• Daystar University
• 10 Nov, 2023

SCHOOL OF SCIENCE ENGINEERING & HEALTH

By Prof. Martha Kiarie

The world is at a point where new technologies are emerging daily, personalized medicines over traditional general med, digitalized economies and societies through Artificial intelligence and the big data. The use of big data leads to improved and quick decision making, reduced costs, increased productivity, and improved customer service including health care. Therefore, will the universities continue teaching using the old lecture methods? This improved way of doing things must be inculcated in the academia, otherwise the risk of universities remaining behind and risking the future of their graduates is imminent. One way of doing this is through a close working linkage between the industry and the academia in the training of now and future graduates. The graduate should leave the university with open and evolving mindset, ready to change and learn in a changing world.

Daystar University school of Science Engineering and Health (SSEH) produces graduates in Public Health, Computer Engineering, Information Communication Technology, Acturial Science and Biomedical Science. These are fields that evolve very fast with time. The learner should therefore not only graduate but be prepared to keep up with the changes to remain relevant. This ready and continuous learning person needs to be prepared in collaboration and partnership with the industry he/she desires to work in.

Writing for the Business Daily, Africa Magazine of December 2020, Professor Scott Bellows reported that only about 13% of those graduating from Kenyan universities annually get employment or gainful economic activities. He argued that the market laments lack of industry ready graduates. The industry and academia continue to blame each other with some sectors contending that Kenya’s economic growth has been hindered by the academia-industry disconnect. The industry claims that when they point to the disconnect, the universities respond by creating new majors, concentrations and at times narrow pointed programmes. These become like new curtains or a fresh coat of paint that cannot remove the shortfall of poor construction and conceptualization of an old house.

Development and economic experts say, the answer lies in the universities working with the industries. The universities as the birth place of ideas also feel they should not be relegated to belts producing industry workers. The universities expect the industries to reach out for new ideas, fund research, consume local research outputs instead of consuming outputs that may not answer to local problems creating a disconnect. The industry expects the universities to involve them in research, problem solving, doing research that deals with societal problems away from the mainly theoretical research, and lecturers be involved in industry- academia exchange for experience.

Collaboration between the industry and academia promotes technological advancement and innovation; helps identify the needs and expectations of the society; expands the learners’ realm for inquiry, and when correctly implemented, makes education relevant to national development. The industries expect skilled ready to re-skill human capital with practical training, specialized and relevant expertise. Within the linkage, the universities would get to work on pertinent technologies and problem solving, get to practically test their ideas and solve societal problems while the learners and graduates get to experience the freedom to keep learning what is relevant to them.

Close linkage between the universities and the industry can bring quick resolution to human problems. A good example is how the world tackled COVID-19. Upon the outbreak of the epidemic, public health researchers were quick to come up with measures that would reduce and slow down the transmission: wearing of masks, keeping social distance, no shaking of hands, quarantining of the sick and isolating those under treatment. The collaboration between researchers and biopharmaceutical industries led to quick development of vaccines that led to the control and stemming down the spread of COVID-19.

In seeking to respond to the need to collaborate and partner with industry, relevant training of its students and in strengthening of Problem Based Learning (Daystar University chosen mode of teaching) in 2022/2023, SSEH took a number of steps. The first step was the review of the curricular of Applied Computer Science, Information Communication Technology (ICT), Public Health, Biomedical Science, and Actuarial Science to align the

industry needs and include Industrial attachment for all the programmes and Volunteerism by students during long holidays. This ensures that the students study while in touch with their intended place of work or business. The second step was the development of a new programme in Bachelor of Science in Information Technology to train students who are ready for the ever changing technology landscape. The third step is the development of graduate programmes; Masters of Public Health (MPH) and Masters of Science in Information Technology (MSc. IT) and Masters of Science in Actuarial Science with Data Analytics.

These programmes are meant to produce personnel with projected higher qualifications in their fields to solve current and future problems through research and its application. The fourth step is the use of alumni from the school coming to give back to the students through boot camps, workshops, talks and expert visitation. The SSEH has made many MOUs with relevant industries and research institutions to enable students get attachment places and experience through volunteerism. The fifth step is the school’s organization of field trips for the students covering relevant industries across the country to showcase relevant places for work and attachment for the students. Recently, Students from SSEH made a 6 day tour of Mombasa, Malindi and the Coast region.

It is the undertaking of SSEH that, involving the relevant industries in academia as we teach ad train our students will enhance creativity and raise the levels of self-drive and interest in the students within their areas of study.

To SSEH class of 2023, as you graduate, your graduation theme: Legacy of Light; Woven in Purpose, clearly speaks of the people you have been prepared to be. In those Computer Science, Public Health, Biomedical, Actuarial Science and ICT classes, you were prepared to bear light and drive purpose in your chosen fields. Remember the motto of SSEH; Science for Service to God and Humanity, herein you find your purpose. May God bless and keep you, may you find your purpose and serve both God and man therein, may your life from now be God guided, may you find fulfillment and happiness. Keep God at the centre of your life forever and you will never get lost. Amen.