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The Chinese Ambassador’s scholarship programme was started in 2013, with the aim of supporting needy students. The Chinese Embassy has been supporting the education institutions in Kenya in a bid to help young Kenyans to pursue their dreams at the University of Nairobi.
Over 100 Students from the University of Nairobi have benefited from this programme since 2013. The Scholarship targets only undergraduate students under the Government Sponsored (Module 1) category.
The Dean of Students Office would like to invite applications from needy undergraduate students for the 2020/2021 F/Y Chinese Ambassador Scholarships.
Applicants should meet the following criteria;
1. Registered needy students (first year to sixth year)
2. Excellent academic record
3. Individual of impeccable character
4. Non-beneficiary of any other scholarship in the previous and current academic year
5. Regular student of the University of Nairobi (first year to sixth year)
Click here to get the application form.
Students are highly encouraged to send their applications online through the official email dean-students@uonbi.ac.ke. The subject of the Email to read “Chinese Ambassador Scholarship Application – FY 2020/2021”.
The Deadline for applications is Friday, 26th June 2020 at 4.00 pm.
The demand for skilled workers is on an upward trend. The Manpower reports indicate that 31 percent of employers throughout the world struggled to find qualified workers because of “a talent mismatch between workers’ qualifications and the specific skill sets and combinations of skills employers want.”
The 21st Century graduate needs to have a skill set that will make them globally competitive. Some the 21st-century skills that graduates need to learn for the modern job market includes digital literacy skills, collaboration and communication skills, entrepreneurial skills, networking skills, ability to analyze and utilize information, think creatively and learn constantly, flexibility and problem-solving skills.
Once graduates acquire these valuable skills, they will have an edge over other graduates; they will possess the ability to learn quickly, accurately process information and use the information to make objective decisions.
The 21st-century skills are indeed the future for students’ academic and career success.
Most university students have a special place that they enjoy being at when they are within the campus or during their stay in school. A place that makes them comfortable and for a minute helps them forget about the world and the amount of work they have and even deadlines that have to be met.
Now just try and picture the absolute horror when students come to the realization that their safe havens are crushing in on them. A life that they have loved, cherished and gotten good chunks of is being flattened. They now have to transition to employment or entrepreneurship and they are terrified not knowing where to start.
I know what you are probably thinking now, “but I don’t want to leave campus!” or “no one will hire me!” Try as you might however, there is no escaping this one. It’s time to accept that you are done with your Diploma, Masters or Undergraduate degree and you must transition from learning to earning to practice what you have learned in university.
Some students have it clear in their minds what career path they would like to follow but a good number of students come to the end of their university lives without even the slightest idea of what career path to follow.
At the University of Nairobi Office of Career Services, we offer advice on all the possible career paths that a student could undertake, students are also mentored by alumni and career partners in the various fields that they might want to pursue after they are done with their courses. The Office of Career Services also helps to link students to the job market on completion of their courses and also to obtain internships and attachments.
When I was 9 my father would say “Go to school, perform well and go to the University and get employed”. To him then, getting to the university was the ultimate requirement for getting employed. 11 years down the line, I do my research and find out from a local newspaper that it takes more than just a degree to beat unemployment since thousands of graduates are out and busy “tarmacking”.
I feel betrayed realizing that my choice of a degree course has a rare chance of employment and that it probably adds no value to the job market. I find myself considering dropping out and just settling for whatever the harsh job market has to offer. However, this consideration is way too costly to bear because of the tens of thousands of hard-earned money my family and village had to raise through “Harambee” in order to bake me for a successful future.
The only thing I have do is to sit down and see if my already acquired knowledge can offer a solution.
I turn on my laptop and browse through a few articles on unemployment. All I see is numbers, statistics of unemployed fellow victims of the system and huge blame on the 8-4-4 system.
The 8-4-4 system of education is portrayed to be the unfavorable chief contributor to this situation of having graduates who are unable to secure jobs because it focuses on academic grades at the expense of molding an all rounded individual being a major pointer. I clearly understand that we recently abandoned it to a new one, 2-6-3-3-3, but that’s going to save the coming generation but what happens to the thousands who are still out and those are finalizing the system.
In August 2018, the Government launched the Office of Career Services (OCS) in all Universities and Tertiary Institutions for developing essential competencies among graduates that will produce the appropriate human capital for industrialization of the region-the skills that will enable society to innovate and foster the type of rapid technological progress that characterizes industrial revolution.
Partnering with this office will for sure give an upward push towards earning as an individual who has been learning
for the better part of their life.
