UNIVERSITIES URGED TO COLLABORATE TO ADDRESS EMERGING CHALLENGES

“Universities have a triple mandate of teaching, research and community engagement.”


In Summary

At the conference, technology and innovation emerged as key drivers for economic and social development and would hold a central place going forward considering the current developments around the world.


Mount Kenya University has this week hosted an international conference that looked into ways of knowledge and innovation transfer to enable economies to grow sustainably.

The conference, held at the Mwai Kibaki Conference Centre at MKU’s main campus in Thika, attracted scholars from around the world as they deliberated on different issues centred on the theme of ‘participatory leadership, innovation and knowledge transfer for sustainable economies.

At the conference, technology and innovation emerged as key drivers for economic and social development and would hold a central place going forward considering the current developments around the world.

Mount Kenya University has this week hosted an international conference that looked into ways of knowledge and innovation transfer to enable economies to grow sustainably.

The conference, held at the Mwai Kibaki Conference Centre at MKU’s main campus in Thika, attracted scholars from around the world as they deliberated on different issues centred on the theme of ‘participatory leadership, innovation and knowledge transfer for sustainable economies.

At the conference, technology and innovation emerged as key drivers for economic and social development and would hold a central place going forward considering the current developments around the world.

FROM LEFT: Jesse Ndegwa , MKU Deputy Director Admissions, Prof Walter Oyawa director general at the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI), MKU Vice-chancellor prof. Deogratius Jaganyi, MKU Co-Founder Dr Jane Nyutu, MKU chancellor Dr. Vincent Gaitho. Mount Kenya University has this week hosted an international conference that looked in to ways of knowledge and innovation transfer to enable economies grow sustainably

Prof Walter Oyawa director general at the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (NACOSTI) noted that developments such as the Covid-19 pandemic have affirmed science has a key role to play in socio-economic development.

“Humanity is living through unprecedented times simultaneously defined by; Rapid changes in technology, new conflicts or wars, violent and hateful ideologies, risks of global pandemics and disease, climate change and loss of biodiversity, scientific advance and ethical dilemma, social change, economic growth and widening economic gap,” he said, adding that global challenges are becoming increasingly complex, interconnected and interdependent.

“Science, technology and innovation (STI) are key drivers of economic and social development and are hence a critical means of implementation for National  Agenda. The covid-19 pandemic has reaffirmed the vital role of Research, Science, Technology and Innovation (Research Systems) as a Global Public Good, for strengthened National Security, enhanced Public Safety/Health, and Inclusive Sustainable Development.”

“There is a need for a framework to evaluate knowledge transfer practices, improve knowledge transfer metrics and evaluation frameworks, and offer policy lessons. Effective public-private knowledge transfer is more crucial to innovation than ever in the aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis.”

The three-day event was the eighth conference organized by the international, interdisciplinary and inter-universities consortium.

Different institutions that are members of the Inter-Disciplinary and Inter-universities Consortium have annually hosted the conference on a rotational basis over the last eight years.

“Universities have a triple mandate of teaching, research and community engagement.  The Interdisciplinary and Inter-universities Consortium as here represented by its members, is a useful strategy for assisting universities in attaining their mission and varied visions,” said Prof Deogratius Jaganyi Vice Chancellor MKU during the opening of the conference on Wednesday.

He added that the consortium should now look to growing interactions among members through activities such as student and staff exchanges as well as joint research projects.

“As we move into the second decade of our existence as a Consortium, maybe, more interactions through staff and students exchange could be explored. Additionally, the status of all our joint activities could be made more viable if more universities join the consortium,” said Prof Jaganyi.

Dr Jane Nyutu co-founder of MKU noted that the multi-disciplinary approach that the university has taken has seen get global accolades, including being selected to become the hub for reducing inequalities by a United Nations agency.

“The same multi-disciplinary endeavour at MKU through teaching, research and community engagement has led to MKU’s award to serve for three years as the United Nations Academic Impact for SDG No. 10 on Reduced Inequalities,” she said.

“This allows the university to partner with many universities, with the industry, and with practitioners in all areas that are of positive impact on human life; namely, medicine, animal health and production, education, social and physical sciences, and so on. Thus, in a collaborative effort, the communities across the world will very well benefit from the joint activities of our deliberations during this conference.”

Dr Vincent Gaitho Pro-Chancellor, of Mount Kenya University, lauded the conference organisers for the selection of the theme on participatory leadership and knowledge transfer.

“Participatory leadership is very critical in the successful management of institutions and organizations – when we add innovation to our leadership engagements and when we do this well enough, we are sure we would never go wrong,” he said.

Source: https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2023-03-31-universities-urged-to-collaborate-to-address-emerging-challenges/