The United States International University-Africa (USIU-Africa) on Saturday made history with the graduation of its first cohort of students who pursued their Masters of Business Administration (MBA) exclusively online. The class of 12 graduands was part of more than 1,339 graduates who received degrees in various undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate disciplines at the university’s 44th graduation ceremony.
See >> Eliud Kipchoge Smashes His Own Marathon World Record
The ceremony was presided over by outgoing Vice Chancellor Prof Freida Brown and newly appointed Vice Chancellor Prof Margee Ensign, where the university leadership confirmed plans to enhance its e-learning programs to meet growing market demand.
The Principal Secretary of University Educatìon and Research, Mr Evans Atambo, who graced the ceremony, lauded USIU-Africa for taking the lead in developing e-learning solutions to complement traditional higher educatìon delivery options. “The graduation of this first cohort of postgraduate students who have undertaken their studies online from start to finish is encouraging and provides good proof that the delivery of quality e-learning at the higher educatìon level is possible in Kenya,” Mr Atambo said.
USIU-Africa received regulatory approval to deliver the fully online MBA program from the Commission for University Educatìon (CUE) in 2020. The program is designed for online delivery and virtual examination within five semesters (approximately 18 months). It is powered by a range of learning resources, including e-books, e-journals and other e-resources.
Speaking at the commencement (graduation) ceremony, Prof. Freida Brown said that this class also featured the first cohort of Bachelor of Arts in Animation and the Bachelor of Science in Epidemiology and Biostatistics.
“Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2022. You are the future global leaders in Kenya, across the entire continent, and beyond. We are so proud of you and look forward to seeing the impact that you will create in your life journey,” said Prof. Ensign, who brings a distinguished scholarly and administrative reputation from the United States and Africa.
In its recently launched 2021-2026 Strategic Plan, the university outlined plans to strengthen its enrolment rate by more than 32% while diversifying the range of market-driven courses. It also seeks to secure and intensify the university’s revenue mobilization efforts to finance its academic delivery programs.
USIU also aims to transition 85% of its students into the labour market. As part of its strategic plan, the institution will triple external research funding and productivity by 2026.
Next >> African Investors Eye Kenya Under William Ruto Regime
