There are renewed hopes for the actualization of Kenya’s Konza City after the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology completed the construction of the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST), at Kenya’s Konza Innovation City, situated about 60 kilometers southeast of the capital Nairobi.
The Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST) started 10 years ago under Kenya’s national medium- to long-term plan, ‘Kenya Vision 2030’ to implement the know-how of scientific and technological education modeled on the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and its completion is giving hopes of the realization of Kenya’s Konza City.
According to Lee Kwang-hyung, president of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, “The Kenya Institute of Science and Technology will be a representative case of KAIST’s creative education and challenging research model spreading across the globe,” and added, “This will go beyond simple education export; KAIST will be a strong partner in the journey to help Kenyan youth prepare for the future through the Kenya Institute of Science and Technology.”
The Kenya Institute of Science and Technology is an aid project from the Korean government, over 20 faculty members from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology participated as advisory professors in the project. As the first phase of educational design, construction bidding, construction, and supervision is complete, the second phase will follow with preparations for operation, including faculty training, administrative education, and laboratory equipment enhancement.
Kenya Institute of Science and Technology will initially have six established departments which include the mechanical and nuclear engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, ICT engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, and agricultural biotechnology.