The Office of Career Services in partnership with Huawei Technologies Ltd. On Wednesday February 19^th hosted a sensitization session to the School of Computing and Informatics students on the Huawei ICT Certifications.

Su Shuqi, the Training and Certification Manager for Huawei’s Enterprise Business Department and Michael Kamau from Huawei’s Enterprise Business Department gave an overview of Huawei’s key projects and the programs Huawei is offering to university students. Some of the programs being offered include Routing and Switching, Networking, Security certification, SG certification, IoT, AI, Cloud Computing and Big Data.

Since 2016 when UoN rolled out the Huwaei certification training at UoN, over 200 students have benefited from the training. In 2019, two UoN students who emerged to of the HCIA exam secured an internship opportunity with Huawei, Lina Doktur and Gilbert Kigen from the School of Engineering. In 2018, 12 UoN students were successful for the Huawei Management Trainee Program and two more top students from the HCIA class, Carlvin Abonyo and Dennis Kaminde from the School of Engineering selected for the internship program.

The Office of Career Services has partnered with Huawei in different programs namely

• Huawei Certified ICT Associate Certification
• Huawei ICT Skills Competition
• Huawei Management Trainee program
• Huawei DigiTalent Career Fair
• Huawei Ajira Interns Induction Program
• Huawei Industrial Visit

The end goal of the Office of Career  Services as outlined by Mr. Johnson Kinyua who made a presentation on behalf of the office is to produce holistic graduates who are empowered, competitive, employable, enterprising and innovative for the job market.

In 2020, UoN shall offer more Huawei ICT Certification trainings and it is hoped that more students will secure for themselves opportunities with Huawei and other top technological companies. The Huawei ICT certification is highly valued by top employers and this is why UoN is investing in these trainings.

The 2020 Arava Open Day was held on 12-13 February, 2020 at the Yair Research & Development Center in the Arava region of Israel. Prof. John Kimenju from the College of Agriculture and Veterinary sciences and Ms. Naomi Nyaboga from the Career Services office represented the University at the Open Day.

The 29^th Open day was a large agricultural show that brought together farmers from the entire Arava region to come and showcase their agricultural services and products. Over the years, this Agricultural Exhibition has reputed itself as an outstanding professional event that attracts big audiences and visitors from the entire Arava region and the rest of Israel. Visitors got the opportunity to interact with over 200 business companies displaying the latest innovations in the field of Agriculture and also selling their products.

The Open Day also presented an opportunity to tour the different farm sites where UoN students are attached and get a feel of the kind of hands-on agricultural farming experience they are receiving. UoN sent 18 students to Israel for the 3^rd cohort in August 2019 and they are bound to return home after their 11 months training in July 2020.

Michael Mathenge, one of the 2019/2020 AICAT students showcased his innovation of a motor-powered soil mixer to save farmers many hours of sorting compost and soil before planting garden seedlings. Michael hopes to come back home and turn his innovation into a product that can be sold to Kenyan farmers.

The Office of Career Services has been partnering with the Arava International Centre for Agricultural Training (AICAT) since 2017 to offer hands on agricultural training to the College of Agriculture students. This is in line with the Big 4 agenda on agriculture and food security. This partnership is based on two main programs offered by AICAT; the Diploma 11 month’s program and MSc program in Plant Science in cooperation with Tel-Aviv University.

The Kenyan Government was represented by Shali Ngali and Abigael Magumba from the Embassy of Kenya in Israel. The MD of the Agricultural Finance Corporation, Mr. Lucas Meso was also in attendance. Mr. Meso gave a commitment to liaise with the Ministry of Agriculture to finance the students with innovative agricultural ideas when they return home and give them government land to practice the mechanised agricultural skills learnt in Israel.

The Office of Career Services applauds the great effort the students are making in the farms. Appreciation also goes to Dennis Tomoina, an AICAT alumnus from cohort 2 who is also the current Kenyan students’ leader for the year 2019/2020. The Career Office is now exploring on a partnership with the Israeli Government on Kenyans going to Israel as workers and sending UoN College of Agriculture Staff for short courses at AICAT.

Gujarat University on Thursday February 13, 2020 held a campaign in Nairobi to promote education programmes in Indian Universities. The aim was to attract more than 1000 students willing to study in 16 universities in India.

