A total of 1,517 students recently graduated during USIU-Africa’s 43rd Commencement Ceremony. This was the first physical graduation held at the University since the beginning of the pandemic.
The graduands included 1,135 Undergraduate, 351 Masters and 14 Doctoral students, with the first cohorts of students from the Film Production and Directing and Marriage and Family Therapy programs also graduating.
In remarks read on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary of Health, Hon. Mutahi Kagwe, Dr. Mercy Mwangangi, the CAS at the Ministry of Health said, “We are able to come together because various vaccine developers and regulatory experts have worked round the clock to ensure that we continue with our lives as they sacrifice to find a lasting solution to this pandemic. When the first COVID-19 case was reported here in Kenya, the Government took drastic containment measures in order to manage its spread.”
In her comments, the Interim Vice Chancellor, Prof. Freida Brown, noted that the University was consistently working to ensure that its students received a cutting-edge, international education.
“The higher education landscape is changing rapidly, and the University has remained adaptable, while remaining committed to its core mandate of academic teaching and learning to produce the next generation of leaders, and knowledge that will be impactful to society. Over the years, we have made several investments that have ensured that USIU-Africa has stayed ahead of the curve, including continued investment in our ICT infrastructure,” said Prof. Brown.
Over the past year, the University has made several improvements to its academic offering, including the introduction of five new programs. These are
- Bachelor of Science in Data Science and Analytics
- Bachelor of Science in Software Engineering
- PhD. in Information Systems and Technology
- Bachelor of Technology in Analytical Chemistry
- Bachelor of Science in Applied Biochemistry
The University has also obtained membership into Quality Matters (QM), an organization which helps academic institutions to deliver quality online learning through a collaborative and collegial process centered on continuous improvement. QM helps institutions achieve their quality assurance goals for online teaching and learning.
The Mastercard Foundation and Arizona State University recently signed an agreement with the University to boost its e-learning capacity-building alongside 21 other participating international universities. The initiative prioritizes eleven African institutions, Earth University in Costa Rica and American University of Beirut to address areas of instructional design and pedagogy as well as content development for online teaching and learning.