Baraka Isaac
Former Intern
Office of Career Services
Titled ‘Viability of Lifestyle Audits as an Anti-Corruption Strategy in Kenya: A Critical Assessment of the Policy, Legal and Administrative Framework,’ Eric’s thesis has been lauded by the Senate of the Republic of Kenya as a timely and significant study.
“During the second reading of the Lifestyle Audit Bill, 2019 on March 11, 2020, the Senate discussed the findings and recommendations of my thesis and commended the University of Nairobi for illuminating the role of academia in the legislative process,” says Eric in a letter to the Dean, School of Law, Prof. Kiarie Mwaura. “Notably, the thesis critically analyzed the Lifestyle Audit Bill, 2019 that was at the material time, pending before Senate. I have since honoured the Senate’s request for recommendations to strengthen the Bill.”
In addition, the Attorney General has recognized the thesis as a valuable tool in the anti-corruption legal reform and has indicated that the recommendations will be implemented.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) forwarded to the National Assembly proposals for amendment of various anti-corruption law statutes as recommended in the thesis.
“I am humbled by the overwhelming interest that this thesis continues to generate among key agencies in the fight against corruption,” says Eric.
Eric wrote the paper under the supervision of Prof. Ben Sihanya. The defence panel was chaired by Dr. Nancy Baraza with Dr. Jackson Bett as the reader. The panel scored the research work at grade A. Eric graduated from the University on December 20, 2019.
The Office of Career Services in partnership with the African Wood Incorporation CEO Dr. David Amakobe on Friday June 12, 2020 held a Career Webinar from 5.00 – 6.00pm. This Webinar targeted beginner or mid-career professionals and was titled “Never Be Unemployed: Solve A Local Problem with A Scalable Solution”.
Dr. Amakobe graduated from the University of Nairobi in 1987 with a degree in Agricultural Engineering. He worked for Ministry of Agriculture for 7 years, Mumias Sugar for 3 years then set up a company in Bungoma for 10 years before migrating to the United States.
The Webinar discussions were centred around the following tips for those who are looking to become self-employed in the wake of today’s society where unemployment is rampant.
- Create a structure: Be a CEO of something – You have 24 hour in a day, 7 days in a week, you don’t have to be one thing all of them!
- Understand the community you live in: You are not a resource solving foreign problems
- Identified solvable local problems
- Narrow down to the problems owned by more people
- Zero in on the One problem you are passionate about
- Defined the problem for the market
- Own the problem and offer a solution
- Brand, Manage Perception and Build Trust
- Do not reinvent the wheel: copy, see Walmart!
- Don’t wait for permission always be ready to ask for forgiveness!
- Don’t try to be first to market Aim to be a follow up
- Don’t be stupid control the intellectual property
- Don’t be selfish share the wealth with stakeholders
- Refine, Perfect, Duplicate and Scale
Dr. Amakobe emphasized that thing that makes the difference between a job seeker and job creator is Attitude and Social Capital. Social capital which refers to networks of relationships among people should be developed right from the University to support you in your entrepreneurial ideas. An enabling attitude of success is important if you are to make breakthroughs in life. He quoted Henry Ford – Whether you think you can or you can’t – you are right.
He emphasized the importance of nurturing Alumni relations because in the United States, Alumni give back to the development of their Universities and Students.
This was the beginning of a series of career development Webinars with Dr. Amakobe. The Office of Career Services looks forward to empowering students more on venturing into entrepreneurship. 20 participants attended the Webinar.
The UoN Skills Centre was established through the Office of Career Services to conduct ongoing training to students and staff in a wide range of skills development programs. Some of the already ongoing training includes the Ajira Digital Training that seeks to impart knowledge and skills on how to tap into online jobs and the Huawei Certification Training programs that seek to build skills and knowledge that networking professionals require.
The Skills Centre aims to upgrade the graduates’ skills, competencies and attitude to enhance their graduates’ employability and entrepreneurship capacity. The goal is to produce skilled, empowered, competitive, employable, enterprising and innovative graduates ready for the job and entrepreneurship market.
The UoN Skills Centre partners with Industry Partners to offer Technical, Leadership and Soft Skills Training programs for students/staff skills. Students, as well as graduates, will be provided with the avenue to gain “Skills for the Future” through a series of training programs that will aid them in developing their careers and also make them more marketable in the job market.
Among the skills that are being offered at the Skills Centre include: technical skills such as computer skills, programming, data analytics, marketing and data mining, soft skills like CV writing, interview techniques, communication skills, cross-cultural skills and job hunting skills, entrepreneurship skills including ideation to commercialization, patenting and licensing, start-up and incubation and business development and leadership skills.
