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A big step for Franco-Kenyan academic cooperation
Signature of the Tripartite Partnership Agreement between ParisTech, ParisTech schools, CentraleSupélec and Université Paris-Saclay
The University of Nairobi (Kenya), 4 schools of ParisTech network (France) – AgroParisTech, Chimie ParisTech - PSL, École des Ponts ParisTech and Mines Paris - PSL – and CentraleSupélec - University Paris-Saclay (France) jointly signed a Tripartite Partnership Agreement launching a four-year cooperation programme for the development of the Engineering and Science Complex (ESC) in Nairobi.
The University of Nairobi (Kenya), 4 schools of ParisTech network (France) – AgroParisTech, Chimie ParisTech - PSL, École des Ponts ParisTech and Mines Paris - PSL – and CentraleSupélec - University Paris-Saclay (France) jointly signed a Tripartite Partnership Agreement launching a four-year cooperation programme for the development of the Engineering and Science Complex (ESC) in Nairobi. Prof. Stephen Kiama, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Nairobi, made the trip to France with a team of leaders for the signing, and visited CentraleSupélec, Université Paris-Saclay, AgroParisTech, Chimie ParisTech – PSL and École des Ponts ParisTech, respectively.
Mr. Matthieu Peyraud, Director for Culture and Soft Diplomacy at the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs as well as Mr. Manuel Bouard, representative of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, Mr. Chahoul Gaffar, representative of the Ministry for the ecological transition and territory Cohesion, H.E. Prof. Judi Wakhungu E.G.H., Embassador of Kenya in France, and Mrs. Veronika Chabrol, Deputy Head of the Division Education of the French Development Agency (AFD) were delighted to attend the official launch of this partnership in East Africa as France is eager to develop activities with partners in Kenya, where discussions began in 2019.
The University of Nairobi, Kenya’s top university, the regional leader in science and engineering, trains the future leaders of the country. This profile matches the French Grandes Écoles AgroParisTech, Chimie ParisTech – PSL, École des Ponts ParisTech, Mines Paris – PSL, and CentraleSupélec, all willing to extend their partnerships in Africa.
The University of Nairobi will construct the ESC on its Chiromo campus, keeping with the national 2030 strategy for better industrialization of the country, the creation of greener and more sustainable jobs, and to tackle global challenges. The partners will share their know-how and best practices in five domains: governance, curricula, university-industry linkages, research and innovation, and internationalization. The ESC will be partly funded by a sovereign loan from the French Agency for Development (AFD).
The aim of this partnership is to build long-term knowledge and skills sharing and transfer, and practice-oriented teaching of technological and digital knowledge, in conformance with the curriculum, in an effort to support the growing needs in East Africa for the emerging manufacturing and service industry.
The French partners will accompany the University of Nairobi, particularly in companies’ involvement in University activities around governance, the curricula and research and innovation, as well as in internationalization.
Seminars, conferences and meetings will be organized in Nairobi, Paris and remotely over the next four years. Some of the activities are currently under development, such as joint scientific workshops and delegation visits. They will also jointly apply for European fundings in order to deepen their internationalization, notably the links between researchers and academic staff.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor S. Kiama, said during the ceremony: “by offering high-quality education and research opportunities, the Complex aims to create a new generation of international professionals equipped with the knowledge and competences to become leaders in their respective fields, aware of the impact of their actions, able to contribute to public good and to tackle global challenges”.
Christian Lerminiaux, President of the ParisTech network, underlined: “It’s the first time that some of the most prestigious French engineering schools decide to put resources on a big partnership in English-speaking Africa. We are eager to start this cooperation around the Engineering and Science Complex and to accompany the University of Nairobi. This partnership is particularly important because 4 ParisTech schools are now cooperating with the University of Nairobi and CentraleSupélec, a good way to promote the way we train students in science and engineering in France.”
Romain Soubeyran, the Director General of CentraleSupélec, added: “CentraleSupélec is eager to pursue collaboration with Kenya and the African continent as a whole, through student mobility, academic partnerships and research projects. Building on our experience in industry-academia linkages, we will continue to share best practises and to enhance engineering education and its adaptability to the changing labour market”.