Gujarat University is an institution of higher learning in India established in the year 1949 under the Gujarat University Act, it is the largest and oldest university. It boasts of well-equipped facilities and offers a firm foundation to produce holistic students that will make an outstanding contribution to the world economy.

In a program called “Linking up with Universities”, Gujarat University through its Vice Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) H.A Pandya on Thursday February 13, 2020, held a forum at Crowne Hotel Nairobi to drum up popularity for its scholarship program for Kenyan students who wish to pursue  their Masters  studies in Gujarat. The program aims at providing financial assistance to needy students through scholarships.

The Vice Chancellor of The University of Nairobi, Prof. Stephen Kiama hailed the program and congratulated the Indian government for the noble idea while noting that it will help bridge the gap in post graduate studies due to financial challenges. In addition, it will help reduce youth unemployment through production of competent graduates capable of creating self-employment opportunities in our fast growing economy.

Mr. Darius Mogaka Ogutu, the Director of University Education at the Ministry of Education welcomed the team from Gujarat University and read a speech on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary for Education Prof. George Magoha. In his speech, he highlighted that India and Kenya have been great partners in matters Education and applauded the Indian Government for the over 400 scholarships it gives to Kenyan student annually. The Indian Government has also supported the Kenyan Government with a credit of USD 30 million to revive the RIVATEX Company in Eldoret and recently renovated the Mahatma Gandhi Graduate Library at the University of Nairobi at a cost of USD 1 million.

The Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Rahul Chhabra urged the youth to take advantage of the opportunity to study at Gujarat University in India.

Vibharari Dave, the Minister of State for Women and Child Welfare Education in India indicated that India initiated the ‘Study in Gujarat program’ to offer affordable education to students. In her speech, she noted that “Gujarat is one of the fastest growing progressive States in India and gives high value education to students’.

The Gujarat University fair showcased great higher learning opportunities in India to educate Kenyan youth on the various courses being offered and give more information on available scholarship opportunities.

Students interested in the opportunities in Gujarat are encouraged to apply online through the Gujarat University website. Students qualify for the scholarships between 15-100% support varying from one course to another. The academic year starts in June 2020 and qualified students can apply online as from February 2020.

The University of Nairobi hosted the induction of 250 Ajira Digital Program interns from January 27 to 31, 2020.

The induction involved training the interns and imparting in them knowledge and skills to enable them work and earn a decent income online. The interns were also trained on government structure operations and urged to uphold the high values and principles of public service such as accountability, efficiency and transparency as they discharge their duties.

The induction program was graced by top government officials from the Ministry of ICT including Mr. Joe Mucheru, Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Mr. Jerome Ochieng, Principal Secretary, State Department for ICT & Innovation, the ICT Chief Administrative Secretary, Maureen Mbaka, the Chief Administrative Secretary, Innovation and Youth, Nadia Abdalla, Ms. Esther Koimet, Principal Secretary, State Department of Broadcasting & Telecommunications and the Deputy  Vice Chancellor University of Nairobi, Prof. Julius Ogeng’o among other key partners.

In his opening speech, Mr. Jerome Ochieng noted that formal employment has not been growing proportionately with the demand for jobs. It is in view of this that the government established a broad range of interventions to deal with the growing rate of unemployment with specific attention to the youth. Among the measures taken to provide solution to unemployment is the Ajira Digital Program. The Ajira Digital program aims at introducing young people to on-line work and providing them with necessary tools, training and mentorship to enable the youth to work and earn a decent income online.

In his remarks, Prof. Julius Ogeng’o, the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs said that he was confident that the Ajira initiative driven by the Ministry of Information Communications, Technology, Innovation and Youth Affairs would empower millions of young people to access digital and digitally-enabled job opportunities and position Kenya as a labor destination for multinational companies as well as encourage local companies and the public sector to create digital work.

Dr. Catherine Getao the ICT Chief Executive Officer indicated that the Ministry of ICT had different programs aimed at building the ICT capacity of the youth to enable them secure opportunities in the job market.

The 250 interns who will be posted to different County Information Offices nationwide were reminded that they had been recruited to support the implementation of the Ajira Digital Program and offer technical support while sharing their innovativeness to help the government to deliver the digital economy promise and transform individuals, families and Kenya at large.

