Activities in Eritrea

Hamelmalo Agriculture College library: JKUAT Vice Chancellor Prof. Mabel Imbuga gives a word of encouragement to a student during a visit to Eritrea.

Eritrea's National Board for Higher Education (NBHE) and the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in late October 2011 that established a framework for cooperation between NBHE and JKUAT in academic capacity building, including teaching, research and programme development.

This was followed by a request by the NBHE on behalf of the Government of the State of Eritrea (GoSE) to the Government of Japan for assistance to improve quality and capacity of higher education of three Institutes of Higher Education (IHEs) i.e. Eritrea Institute of Technology (EIT), Hamelmalo Agricultural College (HAC) and College of Marine Science and Technology (COMSAT).

Subsequently, the Project for Improvement of Quality and Capacity of Higher Education was formulated and the Record of Discussions signed between NBHE and JICA in early October 2012 leading to commencement of activities between JKUAT and the three IHEs in 2013. The purpose of the Project is to strengthen the capacity of the three IHEs in terms of research-oriented post-graduate education suitable for Eritrea.

The specific objectives of the Project are Curriculum Development through Staff Exchange, Joint Research and implementation of PhD Programs through Sandwich Program. To kick off the activities, a visiting professor, Dr. Woldeamlak Araia, Associate Dean for Research and Postgraduate Studies from HAC participated in the staff exchange programme and taught some units of a course in Agronomy (for research methods) at JKUAT from mid-July until early September 2013.

At the same time, five out of six Eritrean students from EIT, HAC and COMSAT expected to participate in the PhD programme under supervision from JKUAT professors arrived in Kenya and commenced their studies in July 2013. By the end of the year, the students had already completed the initial phase of their studies and arrangements to commence the joint research by Eritrean and JKUAT lecturers were already underway.

Based on the MOU and Agreement signed between JICA and JKUAT, the latter will support the activities of the Project as a service provider. Activities under this Project are expected to gain more momentum in 2014.