EAST AFRICA

University leaders call for closer academia-industry ties
The Inter-University Council for East Africa’s (IUCEA’s) biennial Academia-Public-Private Partnership Forum (APPPF) has earned the praise of the vice-chancellors of two regional universities. The latest edition, the 13th APPPF, took place in Kigali, Rwanda, from 12 to 14 March, bringing together a wide range of stakeholders, reports The New Times.Mount Kigali University Vice-Chancellor Dr Martin Kimemia described the forum as a vital gathering key to finding solutions to challenges facing the region. He said: “IUCEA has been at the forefront of enhancing partnerships to address the persistent skills mismatch between university education and the evolving demands of the job market.” His Mount Kenya University (MKU) counterpart, Professor Deogratius Jaganyi, said the top minds gathered at the forum shared important ideas on how to tackle this problem.
Chair of the Education Sector at the Kenya Private Sector Alliance and chairman of MKU’s University Council, Dr Vincent Gaitho, emphasised the need for higher education institutions to develop curricula in direct collaboration with industry stakeholders. The three dons said it was time to cultivate closer academia-industry partnerships.
Full report on The New Times site