UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 2 - 8 MARCH 2019 Culture Week ends in color and pomp By Taigu Muchiri

By Taigu Muchiri

Participants take photo during the launch of the Institute of Higher Education, Research and Leadership Development

Photo: Charlie Media

The winning team from celebrate as they receive their trophy Photo: Antonio Longangi

The USIU-Africa community held its annual diversity. The opening ceremony started with cultures. This year’s theme coincided with culture week from 5-7 March, 2019. This a parade walk around campus proudly the 50th year anniversary celebrating a annual festival celebrates the diversity of the adorned in the country colors and taking legacy of academic excellence. over 70 nationalities student communities pride in their heritage. The parade then represented at the University. Each converged at the exhibition square for The event ended with a cultural night in community was represented in their performance from various cultures. which various communities displayed their communities by engaging in song and Speaking during the opening ceremony, the talents, dances, culture and trending dance, showcasing their culture through Vice Chancellor thanked the culture week fashion. At the same time, students took food and outfits and engaging in fun and committee for putting in the hard work to time to remember fellow students who had games. The students also had a chance to ensure that the event was a success. He also passed on over the past year. The winning show and sample other communities’ culture applauded the students for representing performance was won by Kenyan while India and heritage. their respective cultures in a good way. took the second runners up position. Under the exhibition category, the top prize went to The three day event was fashioned to Professor Wangari Mwai, Associate DVC Uganda and South Sudan were crowned the maximize the experience of different cultures Students Affairs, Student Affairs took this first runners up. The research category was while maintaining authenticity of each opportunity remind students of the theme of won by students from the Tanzania culture. The students pitched exhibition this year’s culture week to which hinged on community while the team from the United booths to enable other students sample a the experiences of different cultures over Arab Emirates were the first runners up. taste of their culture and compare on time as they have evolved to modern UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 2 - 8 MARCH 2019 USIU-Africa unveils a new website By Ernest Anguru and Ian Raititi

On March 4, 2019 USIU-Africa launched its new website in a captivating event that was graced by the Vice Chancellor, the members of the management board, students and employees.

The launch marked a huge step in the implementation of part of the University’s Strategic Plan which urges the University to increase visibility and enhance quality services to internal and external stakeholders. The new website has been designed to increase the university’s brand visibility as a global premier institution through robust internal and external communications. Photo: Dan Muchai The Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza launches the new website This website development was majorly focused on easy navigation and quick access to information by users especially Studies have shown that majority of internet The website has been developed in a very students, it solves several challenges that users in Kenya access information through dynamic way to suite needs that are unique faced the old website. Users should be able the mobile phone. It is for this reason the to us. This means that we can customize it at to access information they are looking for in website comes with an in-built web app for any point to meet our requirements and at least three clicks. The design of the easier accessibility on phone. Once you load standards example live video streaming of website is inspired by the needs of students the website you will be prompted to install events. as the main users and consumers of the web app as an icon on your screen, this information we share. For students who will will ensure easier accessibility at any given The entire university community is have challenges accessing information on time. The uniqueness of this web app is the encouraged to take ownership of the website admission, the website has the capability to ability to send push notification to users who and continuously take part in content collect information based on your prompts or have installed the application. We will now development through the various avenues selection and create a personalized brochure be assured of our messages reaching our that this new site brings forth. through the request information button. target audience. MBA alumna newest bank CEO By Dan Muchai Ms. Rebecca Mbithi (pictured) has been her LL.B degree from the University of appointed Chief Executive Officer of Family ’s School of Law. She went on to be Bank Limited, subject to approval by The admitted to the bar as an Advocate of the . High Court of Kenya and a member of the Law Society of Kenya. Ms. Mbithi who is currently the Company Secretary and Director, Legal Services at Ms. Mbithi is a Certified Public Accountant , a position she has held for the and a member of the Institute of Certified last four years, where she has been Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK), a instrumental in strategy and business Certified Secretary and a Member of the development, capital and debt raising, risk Institute of Certified Secretaries. management, compliance and controls, as well as providing legal services and She previously worked at Kenya Tea strengthening Family Bank’s governance Development Agencies (KTDA) and Rift structures. Valley Railways, where her extensive work experience includes leadership at director She received her MBA in strategic level specializing in law, project finance, Family Bank Incoming CEO, Rebecca Mbithi management from the Chandaria School of corporate restructuring, equity/ debt raising Photo: Courtesy Business in 2012, prior to which she earned and governance. 2 UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 2 - 8 MARCH 2019 Alumnus pitches Konica Minolta challenge to students By Susan Muriuki

