Abstract:
Internationalization of quality higher education has been a major concern not only at universities
in developed countries but also to universities in developing countries such as in Kenya. The
main drive for internationalization is the need to have excellent academic programmes that
are recognized and acceptable worldwide. Such programmes attract students from all over
the world as well as academic staff. In order to realize this internationalization, it calls for
partnerships among institutions of higher learning and the respective industry
. Ever since its
establishment in 1984, Moi University has continually prioritized internationalization. It has
been training postgraduate students from various countries and recruits academic staff
worldwide. Moi University has excelled in initiation of partnerships and collaboration through
diverse approaches. The University subscribes to a number of academic forums including
the VLIR Institutional Universities Cooperation Programme and Regional Universities Forum
for Capacity Building in
Agriculture (RUFORUM). Moi also participate in the development
of strategic academic models that yield ideal international institutional networks like the
Academic Model for Providing
Access
To Healthcare (AMP
ATH).
The university is also
keen at instituting Memoranda of Understanding with international universities and industrial
partners. It is through these strengths that the university managed to submit a competitive
proposal that won
The
World Bank Group funding as one of the 24 centers of Excellence in
Eastern and Southern
Africa and among the only three in Kenya.
The Moi University
African
Center of Excellence in Phytochemicals
Textiles and Renewable Ener
gy (PTRE) will further
propel internationalization through attracting more staff and students regionally and
internationally
. In this cause the Center shall collaborate with universities as well as private
sector nationally
, regionally and internationally
. The Center shall achieve excellence derived
from being the only university in the region of
fering PhD programs in
Textile engineering
that are anchored on ground breaking innovative research that has earned patents and
awards worldwide; exploiting state of the-art-laboratories; residence and visiting professors
in addition to short term exchange programmes.
Adoption of ICT
for facilitating continued
intellectual interaction shall be embraced.
Among the expected outcomes of the Center of
Excellence is the developing and review of curricula to be accredited internationally
. The university shall train postgraduates that are highly skilled and knowledgeable, ultimatelygenerating an experienced workforce capable of introducing novel manufacturing technologies
and energy alternatives.
The partners will benefit from each other’s strengths in terms of
competent academic staff, internships, well equipped laboratories, experience and bench
marking, among others. In the long run the region will have enhanced capacity in various
disciplines that will contribute a lot in terms of sustainable development hence realization of
Kenya’
s Vision 2030 and
Africa
Agenda 2063.