The 62nd Congregation for the Conferment of Degrees and award of Diplomas of the University of Nairobi shall take place on Friday, December 20, 2019 at the Chancellor’s Court.
Will you be the next USD 1 Million winner? It is with great pleasure that we invite you to participate in the 2019 Hult Prize On Campus Program! Join the largest platform enabling the new generation to create solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges through launching businesses that are for-profit and for-good! Become part of a prestigious group of driven, like-minded students building an infrastructure of positive change around the world! Network with global leaders, meet students from all around the world and receive USD1 Million in seed capital to launch your start-up.
Hult Prize Foundation is the world’s biggest learning platform that enables the new generation to deliver social change through education and entrepreneurship. Focused on impact and youth empowerment, the organization runs global programs, across six continents – all of which are designed to ignite social entrepreneurship amongst youth around the world. The 2020 Hult Prize will focus on Empowering the Earth: Bold Business for a Better Planet.
By participating and winning the Hult Prize On Campus of the University of Nairobi, you will be able to fast-track your idea through to one of the +30 Regional Summits rounds of competition, having the chance to attend an intensive 6-week summer Accelerator Program in the United Kingdom before pitching your game-changing idea at the United Nations in the finals the for the chance to win USD 1 Million in seed capital.
GET STARTED IN 3 EASY STEPS!
- Form a team of 3 to 4 students who are from the University of Nairobi.
- Get this year’s Challenge: Bold Businesses for a Better Planet: Building Startups That have a Positive Impact on our Planet with every Dollar Earned!
- Register your team at hpuon2019@gmail.com to compete at the University of Nairobi Hult Prize On Campus Program before October 30th 2019.
For more information, please contact Annett Bonuke, UoN Campus Director on bonuke46@gmail.com/0717267902.
Join us in ‘Leading a Generation to Change the World’!
Speaking during the cheque donation exercise, where over 20 higher learning institutions were represented, Dr. Vijoo Rattansi, Chairperson of the Rattansi Education Trust, said that helping people in need is a real opportunity to advance equity, and a service to promote love and peace in the Universe.
“For us at Rattansi Foundation, caring for needy students and helping them to achieve their dreams is our life time happiness. We do not give because we have excess but our foundation’s acts of charity are founded on the promise that moral sensibility is a sense of duty,” she said. “We believe that, the little seed we are planting in the form of bursary would go a long way in transforming individuals, their families and the whole society.”
The cheques were issued on October 24, 2019 at the University of Nairobi Council Chambers.
University of Nairobi, ag. Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Isaac Mbeche took the opportunity to thank Dr. Rattansi who is also the Chancellor of the University, for the support the Foundation has accorded many students over the years. Prof. Mbeche noted that the scholarship fund has helped many bright and needy students to pursue their university education at various universities across the country. The beneficiaries are now serving the society in various sectors within the country and abroad.
Present at the event was Prof. Stephen Kiama, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Human, Resource and Administration and representatives from various universities.
905 delegates have registered to participate in the week long series of activities that will create a platform and an environment focused on nurturing research and encouraging a discourse geared towards building research capacity.
“We have four conferences starting today. They are the Open, Distance and e-learning, Victimology and Victim Support, Project Management, Architecture and Engineering and the Agriculture Conference and Exhibition,” said Prof. Stephen Kiama, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Human Resource and Administration who was representing the Vice-Chancellor. “All the conferences are aligned to the national and global development agenda. While each conference is diverse in discipline, the focus is priority development areas with a multi and trans-disciplinary approach.”
“The University of Nairobi Research Week aims at fostering discussions on research activities and findings, creating a platform for presentation of academic papers and showcasing innovation illustrations and foster partnerships with other players in the research enterprise in the various sectors,” said Prof. Madara Ogot, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Innovation and Enterprise.
The 2019 edition of the University of Nairobi Research Week builds on the success of the inaugural Research Week which was held in October 2018.
You can follow the Research Week proceedings through our Twitter handle @uonbi and @RPEUoN using #UoNResearchWeek.
The University of Nairobi Mombasa Campus in partnership with the Office of Career Services (OCS) held a Career Week in Mombasa from October 7-12, 2019 at the Uniplaza buidling.
The Career Week themed “Skilling Graduates for the Job Market” brought together students and industry partners who exhibited and offered career guidance to the students. The Career Week integrated Public Forums alongside the exhibitions by partners. The partners that participated in the career Fair include the Mombasa County Government, Britam, KRA, Base Titanium, Central Bank of Africa, Jubilee Insurance, Safaricom, NIC Bank and Mombasa Cement.
The Public Forums also featured talks and panel discussions from the partner companies’ representatives. The Forums focused on topics such as Employability in a changing market, Entrepreneurship, Personal Financial Management, Youth Development, and Mentorship. The topical issues discussed during the public forums generally related to employment, entrepreneurship and careers.
Dr. Sarah Kinyanjui, the Director Mombasa Campus welcomed all the partners during her opening remarks and called upon the students to learn from the employers and entrepreneurs on their experiences in the job market and how students should prepare for the job market and the life after campus.
