Six Kenyans are among 20 recipients of scholarships from the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) in partnership with the People’s Republic of China and the World Bank.
In a statement on Wednesday, August 2, IUCEA said the beneficiaries are lecturers and tutors from Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutes (TVET) for post graduate studies at top Universities in China.
Further, IUCEA noted that the scholarships were awarded to lecturers and tutors from Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania as part of capacity building.
“The scholarship is part of the East African Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASPRIP), funded by the World Bank, to improve the quality and relevance of TVET programmes in the region,” read part of the statement.
The six Kenyans are Mbuya Felix Omondi, Karani Moses Mwenda, Kennedy Victoria Banchiri, Cassim Mariam Namukabo, Ndwiga Beatrice Makena and Omayio Erick Mbeka.
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Omondi, a tutor at Kenya Coast National Polytechnic College will pursue MSc. Food Science and Engineering at the Shanghai Ocean University.
On the other hand, Mwenda of Meru National Polytechnic Kenya will undertake MSc. Building Environment and Equipment Engineering at Liaoning Technical University.
At the same time, Banchiri from Meru National Polytechnic Kenya will study MSc. Urban and Rural Planning at Beijing Jiaotong University.
Furthermore, Namukabo, a lecturer at Kisumu National Polytechnic College, will proceed to Shihezi University for a master’s in art and design.
For Makena, a tutor at Meru National Polytechnic will pursue MSc. Electrical Engineering at Nanjing Normal University.
Lastly, Mbeka from Kisumu National Polytechnic College will be at Chang’an University for his MSc. Mechanical Engineering.
IUCEA stated that Kenya and Tanzania received six scholarships each while Ethiopia got eight slots.
Enhancing skills and knowledge
Moreover, the Executive Secretary, IUCEA, Prof. Gaspard Banyankimbona thanked the People’s Republic of China and the World Bank for the financial support.
“I would like to thank the People’s Republic of China, through the Ministry of Education, and the World Bank for their financial support towards the EASTRIP China TVET Scholarship programme.”
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The scholarship supports our commitment to transforming the TVET systems in East Africa by building the capacity of TVET faculty to enhance their skills and knowledge and improve the quality and relevance of TVET programmes.
This will have a profound impact on reducing youth unemployment through practical hands-on skills development,” Prof. Banyankimbona said.
Selection criteria
According to IUCEA, candidates went through a rigorous multilevel selection process involving the college management, IUCEA, the China Scholarship Council, and Chinese universities.
What’s more, to qualify for the EASTRIP-China TVET Scholarships, applicants needed to fulfil the following:
- Be employed and nominated by an institution that hosts EASTRIP Regional Flagship Technical Institute (RFTIs) demonstrated by a working bond agreement between the institution and the candidate.
- Apply for further studies in a field of study that is relevant to EASTRIP priority areas.
- Demonstrable academic excellence.
About IUCEA and EASTRIP
IUCEA is an institution of the East African Community (EAC) responsible for the coordination of higher educational development and research.
Again, it is responsible for advising the EAC and the partner states on all matters regarding higher education including operationalization of EAC Common Higher Education Area.
In addition, IUCEA is the Regional Facilitation Unit for the World Bank-funded East Africa Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP).
Besides, (EASTRIP) is a five-year project funded by the World Bank and the Governments of Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania to increase the access and improve the quality of TVET programs in selected Regional Flagship TVET Institutes and to support regional integration in East Africa.