Alumnus Mr. Archith Rao from Express Automation a local partner of Konica Minolta here in Kenya, held a workshop for a group of students from School of Science and Technology on February 27, at the Freida Brown Student Center.

The purpose of the workshop was to introduce students from USIU-Africa to a nationwide university competition on reality augmentation. Augmented Reality is a type of technology where a computer generated image is overlaid on the real world’s environment, to produce an admixture view. This type of technology is useful in real life. Its applications range from medical training, designing and modelling, classroom teaching to mention but a few.

The competition is set to run from 1 - 17 Photo: Susan Muriuki Mr. Archith Rao from Express Automation speaks to students during a workshop April, 2019 to be followed by a prize giving day. This competition will give students the opportunity to come up with innovative representatives from academia, business engagement activities, which is a key ideas on how augmented reality can be world and Konica Minolta at the National undertaking of the Alumni Relations applied by submitting a 6000 word essay on Championship, during which winners will be Department. Such engagement provide the topic, and the augmented reality product announced. avenues for alumni to serve their University they have produced. These submissions will and reinforce their ties to their alma mater. be judged by a jury composed of The workshop is part of the alumni

School of Science and Technology organizes successful innovation and hackathon day Career Services office at Freida Brown Centre By Taigu Muchiri

The Computing Department in the School of Participants were presented with an Science and Technology hosted the annual opportunity to showcase their innovations, innovation and hackathon day from 1-2 expose talented developers to potential March. The event was held at the Auditorium employers and source for seed money for and was envisioned as a bridge between their innovations. Among the innovations talent and industry, while exposing brilliant showcased include resource management ideas, innovations and exceptional skills in systems, online booking system for office the Kenyan tech Industry. It attracted space and accommodation and recreational participants from Africa Nazarene University, app for students. Dedan Kimathi University, KCA University, Moringa School, Multimedia University, The event pooled student developers in , and St. Paul’s teams of four, who spent the two days University. working on innovative software and

3 Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Prof. Njeri Wamae outlines her vision for the school

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 2 - 8 MARCH 2019

hardware solutions to solve real-world challenge was gauging the students’ attempt that consists of different markets with problems, and in particular, problems to gain illegal entry into a system. The winner different products for sale. This app was to relating to Vision 2030 and the Big 4 Agenda. for the best innovation category was the give business people a wider variety to These projects include web development, seminar management system that was choose from when they visit their website, mobile applications, low-level hardware developed by USIU-Africa students Patel and purchase products that they can afford. (Arduinos, RaspberryPis etc.) and more. Bhavin and Ankit Chatbar. Other participants The second place was taken by Dedan in this category included a team from Dedan Kimathi University who developed I-Home, Such hackathons provide an avenue for Kimathi University showcasing online which will enable people find affordable and self-expression and creativity through booking for office space and Multimedia decent housing from their devices. Their technology. Students with different technical University showcasing a recreational app for target market was both for citizens and backgrounds come together, form teams students. non-citizens and would list both the home around a problem or idea, and sellers and owners. collaboratively form a unique solution from The category for developing apps for the Big scratch and present a working prototype. 4 Agenda attracted a total of twelve teams The third place was won by USIU-Africa who This event created an opportunity to market showcasing different innovations touching developed an application to resolve the and challenge ICT supported science and on food security, healthcare, housing and perennial challenges with Police housing. technology innovations for Africa’s manufacturing. The top three teams were This app would establish a better way of development. awarded prizes for their innovation. providing the National Police Service Commission with better housing for their The winner for the cyber security hackathon The team from Moringa School took the top employees. was won by USIU-Africa students. This prize and they developed a web application