It is hoped that the one-year internship program will offer mentorship, networking opportunities and experience to the youth to enable them develop professionally and become employable both in the private and public sector.

The University of Nairobi applauds the deliberate effort by the Government to promote online work and place Kenya as a global freelance capital. The key players that have made the Ajira Digital program successful include the Ministry of ICT, Huawei and Mastercard Foundation.

he University of Nairobi Council launched its strategic Plan of governance 2019-2024.

“In a first of its kind for a Public University in line with the Universities Act 2012, the strategic plan will be the true north, the reference point for the University radar. ” remarked the Chancellor, Dr. Vijoo Rattansi.

While giving the highlights of the Strategic Plan, the Chair of Council, Prof. Julia Ojiambo noted that the Plan focuses on five main areas; teaching and learning, research enterprise and innovation, financial and institutional sustainability, overall institutional development and branding and Operation efficiency and effectiveness.

A review of the latest external assessment and a situation analysis of the University’s operating environment, as documented in the UoN Visitation Panel Report 2018, brings a number of challenges to the fore. The main aspects with notable challenges include leadership, corporate governance and administration, relations between UoN with other Government of Kenya agencies, education and research, teaching and learning environment, human resource management, budgeting and, revenue generation practices & procurement processes.

This Strategic Plan is therefore intended to help address the university’s present and future challenges by adopting a futuristic strategy. By focusing on, the mobilization of all necessary resources, both financial and human, the Council aims at enhancing UoN’s institutional capability to guarantee long term operational sustainability,  innovation and transformation.

On her part, Prof. Margaret Kobia, CS Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs applauded the University of Nairobi for taking leadership in seeking an audit through the Chancellor, “The Chancellor requested for a visitation panel that I had the pleasure to Chair in 2018. That was the University’s way of seeking feedback for its systems of operations. As we are all aware, feedback is breakfast for Champions.  The visitation panel consisted of diverse individuals who brought different perspectives on the table. “

She noted that universities are facing challenges such as the ever changing technology; methods of teaching and labor market. However she urged the universities  to stay relevant to our society and provide solutions that are facing Kenya and the world by nurturing curiosity through research and innovation.

Prof. Kobia concluded by pledging the government’s support to the implementation of the strategic plan 2019-2024.

Prof Stephen Gitahi Kiama has been appointed as the 8th University of Nairobi (UoN) Vice-Chancellor (VC).

In a letter signed by the Chair of a Council, Prof. Julia Ojiambo, the newly appointed VC will serve a five-year term, effective January 5, 2020.

He takes over the realms from Prof. Isaac Mbeche who has been serving as Vice-Chancellor on an acting capacity since July 2019, when Prof. Peter Mbithi was sent on compulsory leave.

Prof. Kiama was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Human Resource and Administration and the Acting Deputy Vice Chancellor in-charge of Finance, Planning and Development.

Previously he served as the Principal, College of Agriculture and Veterinary Sciences from 2016 to 2019, Director of Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies from 2010 to 2016, Chairman of the Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology from 2005 to 2010, Acting dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in 2014 and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine from 2003 to 2010. He played a key role in conceptualizing and actualizing the Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies during his tenure as the Director, Associate Dean and Chairman of the Department.

Prof. Kiama holds an earned doctorate degree in Structural Biology from University of Bern in Switzerland. He is an accomplished scholar with proven track record in formulating and managing academic programs and on research and publication. He has over 16 years’ experience in management and leadership positions at the University of Nairobi. He is the founder Director of Wangari Maathai Institute for Peace and Environmental Studies

Prof Kiama was employed by the University of Nairobi upon graduation in 1990 as an assistant Lecturer in the Department of Veterinary Anatomy.  Since then he has risen through the ranks to positions of Lecturer (1995), Senior Lecturer (2002), Associate Professor (2012) and Professor (2016).

He has been actively engaged in various societal leadership roles.

In order to hone his strategic and transformative leadership skills, Prof. Kiama has successfully completed various programmes on strategic leadership and development.

Kiama is an accomplished scholar with a track record in formulating and managing academic programs and supervising and mentoring Postgraduate students. His academic and research career has been exemplary as demonstrated by several publications in peer review journals. To date he has co-authored over 149 journal and conference publications.

The Office of Career Services Congratulates Prof. Kiama on his new appointment.

