Savannah Cement has expanded its Academic support ventures scope, following the signing of a collaborative pact with Karatina University.
The two institutions will collaborate in areas of mutual interest including academic research and student placements within the Savannah Cement network. The firm already holds a similar agreement with Kenyatta University.
Speaking at the MoU signing ceremony at the University’s main campus in Kagochi, near Karatina town, Nyeri County, Savannah Cement Managing Director Mr Ronald Ndegwa said the firm would continue pursuing and forging such partnerships as part of its corporate values.
The signing of the collaborative agreement, he said, is geared at enhancing the quality of students joining the labour market by providing practical skills development opportunities at Savannah Cement.
Flanked by Karatina University Vice Chancellor, Prof Mucai Muchiri, the Savannah Cement MD acknowledged the crucial role that local corporates and academic institutions can jointly play to accelerate national development.
“At Savannah Cement, we have allocated a significant budget to support our human resource development programmes including such partnerships with local academic institutions,” Ndegwa said, adding that, “Such partnerships are part of our commitment to explore shared prosperity opportunities in the society.”
On his part, Karatina University Vice Chancellor Prof Muchiri said the partnership with Savannah Cement will play a key role in helping the university achieve its institutional objectives.
The university he said, endeavours to build strong partnerships with like-minded institutions such as Savannah Cement, through resource mobilization, research activities and knowledge transfer.
As part of the collaboration, the two institutions will jointly explore opportunities in building and construction focusing on market research, informatics and business management industrial placements.
“the Commission of University Education requires that all graduates must undertake industrial attachments to enhance their practical skills. In this regard Savannah Cement will support and promote our student work induction, attachment and internships to enhance the quality of Karatina University graduates,” Prof Muchiri said.
Karatina University, Prof Muchiri said is currently focusing on a research and innovation agenda. “As a university, we intend to increase the quantity, quality and relevance of our research agenda with the view to creating innovations and inventions that will transform the country into a knowledge-based economy,” he said.
Established in 2007 as Mount Kenya Campus of Moi University and once a tea training institute,
Karatina University has five Academic Schools; Agriculture & Biotechnology; Business; Education & Social Sciences; Natural Resources & Environmental Studies; Pure & Applied Sciences.
To ensure quality learning, the University recently completed the construction of 18 spacious classrooms to meet the high number of students that have joined the university this year.
The construction of an ultra-modern resource centre and a 750-bed capacity students’ hostel complex are some of the major infrastructural development projects currently ongoing with plans to break ground for the construction of a modern library, now at an advanced stage.
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