The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Benedict Mutua, held a consultative meeting with the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), Head of Membership and Events, Ms. Kathryn Jack on 18th November, 2024, at the VC’s Boardroom.
Ms. Jack was in the country to visit ACU members and gather feedback on their interactions, engagements with the ACU. She also wanted to understand how ACU can enhance visibility of the opportunities available to its members. Further, Ms. Jack, took advantage of her visit to pay a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mutua, who is one of the Council members of ACU Board.
During the meeting, the two discussed some of the opportunities available to ACU members and how they can work together to ensure that staff and students not only access but also benefit from them.
Ms. Jack gave a detailed outline of how the ACU, guided by its mission is transforming higher education in Kenya and across the Commonwealth by fostering collaboration, empowering institutions, and creating opportunities for students and researchers.
She stressed that ACU was constantly creating significant opportunities for higher education institutions, students, and researchers in Kenya, through its expansive networks, grants, and tailored programs, however preference is given to members.
To showcase success stories of some of Kenyans beneficiaries to ACU’s grants and scholarships, she highlighted Professor Grace Wamue-Ngare of Kenyatta University, who used an ACU Gender Grant to develop the university’s Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) Reporting App. The tool has provided staff and students as a safe platform to report incidents, fostering a more inclusive and secure environment on campus.
Another inspiring example is Griffin Mulula, a statistician at Kenya’s Ministry of Education, who pursued a Master’s degree in Population Studies at the University of Nairobi with ACU support.
She thus encouraged TU-K to not only promote but also encourage its researchers, academicians and students to explore the full range of opportunities offered by the ACU. This way they can engage and interact with their peers in ACU networks, attend events, and apply for grants as well as scholarships.
