On 29 September, Prof. Rose A. Mwonya (Vice-Chancellor) and Prof. Alexander K. Kahi (Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Affairs) of Egerton University in Kenya and Dick Pouwels (Chair of the Executive Board) and lecturer Marjo Baeten of HAS University of Applied Sciences signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for continued collaboration between Egerton University and HAS University of Applied Sciences. Mr Wilson Munene Karimi (Director CoELIB Incubation Centre) and Mr George O. Ombele (Personal Assistant Vice-Chancellor) from Egerton University were also present.
How the collaboration came about
The collaboration with Egerton originates in a Nuffic project with a focus on knowledge exchange and helping to establish an incubator whose aim is to support start-ups, hence strengthening the Livestock Value Chain. Together with several other partners, HAS University of Applied Sciences is involved in the project that will continue until 2020. Maarten van Eeuwijk, Marjo Baeten, Gert-Jan Duives and Dick Pouwels from HAS laid the groundwork for the collaboration, in part during a recent mission to Kenya during which they visited a range of partners, discussing possible developments and opportunities.
Activities in the coming period
In signing this MoU, HAS University of Applied Sciences is entering into a stronger and more extensive collaboration with Egerton. A range of activities are in the pipeline, for instance employing our expertise for further development of an incubator at Egerton University. Its goals are to support young entrepreneurs in setting up and expanding their own businesses, student exchange, HAS lecturers will provide tailor-made training and Kenyan lecturers will visit HAS to follow a course via
HAS Training and Consultancy.
An interesting way of working
Egerton is extremely interested in the methodology used by HAS, with a high level of intensive contact with business and the intensive involvement of business with learning. They want to continue discussing this, examining how to implement this at their own institution. HAS University of Applied Sciences will be able to provide them with advice and support in this.
Funding
HAS University of Applied Sciences and Egerton University are working together to submit a subsidy application to the Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP - Nuffic). Additional funding for further extending this project is also being sought via SHAEA (Strengthening Higher Agricultural Education in Africa).