By H, KNA
Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and Microsoft have renewed their existing partnership so as to deepen cooperation on research and training of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.
The development was announced following a courtesy visit by the Director of Microsoft Research Africa Dr Jacki O’Neill to the JKUAT Deputy Vice Chancellor Administration and Finance Professor Bernard Ikua on Tuesday.
Speaking during the meeting Dr O’Neill stated that the partnership between the two organisations provides a rich ecosystem for combining ideas and resources to develop technologies that can drive development in both Kenya and Africa.
“We at Microsoft are open to supporting postgraduate education, especially at the PhD level. We believe we can help students leverage the power of artificial intelligence and its application in Africa. We also believe that the adoption of AI will improve Africa and the rest of the world in all aspects,” she explained.
Dr O’Neill was accompanied by Prof Melissa Densmore from the Department of Computer Science at the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa.
On his part, Professor Ikua praised the strong partnership between JKUAT and Microsoft. He noted that it had yielded remarkable successes, including enabling the university to update its Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Technology curriculum with the revised curriculum now including cutting-edge concepts like applied machine learning, virtual reality, quantum computing, and user experience design.
“The partnership has allowed us to integrate industry standard tools with practical skills development which has enabled us to empower our students to ensure that they are not just locally empowered but are globally competitive in order to meet the needs of the tech industry we have that is rapidly evolving,” he stated.
He also noted that Microsoft had helped build the capacity of the staff, enabling them to integrate AI into their teaching and inspire students for future job markets.
“By combining JKUAT’s academic expertise with Microsoft Research Africa’s cutting-edge resources, we can pioneer innovative solutions in AI, data science, and digital technologies tailored to Africa’s challenges,” concluded Prof Ikua.