The 18th JKUAT Scientific, Technological and Industrialization Conference was held on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 March 2024 in the hybrid form – at the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology and online. The UPSCALE team made up of Maseno University, KALRO FARMING and JKUAT participated in the seven breakout sessions based on conference sub-themes.
The conference was organized in the plenary session each morning where two keynote speakers gave a lecture on thematic areas of concern to society. This was followed by breakout sessions based on the seven (7) conference sub-themes where participants interrogated the presentations and shared ideas. There were also both physical and virtual exhibitions by industry and innovators running throughout the conference period.
“In this era of rapid change and global challenges, it is essential for academia and the private sector to forge strong partnerships. Universities serve as crucibles of innovation, generating groundbreaking ideas and nurturing minds that will drive progress,” said the Chief Executive Officer of Kenya Climate Innovation Center (KCIC), Mr Joseph Marabula. He further said, that research outputs should reach their full potential and make a tangible impact.
Through the sub-themes, the conference gathered over 300 participants and provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas and explore innovative approaches to sustainable development in Kenya and Africa. Participants were involved in the discussions about agriculture, food security, basic and applied sciences, engineering, ICT, governance and policy, medicine, energy and climate change, to achieve sustainable development.
JKUAT Chair of Council, Dr Micah Onsando, urged researchers to use their innovations to blossom into products capable of fostering employment opportunities, igniting industrialisation and catalyzing widespread commercialization, hence impacting the economy.
“The papers have the potential to bolster Kenya’s pursuit of various government objectives, including advancements in agriculture, food security, affordable housing, healthcare accessibility, and manufacturing,” said Prof. Ngumi in a speech read by the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Affairs, Prof. Robert Kinyua.
Highlighting the importance of hosting the conference annually, Prof. Jackson Kwanza, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Research, Production, and Extension, underscored that a distinguished university is characterized by the excellence of its academic and training programs, research endeavours, and its ability to disseminate innovations and technologies, thus fostering economic advancement. The scientific conference also featured keynote presentations from notable figures including Mr Aggrey Mulumbi, Managing Director and Principal Officer of KCB, Prof. Lotta-Riina Sundberg from the University of Jyvaskyla, Prof. Domnic Byarugaba, Executive Director of AICAD, and Mr Eric Muthuuri, Director at MasterCard.
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