A team of visiting student leaders from University College, London (UCL) in the United Kingdom is exploring collaborative ways with their Technical University of Kenya counterparts (SATUK) in areas of students’ involvement in community service and learning. The delegation led by Simon To, Director of Policy and Governance at UCL noted that they are keen on sharing best practices with SATUK leadership on opportunities students can take advantage of through community service and volunteering.
The team highlighted a successful approach where students at UCL offer solutions to organizations through community service under programme dubbed Social Hackathon. In exchange, students understand society’s needs, get grounding on their research, as well as learn consultancy and entrepreneurship opportunities. “We invite organizations to tell us their challenges and provide them with students through Social Hackathon where they work with them for between one and two years. During this period, the students carry out community research and dissertation initiatives inspired by social issues,” said Dr. Anne Laybourne, SU UCL Head of Volunteering.
During their one-week stay, UCL guests met the University Management, interacted with SATUK officials and also had an opportunity to meet student leaders from other universities in Kenya. Some of the topical areas they delved in to include establishing world class standards for best practices in student leadership, resource sustainability for effective student engagement, democracy and electoral practices in students’ unions. The team was also scheduled to hold joint charity events including tree planting at TU-K’s Men’s Hostels. The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Paul Shiundu, who addressed the joint forum expressed his excitement about the collaboration, highlighting that such learning and exchange of ideas bridges the traditional and outdated confrontational approaches of student leadership in universities.
“Such moments and interaction on international level is one of a kind; it builds an excellent culture of dialogue, all-inclusive leadership and calibrates good governance, empowerment and good reputation,” said the Ag. VC. Prof. Shiundu noted that TU-K would be a hub for best student leadership in East Africa and UCL would form part of the facilitating partners. SATUK has since been ranked the best students’ union in Kenya. He also commended his predecessor, Prof. Francis Aduol, for supporting the exchange initiative that saw SATUK leaders travel to UCL on similar learning mission focusing structural and operational standards of student leadership in the UK.
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and Technology Development, Prof. Alfred Orina, on his part praised SATUK for best leadership practices and challenged the members of the student body to adopt global practices such as community service model undertaken by UCL. Other University senior staff present during the joint address ceremony included Prof. Francis Gatheri, Executive Dean, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology, Prof. Peter Matu, Executive Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology, Prof. Edwin Ataro, Executive Dean, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Prof. Omondi Oketch, Director, Student Welfare and Support Services (SWSS), Mr. Cosmas Kanyadudi, Ambassador for the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) and Dr. Ali Adan, Senior Assistant Registrar, SWSS among others.
