Towards More Academia-Industry Collaborations
Universities do not exist in a vacuum. At the core mission statement of every learning institution is the drive to produce productive graduates who are trained and skilled with knowledge in tandem with industry needs. It is therefore futile to have an academia that doesn’t listen to the industry needs and the demands of the society. As a trendsetter in Higher Education, Research and Innovation, JKUAT, more than any other institution, bears this obligation. Over the years, the University has and continues to partner with several organizations and industry partners for the benefit of students, the greater good, and for the benefit of various collaborating partners.
It is in this regard that a team from Computech Limited paid a courtesy call to the Vice Chancellor in the University. Led by the organization’s Business Transformation Consultant, Mr. Santhosh Kumar Kandayath, the delegation was accompanied by three JKUAT students. Ms. Lesli Bonyo, Ms. Grace Njeri and Mr. Geoffrey Mogendi are soon to be graduates of Computer Science, Mechatronics Engineering and Telecommunications and Information Engineering respectively. The three emerged top from 20 other students after a rigorous process that entailed aptitude tests, group discussions and one on one interviews. This process began in August this year, and they got absorbed as graduate management trainees. As at the time of the meeting, they had been formally employed by the organization following their stellar performance.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Santhosh opined their need for fresh minds staright from JKUAT, to tap into their creativity and ingenuity. The three students, now employees of Computech Limited, will still undergo a one-year intensive training that will lead to an upgrade of skills and several certifications from notable brands such as IBM and Oracle.
On her part, the Vice Chancellor Prof. Victoria Ngumi expressed her satisfaction with the positive feedback the organization gave about the performance of the students and thanked them for choosing JKUAT. “Our curriculum is geared towards training for the market. This is evident from the high number of our graduates in the industry. Our main aim is to achieve 100% placement of our graduates. And even better, this will make them great ambassadors of their Alma Mater,” she further postulated.
Computech Limited will be working closely with the University towards strengthening and nurturing a symbiotic partnership that will benefit both parties, and particularly more students. The central goal? Ensuring students get meaningful employment before and after their graduation.
The meeting was also attended by the ICT Director Dr. Mwirigi Kiula, Social Media and Customer Relations Department (SMCR) Chair, Ms. Dorothy Kahenya, ICT Research, Consultancy and Training Department (RCT) Chair Mr. Albert Kibe, Computech Limited’s Faith Mwangi, and RCT’s Mr. Michael Waititu.
