Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI) has admitted the seventh cohort of 115 students at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT).

The students drawn from 35 African countries will pursue masters (77) and doctorate programmes (38) in mathematics, molecular biology and biotechnology, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering. They were selected from a pool of candidates, who applied for the PAU 2019/2020 scholarships mid last year.

 Addressing the students, Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Victoria Wambui Ngumi said the students had earned themselves a chance to play an active role in the actualization of the continent’s development blueprint – Africa Agenda 2063.

She further challenged them to use their synergy, energy and creativity and engage in cutting edge research whose results could be leveraged for economic development.

On his part, PAUSTI Director, Prof. Gabriel Magoma urged the students to emulate their predecessors by demonstrating high academic standards as a way of reciprocating the positive gesture the continent had bestowed on them.

PAUSTI admitted its 55 pioneer students in November 2012 and has so far graduated over 550 students and was the first Institute of PAU to graduate masters students in November 2014, a feat it repeated in 2017, with the graduation of the first batch of doctorate students.

The Pan African University (PAU), an initiative of the African Union aims to harness higher education, scientific and technological research to drive the continent’s economic development, social integration and global competitiveness through a network of institutes hosted by excellent universities in the five regions of the continent.

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Article by Jedidah Mwangi

http://www.jkuat.ac.ke/7th-cohort-of-pausti-students-dock-at-jkuat/