Graduation in Kenya

Principal Sir Alan Langlands travelled to Nairobi just before Christmas to confer fourteen Masters degrees on students who had been studying through distance learning with the centre for medical education.

Sir Alan was joined by Professor Sam Ongeri, Kenya's Minister for Public Health at the first graduation ceremony of a Scottish University in Kenya. The University of Dundee graduations were part of a massive ceremony which saw 4,000 students being conferred with degrees and diplomas in front of a crowd of 22,000 people.

The fourteen students, all teachers in the nursing faculty at the Kenya Medical Training College studied for their Masters degree in medical education designed to equip its graduates with knowledge and skills to design and deliver the nursing curriculum.

KMTC has 23 colleges around the country and 6,000 students. More than 90% of the health workers in Kenya are trained by the KMTC. The fourteen graduates had previously gained diplomas from KMTC and have now achieved the required level to be awarded a Masters of Education from the University of Dundee through the distance learning programme.

The University of Dundee's links with Kenya were established ten years ago when a teacher from KMTC came to Dundee to study full time at the Centre for Medical Education. Paul Tuukuo, Principal of KMTC explains: "It costs a lot to send someone from Kenya to Dundee for full-time education. With about 120 KMTC teachers wishing to study the University of Dundee's Masters programme we decided that distance learning was a good option. Academics from the University of Dundee come to Nairobi to supervise on-site workshops which give the students practical experience and enhance their distance learning experience."

Paul Tuukuo, leading by example, graduated at the ceremony himself. His dissertation was on the issues surrounding the upgrading of KMTC to a degree awarding institution - a status he hopes KMTC will achieve within the next two years.

Principal Sir Alan Langlands said: "The graduation ceremony in Kenya marks a significant step forward in international collaboration in education. The links between the University of Dundee and KMTC show that students anywhere in the world can benefit from the excellent teaching and research carried out at the University of Dundee. I was delighted to visit KMTC to confer Masters degrees on our first Kenyan graduates."

Dr Alistair Stewart, educational consultant at the University of Dundee: "Considering the large number of KMTC students working in the Kenyan health care system, the University of Dundee is making a significant contribution to improving health in Kenya by delivering skills in teaching and assessment to the nursing educators. Future graduates from KMTC will be better equipped to provide health care in the communities they serve."

A second group of Kenyan Masters students started studying with the centre earlier this year and some 40 teachers from KMTC's nursing faculty are currently enrolled in the undergraduate Bachelor of nursing programme. A lecturer from KMTC is visiting the University this month to train as a local facilitator for students in Kenya studying with the Dundee centre.

Habitat for Humanity
A group of architecture students are planning to trace the Principal's tracks to Kenya this summer to help build homes for families in need. The dozen students are taking part in the international habitat for humanity project which works in partnership with volunteers and poor families to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness all over the world.

Justin Kinsella, Steve Ball, Gareth McMahon, Paul Moffat, Pete Wilson, John Kelly, Sam Foster, Jenny Millar, Colin Hull, Stephen Miskelly, David Taylor and Fiona Mullan will travel to Kisii, a small town in western Kenya about 50km from Lake Victoria. This will be their base for eight weeks where they will work as manual labourers. Each two-room house is constructed of clay-fired bricks, has a corrugated tin roof and takes about a week to build. For just £7 per day each team member will be provided with water, accommodation on the local church or school floor and food prepared by the people in the village.

The total cost for each person including the building costs is £1700. The team has started its fundraising and can be contacted at kenya@architecture.dundee.ac.uk

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