Kisii University students taken on tour of library back offices

By Boniface Odhiambo

For the last three years, the Library and Information Center has hosted students pursuing a degree program in Library and Information Science Studies from . This year, the library once again hosted forty one Kisii University students on Thursday, February 21 for their annual tour. The group accompanied by two faculty members, toured different sections of the Library including Technical Services, Bindery and Archives sections; which were their main areas of interest.

During their tour of the technical section, they were taken through acquisition and cataloguing procedures, especially how the Library applies technology in acquisition and processing of information materials.

Photo: Dan Muchai At the bindery section, they were taken Kisii University tour the Library through book preservation methods, including a demonstration of the multi-million In archives section, the students learnt about digital repository, which now houses a large machines acquired by the University to drill, setting up an archives, archival materials collection of online journals, e-books and wire-stitch, emboss, a nipping press and the preservation, and collection management. online databases. guillotine. They were also taken through the institution’s

4 UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 2 - 8 MARCH 2019 Nation journalist delivers guest lecture on case study research By Diana Meso

In pursuit of a core university outcome to link Ms. Chege who is currently carrying out a to illustrate the issue (Collective/ Multiple academia to the industry- Benjamin Muite case study on Nation Media Group for her case study), or focus on a particular case (Lecturer of Journalism) invited Ms. Njoki PhD thesis, said that case studies are because the case in itself is unusual Chege, a journalist and a popular weekly suitable for researchers who are focusing on (Intrinsic case study). columnist with the Nation Media Group’s a particular situation to get detail Saturday Nation to lecture the JRN3024 descriptions and tease out new Although case study is suitable for getting Communication Research class on Case interpretations, perspectives, insights and in-depth information, it is difficult to Study as a Research Method on Tuesday, meanings to a phenomenon which could not generalize findings. However, the researcher March 5 in Classroom G. have been discovered by surveys or can only generalize the findings if multiple experiments. case study were used during the research. Case study research as defined by Creswell Ms. Chege concluded the lecture by J.W (2013) is a qualitative approach in which She further said that this method of research encouraging students to be thorough when the investigator explores a bounded system allows a researcher to “get closer to the carrying out research so that their data can (a case) or multiple bounded systems (cases) reality” to experience the real-life issues of be credible and reliable. over time, through detailed, in-depth data the matters at hand. Additionally, Ms. Chege collection involving multiple sources of went on to mention that case studies information (e.g., observations, interviews, research can either focus on an issue and audiovisual material, and documents and select one bounded case to illustrate the reports), and reports a case description and issue (single instrumental case study), or case-based themes. focus on an issue but select multiple cases Dr. Mwachofi delivers closing address on African emigration to Europe By Diana Meso

The month-long Black History celebrations were concluded at the closing ceremony where Dr. Ngure wa Mwachofi (Associate Professor of Psychology) delivered a key note speech on “Reasons for the “Illegal” Movement of African People Across the Mediterranean Sea into Europe: An Interdisciplinary Look at What Drives Humans into Such Risks” at the auditorium on Thursday, February 28.

According to Dr. Mwachofi, before the Europeans arrived in Africa, the continent was diverse with varying forms of civilizations, cultures and governments, had developed centers of commerce, religion, art, culture and education and related to, and traded with Europe as equals. However, Photo: Dan Muchai Dr. Ngure wa Mwachofi, Associate Professor of Psychology delivers his key note speech 5 UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 2 - 8 MARCH 2019

for a long period of time, Europe (and the West) according to him, have striven to erase these from Africans minds.

