Since 2004, after a formal agreement between South Africa and Kenya, the two countries have implemented and collaborated on a range of successful scientific and technological initiatives. This agreement included support for researchers and innovators from public universities and research institutes.
In an effort to explore more potential areas of common interest for collaboration, the Office for International Affairs at the University of the Free State recently (6 April 2022) hosted the Education Attaché of the Kenya High Commission, Mr Adan Ibrahim, and his delegation on the UFS Bloemfontein Campus.
Welcoming the delegation, Prof Corli Witthuhn, Vice-Rector: Research and Internationalisation, said: “We are excited about new opportunities and not only about the current collaboration initiatives. The UFS Internationalisation Strategy provides a framework that supports international collaboration. We are looking forward to connecting with Kenyan institutions.”
Sharing experiences
During Mr Ibrahim’s courtesy visit, the parties shared experiences in the field of higher education and training, research, technology, and innovation.
The university is collaborating with institutions in Kenya on a number of initiatives. The Department of Plant Sciences, specifically the Division of Plant Breeding at the UFS, has produced six PhD and two MSc students who, through their work, have the potential to contribute to food security. The students – from SADC countries such as Tanzania, Malawi, and Uganda, as well as from Kenya and Ethiopia, completed their practical and fieldwork at Kenyan research facilities – among others, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT), the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and the Biosciences eastern and central Africa (BecA Hub).
The UFS is also cooperating with the Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT), a chartered public university in Kenya, on a project with the School of Nursing. Another project where the UFS will be joining forces with an institution in Kenya, is in setting up a Kiswahili language programme through the university’s Department of African Languages.
Engagement
According to Dr Cornelius Hagenmeier, Director of the UFS Office for International Affairs, the African partnerships and collaborations are critical for the UFS – the UFS wants to grow its partnerships and therefore requested the Kenya Education Attaché to connect the UFS with Kenyan partners.
The visit also allowed for engagement between the Kenyan delegation and UFS staff and students. A tour of the Bloemfontein Campus concluded the visit.