The Key Speaker, Patrick Wameyo, a Financial Literacy Advocate and Financial coach gave students tips on successful financial management. He said that it is a widely documented fact that money is a thorn in most people’s flesh. Wealth creation is an art that calls for a mental shift for one to attain financial goals and freedom that comes with it. Mr. Wameyo emphasized on students to learn to save because personal financial planning is a personal choice.
The event was informed by the need to bring together job seekers and students to engage with potential employers, Government & support agencies and professionals to equip them with knowledge and practical skills that will guide their decision making about careers.
It is hoped that the skills the students learnt from the Career Week Forums will go a long way in transforming the career paths and choices of the students. From this career Fair, students received Technical and soft skills for working online through the Ajira Digital Training program, Entrepreneurship skills from the Entrepreneurship forum, Financial Literacy skills through the Personal Finance Management forum and Life Skills through the mentorship sessions.
The Office of Career Services (OCS) launched the Ajira Digital Training for the UoN Mombasa Campus students on October 7, 2019. The training was conducted by officers from the Ajira Digital Program for a week October 7-11, 2019.
Over 70 students underwent the training and acquired skills in account registration on platforms like Upwork, Guru, QA World Fiverr and Go transcribe among others.
It is hoped that the technical skills that the students acquired will go a long way in giving them a competitive edge over others in working and earning online. With the rapid technological changes in this 21st Century, the work market has also changed. There is now a shift from the traditional old office set-up for work to online space.
This therefore calls for re-skilling of employees and potential employees to equip them with the necessary skills to survive in the 21st century’s evolving job market.
The Ajira training introduces students/workers to online space by offering training, mentorship, awareness on the program and infrastructure for the youth to learn about online work.
Besides learning the technical skills, the importance of soft skills can also not be overemphasized. In order to be able to work with clients online, workers must possess soft skills such as communication skills, interpersonal skills, listening skills, negotiation skills, time management, research skills and organization skills. The Ajira Digital Team trained students on these soft skills that they require alongside the technical skills.
Additional skills that the students learnt include Content and Article Writing, Virtual Assistant, Transcription and Digital Marketing.
Naomi Nyaboga represented the Office of Career Services and gave a brief to the students about the Office of Career Services. The OCS has been cultivating the relationship with the Ministry of ICT through the Ajira Digital Program to equip students with the technical and soft skills they require to work and earn online.
Kenya is currently number two in Africa in the online work/job market and the aim of the training is to make Kenya a one-stop shop for online workers and freelancers and empower the youth to tap into the massive opportunities available online.
The Fourth years’ career guidance and mentorship program at the College of Bioogical and Physical Sciences (CBPS) was held at the Department of Chemistry, CBPS) on September 20th 2019.
Dr. Solomon Derese spoke to the students about available scholarship opportunities. He emphasized that it is not only the exceptionally smart students who can get a scholarship but anyone willing to put in the work and prove their potential. He gave the students different examples of companies that offer sponsorships for post graduate students examples including the National Research Fund (NRF) that offers students sponsorships by supporting students that have eligible research proposals, Trecc Africa, Commonwealth sponsorships and Dream ACP among others.
Naomi Nyaboga, the Chief Information Officer spoke on behalf of the Office of Career Services. She gave a brief introduction of the Office of Career Services and explained the mandate of the office to the attending students. The secrets to getting a job in Kenya without connections was one of her main topics; she emphasized that it is not a must one to have connections to get a job. She gave the students key things to note in job hunting and told the students to believe in themselves. The students were urged to develop skills in their areas of discovery by reading widely, creating a library and attending seminars and conferences. She also encouraged the students to enroll in opportunities such as Ajira Digital program, Google Digital Marketing Skills Training and Huawei ICT Competition Kenya, in order to grow their skills and gave the students a list of very many job portals offering a wide range of jobs.
Nancy Mokua, CEO, My Jobs in Kenya gave a talk on 7 smart things every recent grad must do. The graduate must always think beyond the job, look after their health, what they eat and their lifestyle. She also advised the students to adequately prepare for their first job by having a good CV and cover letter, dressing appropriately for interviews and how to answer interview questions the right way. The students were asked to work on gaining additional skills outside of their degrees. She encouraged the students to plan for their money by telling them to have a budget, start saving and live within their means. Finding a place to live was also one of her points telling the students to find a convenient place close to work, secure and a healthy environment. The students were urged to keep building and maintaining their friendships and have the ability to let go of toxic relationships. Finally, she asked the students to figure out what they want in their career, and asked them to consider enrolling for further learning as soon as possible to further their skills ready for the evolving job market.
Mercy Mukami from Postbank also had a chance to talk to the students. The mandate of the bank is to inculcate a savings culture among Kenyans and this they do through the various savings products offered. She also spoke on the importance of a good CV and explained to the students that a professional CV is the first chance one gets to make a good impression on a potential employer. A top-quality CV will considerably boost one’s chance of getting a face-to-face interview. The students were advised that is very important to make a habit of saving. Alongside pursuing one’s goals, a savings culture should also be developed very early in life for one to have great financial management skills.
