The US government under President Joe Biden’s administration has committed to offering scholarships to Kenyan students following the state visit by President William Ruto.
This move is part of a new initiative aimed at strengthening educational ties between the United States and Kenya.
President William Ruto’s state visit to the US, marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
The visit aimed to strengthen the partnership between the two countries and deliver tangible benefits to residents across various critical areas.
During the state visit, several key initiatives were unveiled to enhance educational collaboration between US and Kenyan institutions.
At the center of these initiatives is the Kennedy-Mboya Partnerships, a $3.3 million (Ksh 436,425,000) program that will provide scholarships to sixty Kenyan undergraduate students to study in the United States for a semester, with a specific focus on STEM fields.
Ruto – Biden Partnership 2024 Initiative
Additionally, the Biden administration announced Partnership 2024, a $500,000 initiative to support the growth and development of Kenyan students, scientists, researchers, and engineers.
This initiative will encourage closer relationships between US universities and their Kenyan counterparts, fostering faculty and research collaboration.
Furthermore, the two governments announced the establishment of EDTECH Africa, in collaboration with Microsoft, Mastercard, and various educational institutions.
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As such, this will serve as a bridge between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and African scholars, promoting educational exchanges in emerging technology fields.
This initiative expands on existing investments in data science initiatives and research collaborations, actively involving African scholars with HBCU students and faculty to advance proficiency in data science.
“Microsoft will invest an additional $500,000 to support HBCU and Kenyan students engaged in research at the Microsoft Africa Research Institute (MARI) in Nairobi complementing its recent $350,000 contribution to the Atlanta University Center Consortium Data Science Initiative.”
US Science Foundation Scholarships
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has also committed to offering workshops, planning grants to US universities to strengthen connections between US and Kenyan universities.
This initiative will jointly identify research focus, and facilitate collaboration in research, education, and workforce development.
USAID also announced a $6.5 million investment to support a partnership between an Ohio community college, Edison State Community College and the United States International University (USIU).
This move is aimed at strengthening up to 40 Kenyan technical vocational education and training institutions in ICT, pharmaceuticals, and textiles manufacturing.
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Kenya and US Sign a Framework of Cooperation
The US and Kenya also signed a framework for cooperation to support higher education partnerships for STEM education.
This framework, accompanied by commitments from Microsoft, Micron, Mastercard, and several US and Kenyan universities, describes the priorities of both nations and fosters partnerships to build mutual capacity in ICT, microchip manufacturing, and other STEM-related education and career opportunities.
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