During this covid pandemic period, the Office of Career Services is imparting skills to students online through Webinars that have been running sine May 2020.
“Low skills perpetuate poverty and inequality. Skills development can reduce unemployment, raise incomes, and improve standards of living. Helping young people develop skills makes economic sense” – World Bank
The Office of Career Services on Friday June 12, 2020 from 2.00 – 3.00pm held a webinar session for students focusing on “Mental and Physical Wellbeing during the Covid Period”. Over 100 students attended the session.
The session was facilitated by Julianna Kituma, Brand Manager, Oral Care, Brian Amani the Employer Brand Executive at Unilever, Johnson Kinyua, Director Career Services and Naomi Nyaboga, the Chief Information Officer at the Career Office. The Webinar was made held as part of a partnership agreement between the Unilever Academy and the Office of Career Services.
In her presentation, Julianna emphasized that life is about a balance and there is power in positive stress. Students were asked if they were to turn back the wheel to five months ago before Covid happened, what could they have done differently? Below are some of the responses received;
- Get Netflix and a Wi-Fi account;
- Not spend so much money but rather save for the uncertain times;
- Review resolutions;
- Dye hair
- Buy a laptop;
- Create a structure of work, school and family time.
Juliana then noted that the Covid pandemic had brought with it mental challenges such as suicide, alcoholism, financial difficulties and depression among others. Mental health as defined as a state of wellbeing in which every individual realizes his/her potential, can cope with normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to contribute to his/her community.
Some of the ways to cope with mental stress that were highlighted include having self-acceptance, having a sense of identity, knowing your purpose, having self-awareness, having a good mastery of the mind, having emotional resilience and leveraging on your personal talent.
Physical wellbeing was defined as the absence of disease and lifestyle behaviour choices to ensure health, avoid preventable diseases and conditions and to live in a balanced state of the body, mind and spirit. To achieve this, one must have vision and clarity, composure, proper reasoning, tenacity, collaboration and be of good health.
Juliana pointed out that it is very important to know how to relieve stress and some of the stress-busters indicated by students include exercise, music, sleep, walk and listing of the things you are grateful for. Some of the negative stress-busters highlighted include alcohol and drug abuse.
What to look out for during this Covid period to safeguard your mental health is to avoid procrastination, avoid feeling pressure from the posts by other people on social media, mind the company you keep, allow positive ideas to breed in your mind and being very cautious not to turn any stress you might face into something bad such as alcohol and drug abuse.
In conclusion, Juliana reiterated that it is okay to say NO for whatever does not work for you positively, be strong and get energy boosts to withstand challenging situations.
The ICT Team in charge of Website Management for the University of Nairobi’s Central Administration Departments held a meeting with all Website Champions on Friday June 12, 2010 from 11.00am to 12.00pm. on Google Meet. David Wekesa and Eunah Njoroge from the ICT Centre took lead in the meeting discussions.
The meeting was organized to keep tabs on what each department was doing to make their websites vibrant. Eunah Noroge put emphasis on the need for Departments to standardize their staff profiles citing the (ict.uonbi.ac.ke) as a good example to follow. She further urged the Web Champions to be active on their websites and social media handles, to avoid duplicating stories from other sites but instead cultivate the habit of rewriting stories and to keep records of all the website performance for the Performance Contract process. The Web Champions were also requested to ensure that the Google Scholar accounts for staff in their departments to be set up and updated in line with the publications that appear on the staff profile.
David Wekesa gave the Web Champions tips in their website reporting as follows:
- Be creative and innovative when developing online content;
- Go out of the way to interview staff, students and stakeholders on how they perceive your Department’s services;
- Be analytical in your reporting, research widely and check what you have written after posting just to see how it reads from the audience point of view;
- Have synergy with your fellow Web Champions, check out what stries they have on their websites and see what you can help to publicize;
- The website gives the image of your service unit and therefore it should have quality information packaging and sharing;
- When requesting for information for staff profiles such as photos or CVs, explain to your colleagues the importance of them updating their profiles with current information;
- Keep your Departmental Head informed of the website management progress all the time;
- Keep your personal progress filing for the Performance Contract evidence and for your career portfolio reference.
The Office of Career Services was commended for constantly sharing information on planned student activities and the web champions team was requested to support in sharing the information to their wider audiences and to also attend the Webinar sessions to get content for their websites.
In conclusion, the Web Champions were encouraged to undertake the free Digital Skills online course on sharpening communication skills accessible on this link https://learndigital.withgoogle.com/digitalskills/sign-in. Over 30 Web Champions attended the meeting.