The University of Nairobi through the Office of Career Services held its annual Career Fair at the UoN Great Court, Main Campus from 5-6 December, 2019 from 8.00am to 5.00 pm each day. The theme for the event was ‘Skilling Graduates for the Job Market’. The structure of the career fair included exhibitions by career partners, career talks, one-on-one career guidance and career mentorship.

The Career Fair was well attended by 32 Kenyan companies and 16 Chinese companies. The event was officially opened by the Minister Counselor, Chinese Embassy Mr. Zhao Xiyuan who congratulated all the UoN graduands for their hard work. Mr. Zhao pointed out that over 360 Kenyans are recruited by Chinese companies locally and there are over 400 Chinese companies in Kenya. The Minister Counselor indicated the strong commitment being given by the Chinese companies on localization of enterprises which are keen on offering high quality employment opportunities for graduates.

The General Manager-Operations at FCm Travel Ms. Christine Nderimo reminded the students present at the opening session that they could be the brightest and have first class honours in their degrees, but without the right attitude, miss out on opportunities in the job market. Being humble and maintaining the right attitude is what will help one to climb their career path she reiterated.

Mr. Ajeet Ghatwal, the Head of Human Resources & Administration East Africa at Redington Kenya Limited got the opportunity to give remarks on behalf of all the partners who participated in the career fair. He appreciated the University for hosting the event and indicated that his company was in search of top students from UoN to recruit or hire for job and internship opportunities.

Faith Thumbi, a 4^th Year student pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Psychology thanked the partners for gracing the event on behalf of all the students’ fraternity. She indicated that unemployment is a big problem in Kenya but with the right attitude and proper grooming for entry into the job market, it is possible to sail through and get opportunities.

The Director, Career Services, Mr. Johnson Kinyua welcomed all the partners present at the Career Fair opening session and appreciated their participation at the event. Students were encouraged to tour all the partners’ stands with their CVs and enquire more about the opportunities the partners were offering.

Career Talk sessions were held as side events during the career fair. Students received talks on Preparing a future-ready workforce, How to plan for your career growth, Bridging the gap between the classroom and industry, Transitioning from a student to a professional, Skills for building brands in the 21^st century, Cyber Security, Cloud, Data Centre Virtualization and Data Analytics.

The 2019 UoN Career Fair partners offered over 30 job and internship opportunities for UoN students. The Office of Career Services will continue to explore more opportunities with its wide array of stakeholders and partners to secure more opportunities for students.

The University of Nairobi community comprising of staff and students marked the World AIDS Day on November 29, 2019 with the theme: Communities make the difference.

Speaking during the event, Dr. Vijoo Rattansi, University of Nairobi Chancellor, observed that the University of Nairobi has been leading in conducting HIV – AIDs research through the College of Health Sciences. She observed that HIV-AIDs is the most destructive epidemic that has claimed so many lives in the past. “Evidence suggests that HIV-AIDs prevalence is not increasing, but is stable. Stigma is on the downward trend and many people are seeking treatment. Let us not lose focus, we need zero infections,” she said. The Chancellor, confirmed her commitment to help the University of Nairobi increase her commitment towards response to HIV-AIDs through research.

Prof. Isaac Mbeche, the University of Nairobi Vice Chancellor, noted that the University is better positioned to work with professionals across the globe in the research to help those affected by HIV-AIDS. “This disease knows no boundaries, everyone is touched by HIV-AIDS. We share the responsibility as a community and hence the theme: community makes the difference,” he said. The community play a critical role in planning, implementation and service delivery of HIV-AIDS related activities. He pointed out the good work being done by Kenya AIDs Vaccine Initiative(KAVI) in doing HIV-AIDS research.  The Vice Chancellor, also pointed out that the University Health Services, UHS, is keen in helping staff and students who are affected or infected by the HIV-AIDS. University of Nairobi offers HIV – AIDS counselling and testing services, male circumcision, pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis among a varied of services.

During the event, staff and students got a chance to visit various exhibition stands that were doing free eye checkups,dental checkups, prostate cancer screening, HIV- AIDs testing among others.

The event was sponsored by Haco Industries, Capital FM and organized by University Health Services headed by Dr. Doreen Asimba, Ag. Chief Medical Officer. The event was graced by Council Chair. Prof. Julia Ojiambo.