The Office of Career Services in partnership with Workmate, the Peer Mentors Association and RADA organized the Career guidance and mentorship session at the College of Architecture and Engineering (CAE) on Friday 20th September 2019 at the University of Nairobi Towers.
The Principal, CAE set the session in motion by thanking the Office of Career Services and the career partners present to give presentations to the students and mold their career paths. He encouraged the students by telling them there were many more programs to help the students as they progressed through their studies at the University of Nairobi. The principal touched on the Office of Career Offices mission which is, to produce employable graduates through development of Technical, Leadership and Soft Skills of students, linking students to Industry partners for job and internship opportunities, mentorship, counselling services, graduate tracking services, high school recruitments, students exchange, apprenticeship services and alumni networking among others and emphasized that they make sure they acquired all the necessary skills before leaving the university.
The Office of Career Services was represented by Naomi Nyaboga, the Chief Information Officer who briefly spoke on the mandate of the Office of Career Services and told the students they they were in university for a reason. She went through all the services offered by the office and encouraged the students to come by the office for any enquiries as they go through their various academic programs. She went through the activities the Office of Career services has been involved in to build the skills of students. Some of the programs are Huawei ICT competition, Exchange programs with various universities globally, Google Digital Skills for Africa and also Coding for employment. The students were given the key points to note in Job hunting and encouraged to be very keen in discovering their purpose and potential and working towards achieving their dreams.
John Mwangi from Workmate, an online job portal began his presentation by giving a brief summary of Workmate. He further explained that workmate is an online job portal that provides exclusive remote jobs, creating millions of job opportunities. He engaged the students by asking “What is the most valuable thing a man can have?” various answers were given by the students. Time is by far the most valuable thing a man can spend on. He spoke on the internet portraying it as a double-edged sword asking the students to be careful the internet can arm or harm the user. The Office of Career Services was congratulated for ensuring that students are work ready through the various programs they offer to the students. He also gave a list of transferable skills that modern employers are looking for in an all-round candidate and spoke on the effects of robotic workers are having on the job market urging the students to acquire skills that will ensure their job security.
The Peer Mentors Association of Kenya (PMAK) was also represented by Mr. Humphrey Andanyi who briefly spoke on the mandate of their organization. He talked about the core activities performed by the organization mainly been mentorship, guidance and counselling and talent building. Students were also informed that PMA-K seeks sponsorship opportunities for needy students and youths qualified to receive such assistance. PMA-K also encourages building and nurturing youth talent by organizing events that celebrate talent and empower the youth to embrace and enrich their talents. He expounded on the mentorship programs offered to anyone interested through training programs. Since student have a lot of freedom while in university, they were advised to take it upon themselves to behave and dress appropriately. He advised everyone to set goals and targets and ensure they are able to fulfill them. Lastly, he concluded on the importance of connections while still in campus and warned on many fake jobs out in the market that calls for students to be very careful when applying for jobs.
Finally, UoN students were given an opportunity to make a presentation on the RADA app that they developed to tackle issues on youth sexuality in campus. The students developed the app with support from UNESCO seeking to provide the youth with information and real time help on wide ranging issues including HIV and AIDS, career advice, finance, alcohol, drug abuse and mental health. The Rada team walked the students through the mobile application, showing the students how the application works and all the solutions it offers.
The Office of Career Services will continuously strive to mold students and prepare them well for the job market.
The Office of Career Services was happy to host a group of 48 students from Kiru Boys at the University of Nairobi (UoN) Main Campus on Tuesday 17th September 2019. The visit was intended to encourage the students to work hard and boost their performance to enable them secure a placement in University. This is part of the OCS office’s mandate on engaging in the recruitment of prospective high school students to consider joining the institution The admissions officers gave a brief talk on career guidance to the students motivating them to work harder and strive to reach higher levels of learning (post-secondary). The students were then given a tour of the University of Nairobi.
The students visited the Library and Information Services Department and saw the vast amount of academic material available to the students at the University. They also visited the Faculty of Arts (Performing Arts), where they were given a brief history of the faculty and saw how they strive for excellence in the teaching, research, creativity and publications in literature, taking into account the links between the Kenyan and African heritage and the universal values of world literature.
The students were also able to visit the School of Engineering (SOE) during their visit. The University of Nairobi, School of Engineering showed the students how it has grown over the years producing graduates who pursue programs accredited by the professional bodies in five departments leading to the award of Bachelor of Science degrees in Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biosystems Engineering and Geospatial Engineering. They also share with the students their core values and how they implement them.
The University of Nairobi School of Computing and Informatics (SCI) was what really intrigued the students. As they were taken through the research and student projects, one could see the excitement and wonder on their faces. The SCI computer lab assistant stated their vision which is to be a leading center of excellence in Research and Development (R&D) and advanced education in computing; addressing national and regional needs for Information and Communications Technology and product development and walked through how they plan on achieving the vision.
The Kiru Boys students were excited by this tour and from their feedback, it is evident that the tour opened their eyes to University life and more so the course the University of Nairobi offers. It is hoped that these students will select UoN as their first choice when they do their university selection and work hard to achieve their dream.
