The Technical University of Kenya has partnered with the University of Arts, Berlin, Club of Engineers and Friends, Berlin, together with Wajukuu Arts Collective Studio, to offer hands-on short courses to youths in Lungalunga, an informal settlement in Nairobi. The initiative is part of the University’s outreach programme that will see underprivileged youths benefit from entrepreneurship skillset training, scholarship opportunities and exchange programmes in Kenya and German.
Representatives from the three collaborating institutions met the DVC, Institutional Advancement and Enterprise (IAE), Prof. Paul Wambua, and Executive Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Prof. Peter Matu as well as senior members.
The visitors included Prof. Antje Engelmann, Berlin University of Arts, Berlin (UdK Berlin), Sebastian Daschle, Social Design Project Manager, Club of Engineers and Friends and Shabu Mwangi, Director at Wajukuu Arts.
“We are excited to be part of this initiative, particularly in offering short courses. It is part of our responsibility to impact community through technology transfer and research,” Prof. Wambua said.
The DVC noted that the University will also work out together with the partnering institutions to present graduands with certificates of course completion adding that successful students would be eligible to pursue further studies at diploma and degree levels at TU-K.
Prof. Wambua further asked the initiative committee to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to facilitate fruitful and mutual collaboration.
The delegation that consisted of students from Berlin University of Arts, Wajukuu Arts, and TU-K, together with trainers and staff members also held discussions and interactions at TU-K’s Main Hall and later toured various workshops and labs at TU-K.
Wajukuu Arts has since trained two cohorts with capacity of 30 students. The six-month course-work covers various skill-sets including the visual arts, website designing and coding, photography. The short course training is dubbed ‘Makerspace’.
With the support of the University, the initiative will develop elaborate curricular tailored for the target community need.
