The Mountain Journal
Scholars in the country have expressed displeasure over acute shortage of Computer Science lecturers.
The gap, the experts say should be filled immediately to equip interested Kenyans with computation, information, and automation knowledge.
With increasing recognition of computer science as a fundamental skill and the numerous opportunities that continue to arise from the broad field, the academics rooted for increased training of trainers to accommodate the high number of students seeking to be skilled.
Among other things, the intellectuals blamed lucrative job options outside academia, increased demand for the profession to reduce the number of trainers.
Considering the critical role Computer Science plays in the contemporary world where almost everything is technologically driven, lack of the subject educators has been cited as a genuine crisis with academics now calling for training of specialists in the field to fill the gap.
Speaking at Zetech University during the launch of the varsity’s three new postgraduate programmes – Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Computer Science, Master of Science in Computer Science and Master of Science in Information Technology, the scholars led by Ms. Catherine Muraga, the Managing Director of Microsoft ADC called on universities to leverage on the opportunities in the field to train more instructors.
“As Kenya continues to position itself better in the tech world and as we continue to engage the world of academia, we need to for example improve performance in mathematics to improve the enrolment of students taking STEM related courses. If we have a shortage from a country perspective, let us take advantage of the East African community to tap lecturers or maximize on hybrid learning and training,” noted Muraga.
Her sentiments were echoed by the Zetech University Deputy Vice Chancellor, Prof. Alice Njuguna who revealed that the launch of the three new programs was informed by the scarcity alongside the opportunities in the market.
“As we were going about our research and after talking to our industry partners, we discovered that there is a gap and opportunities to scale up the training of IT specialists to higher levels to better understand the industry, do research and come up with products that can be commercialized and taken to the market so that we don’t just continue consuming imported products,” said Njuguna.
Prof. Njuguna revealed that the Kenyan market is technologically mature to come up with solutions facing the country but therein lies a gap in the number of highly trained professionals to train students.
“This field is highly lucrative and once one does a degree, they are easily absorbed into the market. Often, such graduates get busy and they forget to advance their training leaving no people to train the students in the bachelors’ level,” stated Njuguna.
Kiambu County Deputy Governor Rose Kirika who graced the event revealed that the local government has a major role in shaping the future of the youths through technology-driven education.
She revealed that the local government has been keen in equipping the youth with the necessary skills and knowledge to thrive in the ever-evolving job market, fostering innovation, entrepreneurship and self-reliance.
“Today, as we launch these new postgraduate programs here at Zetech University, we are not only commemorating the rich addition of the institution’s course portfolio but also igniting a beacon of hope and progress for the future of our youth,” she said.
“I want to thank this university for being at the forefront in embracing technological solutions, and as a county, we will partner with the institution in the areas of technology and education to better equip our people,” added Kirika.
The launch of three new programs sums to 22, the number of courses that Zetech University is currently offering and which have attracted more students.
Zetech University Vice Chancellor Prof. Njenga Munene revealed that the institution seeks to cultivate a new generation of researchers and scholars who will push the boundaries of knowledge and contribute to groundbreaking discoveries, with advanced technical skills and the ability to solve complex problems, preparing them for high-impact careers in academia, industry, and government.
Among the partners present during the launch event included Ms. Elder Onsongo from the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (KIPPRA); Prof. Wanjiku Khamasi, Principal, Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) a public institution in Konza City and Mr. Andrew Masila, the Head of Innovation at Safaricom.
Others were Mr. Amos Guni, Senior Technical Recruiter and Community Builder at Nethermind, Ms. Irene Githinji, Education and Engagements lead at Microsoft ADC; Stella Chelangat and Joy Mwangi from the International Computer Digital Literacy (ICDL) Africa among others.
“The course overview is set to specializations in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Mobile Computing & Networking, Software Engineering, Software Architecture and Design and Data System, with core units going beyond classroom work to research, seminars, dissertations and thesis, industrial guest lecturers and bootcamps, promising a timely completion,” explained, Dr. Wilfred Gikaru, Dean School of ICT, Media & Engineering at Zetech University.
