CEHD signs MOU with Kenya Ministry of Education

Members of a delegation from Kenya visited the Texas A&M University campus on Sept. 12-13 to explore partnerships, ultimately signing a memorandum of understanding with the College of Education and Human Development.

The delegation was led by Ambassador Simon Wanyonyi Nabukwesi, principal secretary of University Education and Research for Kenya’s Ministry of Education. Other members included:

• Dr. Tony Omwansa, CEO, Kenya National Innovation Agency
• Mr. Lukes Kundu Shiroya, deputy director, Quality Assurance and Standards and personal assistant to the Principal Secretary University Education and Research
• Prof. Geoffrey Muluvi, vice chancellor, South-Eastern University of Kenya and Chairman Committee of Vice Chancellors of Public Universities in Kenya.
• Mr. Charles M. Ringera, CPA, CEO, Higher Education Loans Board – Kenya
• Ms. Oyiro Rebecca Achieng’, Higher Education Loans Board – Kenya
• Dr. Jerono Rotich, president of Kenya Scholars Studies Association, professor and department head of Health and Kinesiology at North Carolina Central University

The delegation visited with leaders in the college, including:

• Dr. Fredrick M. Nafukho, senior associate dean for Faculty Affairs
• Dr. Beverly Irby, senior associate dean for Academic Affairs, representing Dean Michael de Miranda
• Dr. John Singer, associate dean for Diversity and Inclusion
• Dr. Jeff Liew, associate dean for Research
• Dr. Adam Barry, department head for Health and Kinesiology
• Dr. Marlene Dixon, division chair of the Sport Management program
• Dr. Glenda Musoba, chair of the Higher Education program

The leaders discussed future research collaboration and partnerships and signed a memorandum of understanding between CEHD and the Kenyan Ministry of Education.

The MOU was signed by de Miranda, Irby, Nabukwesi, Muluvi and Dr. Patrick Louchouarn, Texas A&M’s vice provost for Faculty Affairs and Interdisciplinary Initiatives.

“The grand challenges we face as humanity require that we collaborate and build meaningful partnerships as avenues for strengthening scholarship and furthering academic excellence in the U.S. and in middle income countries such as Kenya, hence the significance of the Ministry of Education officials’ visit to TAMU,” Nafukho said.

The delegation also met with current Texas A&M students from Kenya including two from the college, educational psychology doctoral student Juliet Nyanamba and sport management doctoral student Emmaculate Owiro. Owiro was key in Texas A&M’s involvement in a girls basketball and mentoring program that Dixon led in Nairobi, Kenya.

Irby said the delegation’s visit also resulted in potential faculty and student exchange opportunities.

“The college will explore the implementation of some of its faculty members’ research-based virtual mentoring and coaching and virtual professional development programs using the internet and mobile phones for Kenya’s educators,” Irby said.

The delegation toured Texas A&M’s facilities, including the cutting-edge Innovative Learning Classroom Building, featuring three “learning in the round” immersive classrooms with 360-degree panoramic displays.

The delegation touring the Innovative Learning Classroom Building on campus.

Prior to the delegation’s departure, Nabukwesi invited the college’s faculty team, led by Nafukho, to Kenya in December to attend Kenya Innovation Week, an innovation forum that champions relevant policy engagements on innovations within institutions while promoting practical skills necessary to create innovations that impact people.

“Ultimately, CEHD hopes to establish a mutual partnership, as noted in the MOU, to strengthen academic excellence in the U.S. and in Kenya,” de Miranda said.