UPHF expands its relationship with Strathmore University in Kenya
The UPHF visited Nairobi to carry out activities under two ongoing joint projects and meet the French Embassy's Scientific Cooperation Attaché
.Support the University of Strathmore in developing their internationalization strategy
As part of the I-UMEME project (1), UPHF is providing technical support and capacity building to the University of Strathmore (SU) on two fronts, ua training front aimed at acquiring professional knowledge in electrical risk management and an internationalization front.
The aim of the latter component is to strengthen the skills and knowledge management of the two establishments' internationalization practices and processes, as well as their mutualization via the organization of reflexion and mutualization workshops for those responsible for implementing the internationalization strategy.
Following an initial remote workshop at the end of November dedicated to taking stock of current internationalization practices in the two countries, their region and the two establishments, on January 12 and 13 the second face-to-face workshop was held in Nairobi.
Through presentations by SU's Director of Partnerships and Internationalization, Mr. Saulo, and practical exercises with his team and representatives from several faculties, this mission contributed to deciphering the ecosystem and higher education in Kenya and the East African region.
A presentation by the French Embassy's Attaché for Scientific Cooperation, Dr. Guérin, as well as a complementary meeting at the Embassy, provided an insight into French priorities and helped consolidate bilateral cooperation objectives for the coming years.
Next workshops will take place online during the spring and face-to-face in Valenciennes in September 2024.
Assuring its role as Technical Partner
The University of Strathmore, via its CREATES (Centre for Research in Therapeutic Sciences) research group, is coordinator of an intra-African academic mobility program named BRAINS (2), funded by the European Union, for which UPHF is a technical partner.
The UPHF's main role is to support the teams from SU, but also from the five other African institutions involved, throughout the implementation of the project, particularly with regard to the administrative and financial arrangements for the mobilities.
In this respect, UPHF undertook to carry out a follow-up visit, on site, in Nairobi, which was thus held on January 15 and 16, after three years of the project and around ten organized mobilities.
The two days were divided into a dozen or so interviews with all the internal players involved, in particular Prof. Oloo, the project coordinator, on the various aspects of implementation: consortium management, selection and preparation of students and staff for mobility, financial arrangements, impact, communication and dissemination, etc.
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Thanks to this on-site visit, UPHF will be making recommendations with a view to continuous improvement and long-term sustainability.
UPHF was represented by Jonathan Brindle, director, and Aurélie Degaugue Bac, head of the mobility unit at the Pôle de Relations Internationales.
(1) The I-UMEME project, coordinated by UPHF, is a project funded by the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE) under the ADESFA (Appui au Développement de l'Enseignement Supérieur Français en Afrique) call for projects. ADESFA projects aim to support academic cooperation initiatives between French and African establishments, in order to keep pace with the upscaling of existing African training provision. The I-UMEME project aims to meet the need to acquire professional knowledge in electrical risk management through the development of a teaching kit, provided by the IUT's Electrical Engineering and Industrial Computing department, as well as supporting the University of Strathmore in the development of its internationalization strategy.
.(2) The BRAINS (Mobility for Research and African Integration through Health Sciences) project is an intra-African academic mobility program whose overall aim is to contribute to Africa's transformation towards a sustainable innovation and knowledge-based economy by promoting professional competence, collaboration and employability in the health sciences space through student and staff mobility. Six African universities are participating in this project, including the coordinator; the University of Strathmore.
UPHF, as a technical partner of the European Union thanks to the experience of the Pôle de Relations Internationales in organizing international mobilities, is providing support to the University of Strathmore throughout the duration of the project.