East African Lecturers and Tutors Awarded EASTRIP-China Scholarships
In partnership with the People’s Republic of China and the World Bank, the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) has awarded twenty (20) scholarships to lecturers and tutors from Technical and Vocational Education and Training Institutes (TVET) across East Africa for postgraduate studies at top universities in China.
The scholarships have been granted to lecturers and tutors from Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania as part of a capacity-building initiative aimed at enhancing the academic and technical expertise of faculty members at Regional TVET Centres of Excellence.
The scholarship is a component of the World Bank-funded East African Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASPRIP), which aims to enhance the quality and relevance of TVET programs in the region.
Eight of the twenty scholarship recipients are from Ethiopia, six from Kenya, and six from Tanzania, with thirty percent of the scholarships going to women.
Prof. Gaspard Banyankimbona, Executive Secretary of IUCEA, thanked the People’s Republic of China and the World Bank for their financial support, which made the scholarship feasible, in a press release.
“I’d like to thank the People’s Republic of China and the World Bank for their financial support of the EASTRIP China TVET Scholarship program,” he said.
Banyankimbona explained that the scholarship supports the institution’s commitment to transforming TVET colleges and universities in East Africa by enhancing the skills and knowledge of TVET faculty and improving the quality and relevance of TVET programmes.
“This will have a significant impact on reducing youth unemployment through the development of practical, hands-on skills,” he added.
The selected candidates underwent a rigorous multilevel selection process that included the college administration, IUCEA, China Scholarship Council, and Chinese universities.
To be eligible for the EASTRIP-China TVET Scholarships, candidates were required to be employed and nominated by an institution that sponsors EASTRIP Regional Flagship Technical Institutes (RFTIs), as evidenced by a working bond agreement between the institution and the candidate.
In addition, they were required to apply for further study in a field pertinent to EASTRIP priority areas and demonstrate academic excellence.
Mbuya, Felix Omondi from Kenya Coast National Polytechnic College to pursue MSc. Food Science and Engineering at Shanghai Ocean University, Karani Moses Mwenda from Meru National Polytechnic to pursue MSc. Building Environment and Equipment Engineering at Liaoning Technical University, and Kennedy Victoria Banchiri from Meru National Polytechnic to pursue MSc. Urban and Rural Planning at Beijing Jiaoton University are among the six Kenyans who qualified for the scholarship program.
Others include Cassim Mariam Namukabo of Kisumu National Polytechnic College, who will pursue a master’s degree in arts and design at Kenya Shihezi University; Ndwiga Beatrice Makena of Meru National Polytechnic, who will pursue a master’s degree in electrical engineering at Nanjing Normal University; and Omayio Erick Mbeka of Kisumu National Polytechnic College, who will pursue a master’s degree in mechanical engineering at Chang’an University.
East African Lecturers and Tutors Awarded EASTRIP-China Scholarships