Kirinyaga University has challenged newly admitted students to go beyond academic excellence and use their knowledge and skills to develop innovative solutions to societal challenges.
University Vice Chancellor Prof. Mary Ndung’u said innovation would remain central to the institution’s efforts to prepare students for a rapidly changing economy, urging the new cohort to become solution providers and job creators.
Prof. Ndung’u spoke during the university’s matriculation ceremony in Kerugoya, where she formally welcomed the new students into the Kirinyaga University community. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academic, Research and Student Affairs Prof. Charles Omwandho, members of the Senate, deans and faculty members.
She said the university had established an innovation ecosystem linking teaching and learning with industry while transforming research into enterprises.
Prof. Ndung’u said students would be supported through the university’s Innovation and Incubation Hub to develop their ideas, create enterprises and contribute to employment creation.
“Kirinyaga University is built on an innovation ecosystem where teaching is linked to industry, research is translated into enterprise, and students are nurtured to create jobs, not just seek them,” she said.
The VC urged the freshers to embrace research, entrepreneurship and ethical leadership from the beginning of their academic journey while maintaining discipline, integrity and curiosity.
She said the university was committed to technology-driven and competency-based training aligned with the country’s development priorities, including Vision 2030 and the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
To meet the demands of the modern economy, the institution is expanding its innovation infrastructure, modern laboratories and digital learning resources to enhance the quality of training and provide students with an environment conducive to creativity and research.
As part of continuous learning, the university will strengthen support for student innovations through mentorship, patenting and commercialization, enabling promising ideas to move beyond the classroom and into the market.
Prof. Ndung’u further encouraged the new students to take advantage of opportunities available at the institution and develop skills that would enable them to compete effectively in the world of work and entrepreneurship.
She urged the students to uphold the university’s values while using their time at the institution to acquire knowledge, develop practical skills and pursue innovative solutions to real-world problems.
By Mutai Kipng’etich
