Many people ask, “When are you starting the University?” Good question indeed! My answer is simple. We have successfully submitted the Letter of Intent to found a University. We have land as required by the Commission for University of Education (CUE). We have many Jesuits trained and available to be missioned as lecturers and administrators. We have several Committees with relevant expertise guiding the process. We have many partners and collaborators who have shown tremendous interest in supporting the course. We have goodwill all around.
Yet, there is also the reality check. We need to put up structures. Besides, the process itself calls for patience. Setting up a university is a massive undertaking that sucks both human and material resources. However, the cry of millions of students who cannot join university either because they did not directly qualify or they don’t think university education will improve their lives is even a more massive undertaking. Stats from across the region of Eastern Africa (Ethiopia, Uganda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Kenya) in which Jesuits of the Africae Orientalis (AOR) work in clearly show that setting up a university with a difference in ethics, offering practical programs and well equipped laboratories will make a difference that many students and parents are after.
The Proposed Hekima University will offer four programs: Data Science, Engineering, Education Science and Business Studies. The rapid changes in technology advancement have directly impacted in the way these programs are conceptualized, structured and taught. The outcome is that graduates have to quickly adjust to new ways of rendering laboratory experiments, setting up internships and supporting employers advance their work without reskilling new workforce. For graduates who opt to teach sciences in high schools their way of imparting knowledge to students will be demonstrated in the way they adopt to new education technology that makes it easier to teach the sciences.
With all these opportunities on our way, we looking forward to establishing the University at the earliest opportune possible. Your support at any level (prayers, technical expertise, volunteering time, resources or in any other way) will help us move steadily towards realizing this dream that Jesuits have had for the last 25 years.
Dr Elias Mokua, SJ
Executive Director