Through colonization, European leaders depicted Africa as a “poor-bad” place where leaders are corrupt leading to the Europeans introducing their own foreign templates to replace indigenous thoughts and eroding history by selectively interpreting different beliefs.

This then, drove Africans to abandon their motherland mainly through slavery to escape poverty, globally search for wealth, and to be “civilized” as they had been convinced by the Europeans. According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data, as of 2018, over 100,000 Africans migrated abroad with the most immigrants originating from Morocco, Photo: Dan Muchai Mali, Cote d’Ivoire, Tunisia, among others. Prof. Mulinge Munyae makes his contribution during the closing ceremony of the Black History Month

It further led to Africans adopting such the Belgium’s King Leopold III via the mayhems from internal discontent continue European-imposed colonial rules, partitioning, slavery, and colonialism, as well to face Africa even today. boundaries and structures of government as the continuation of similar treatment by previously used against them, which led to the “shadows” of such European leaders in Concluding his address, Dr. Mwachofi said further extinction of indigenous systems. In the name of dictators such as Mobutu Sese that there is need to restore lost faith in effect, most African leaders replaced the Seko of Zaire, Jean-Bédel Bokassa of leadership, to restore lost identity with colonialists and controlled their citizens in Central African Republic, Robert Mugabe of regards to self, recognizing the urgency of similar manner perpetuating similar gross Zimbabwe. alleviating poverty and understanding that inequalities. even traditional forms of technology can be Additionally, challenges like cultural used to make Africa great again. He Dr. Mwachofi said that the sorry state of imperialism, irrelevant educational systems, encouraged the participants to fight and not poverty in Africa today illustrates the international and domestic inequalities, a to be partakers in observing, participating never-ending consequences of the growing gap between rich and poor, and condoning inequality. conditions laid out by European leaders corruption in government and impending

Sport updates By Ernest A. Mwanzi

Basketball University 41 – 0 in a game played on March Hockey On March 2, 2019 during the Kenya 2 at USIU-Africa rugby pitch. The men’s team won 1 – 0 against KU on University Sports Association (KUSA), March 2 and on March 3 thrashed SPU 5 – 0 Nairobi University League USIU-Africa men’s Soccer then lost to Parklands with a final score of 2 – team slightly lost to Mt. Kenya University In soccer the ladies team lost by 3 goals to 0 3 at City Park. The ladies’ team won 3 – 0 Nairobi campus with the final score being 37 on March 2 at JKUAT while their male against MKU. The rest of the matches were – 40. The team pounced back the following counterparts beat by 2 – 1, played at JKUAT. day on March 3 and defeated Kenyatta but lost to St. Paul University (SPU) by 3 University (KU) 37 – 32 and Daystar goals to 0 on March 2. HandBall University 45 – 22. All games were played at The men’s team won 22 – 18 against Daystar Jomo of Science and VolleyBall but lost 16 – 43 to SPU. The matches were Technology (JKUAT) The ladies team lost by 2 sets to 3 against played on March 3 at JKUAT. Kenyatta University (KU) on March 2 and won Rugby by 3 sets to 1 against KCA. The team lost In rugby USIU-Africa thrashed Egerton again to KU by 3 sets to 1 on March 3.

Media Mentions By Diana Meso https://www.usiu.ac.ke/media-mentions/ 6 Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Prof. Njeri Wamae outlines her vision for the school Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Prof. Njeri Wamae outlines her vision for the school

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 2 - 8 MARCH 2019 Culture Week Pictorial Photos: Dan Muchai & Antonio Longangi

South Korea Ethiopia

United Arab Emirates

Rwanda

India

Kenya 7 Dean, School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Prof. Njeri Wamae outlines her vision for the school

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 2 - 8 MARCH 2019

Somalia Democratic Republic of Congo

Burundi Tanzania students give the USIU-Africa a taste of their culture

The team from Uganda won in the exhibitions category Tanzania won in the research category

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