The Vice Chancellor officially flagged off 22 students going to France as French Teaching Assistants for a 7 months’ student exchange programme on Wednesday September 18, 2019 in his Boardroom.

During the visit by France President Emmanuel Macron to Kenya and UoN on March 14, 2019, the Government of Kenya signed a partnership agreement with the Government of France for promotion and exchange of skills and talents.

This exchange program aims at exposing the students globally on culture and education. The program is managed by Office of Career Services and Department of French. Out of more than 150 applications from all over Kenya, only 60 students were selected to participate in the program with 22 being from the University of Nairobi.

The students will be attached to French Government Elementary, Primary and High schools for 7 months, renewable for another 7 months to teach English and will be paid a monthly stipend of Euro 794 which translates to about Kshs 100,000.00.

As part of the exchange program, the University of Nairobi will receive 2 French Language Assistants in October 2020 to teach French in the Department of French at the University of Nairobi.

Prof. Isaac Mbeche, the Vice Chancellor applauded the students for securing the lifetime opportunity to sharpen their skills in the French language and appealed to the students to be great ambassadors of the University of Nairobi, to take the opportunity to learn new things and be great time keepers in their teaching experience.

Dr. Mwenesi the Chair of the French, Sub-Department in her remarks indicated that the interest in French is massive and UoN should consider incorporating French teaching as a basic language in all departments. She further requested for the French Department to be a fully-fledged department, an appeal that the Vice Chancellor welcomed. The French Sub-Department was requested to table a proposal to the VC in three months to pave well for the implementation of the MoU with the Government of France.

Also present at the meeting were the Director Career Services, Johnson Kinyua Director, Corporate Affairs, John Orindi, Personal Advisor to the VC, Dr. Michira, Information Officer, Career Office Naomi Nyaboga, Caroline Mutai and Michael Nginye from the French Sub-Department.

The Office of Career Services appreciates the gesture by the Vice Chancellor to flag off the 22 students to France. The students assured to be good UoN brand Ambassadors and promised to come back home and give back to their country at the end of the program. Félicitations to the 22 French Teaching Assistants.