Israeli Ambassador to Kenya, Mr. Michael Lotem visited Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, Tuesday, April 26, 2020, in a bid to enhance the existing collaboration the Israeli Government has with the University.
Amb. Lotem and his delegation were keen to extend their Agri-training collaboration with JKUAT and delve into the areas of agriculture, ICT, health and natural resources.
“As a country, our focus has always been on knowledge transfer and development. I would like to engage with JKUAT and link the University with Israeli research and academic institutions and companies. It is my hope that such engagements will catalyse joint multi-disciplinary research collaborations that respond to the needs of Kenyans,” said Amb. Lotem.
The Israeli Embassy in Kenya has had fruitful collaboration with the Colleges of; Agriculture and Natural Resources and Engineering and Technology through the 11-month Israel Internship Programme.
Since its inception in 2014, JKUAT has managed to send a total of 183 students to Israel to attend the 11 month- Arava International Center for Agriculture Training (AICAT) programme where they have acquired hands-on skills through placement in various farms in the agricultural production systems.
The ambassador was pleasantly impressed when the University, through the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi, reported that some of the students who had come back from the 11-month apprenticeship programme had started their own ventures while others had opted to pursue post-graduate studies in Israel.
Prof. Ngumi thanked the Israeli Government through the Ambassador and welcomed the possibility of further collaboration with Israel saying, “Our strength as a University lies in the multi-faceted human resource capacity that is synergistic in nature and can provide useful contribution in the areas you seek collaboration.”
Assuring the Ambassador of JKUAT’s cooperation, especially in knowledge and technology transfer, Prof. Ngumi informed him that the faculty was eager and excited for the collaboration.
“JKUAT has been at the forefront in fostering a culture of research and innovation among faculty and students. It is my hope that we will be able to tap into your knowledge and expertise and that this collaboration will be beneficial in equipping our skills laboratory and offer fellowship and exchange programmes for our faculty and students,” opined Prof. Ngumi.
The ambassador who visited a number of JKUAT facilities, held discussions with the University Management led by Prof. Ngumi, faculty members from the Colleges of; Health Sciences; Agriculture and Natural Sciences; Pure and Applied Sciences and staff members of the JKUAT Industrial Park.
He was accompanied by the Deputy Ambassador to Kenya, Ms. Dvora Dorsman and Hatzor Eitav, a representative of Mashav, an Agency for International Development Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel.
Source: Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology