, it donated Ksh7 million preloaded tablets with education materials, to inmates.
MKU and Partners for Care donated 2,000 three-ply masks, 1,000 recyclable water bag-packs and water-guard, to Laikipia County Primary School pupils. In yet another institution initiative, the MKU School of Law launched a six-month Murang’a County land succession empowerment programme to provide free legal clinics to resolve land disputes and benefit more than 2,000 members.
Additionally, MKU has partnered with UNESCO and the University of Nairobi, to promote student health and well-being through the 03 Plus Project.
Meanwhile, this year marks MKU’s 12 years of existence in the Republic of Rwanda. From humble facilities that the campus rented in Camp Kigali, City Centre and Kicukiro, the college now occupies a massive state-of-the-art edifice on 11,000 square metres.
“In addition to this complex, and the affiliated Royal FM facilities, the campus is constructing a model training hotel, Mount Kigali Utalii Hotel for Hospitality and Travel related specialisations,” Prof Edwin Odhuno, vice-chancellor designate, MKU Rwanda.
On Friday, MKU Rwanda graduated 450 students from the Kigali campus, celebrating its growing international student graduates in the last few years. “These graduates come from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Burundi, Uganda, Nigeria, Liberia, Chad, Gambia and Tanzania, among others,” added Prof Odhuno.
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