A Worldclass University is all Konza Technocity Needs: The rest will follow
Dear Listers and Pundits, Hear is my long overdue article on what expedited establishment of a University focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship at Konza Technocity would mean. http://www.gmeltdown.com/2015/04/a-worldclass-university-is-all-konza.html Am advised that there's similar thinking already at KoTDA. What do pundits here think? Best regards -- John Kieti Phone: +254-735-764242 // +254-722-764242 Twitter: @johnKieti // Skype: jkieti Blog: gmeltdown.com <http://www.gmeltdown.com> // LinkedIn: https://ke.linkedin.com/in/*kieti* <https://ke.linkedin.com/in/kieti> The ordinary just won't do
John, You may be easily accused of being academic. Careful examination of your statement "For instance we have seen thriving new University towns in Kenya. From Egerton, to Maseno, to Daystar and other universities, we see independently thriving ecosystems." shows that you are trying to select cases that fit your imaginations. The best example of a Kenyan university that fits Konza is Moi University - not Egerton, Maseno or Daystar. Moi started as a government sponsored science and technology university but quickly degenerated into something else. You can confirm with the report of the second university in Kenya. Moi University's location with respect to Eldoret is similar to Konza's with respect to Nairobi. It is 35 kms from Eldoret. Moi's impact the local town - Kesses - is well know. After 30 years of existence, Kesses is not a leading innovation centre. Neither has any leading international company found it appropriate to set base at Kesses. But the best of the Kenyan KCSE graduates still go to Moi University and the best of the Kenyan lecturers teach at Moi. Why are the leading innovation companies not going to Kesses? Must you hand over the institution to them so that they come? Most leading universities have very restrictive policies on setting up constituent colleges and more so in foreign countries.If you reflect on these questions deeply, then you will see that the focus should not be on setting up a university campus. It should be to set up an ICT city modeled along the lines of the Multimedia Super corridor in Malaysia or other inovation centres elsewhere. Institutions (schools, universities, hospitals, etc) will follow when you get the city concept right.RegardsProf. James Kulubi On Thursday, 23 April 2015, 21:06, John Kieti via kictanet <kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote: Dear Listers and Pundits, Hear is my long overdue article on what expedited establishment of a University focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship at Konza Technocity would mean. http://www.gmeltdown.com/2015/04/a-worldclass-university-is-all-konza.html Am advised that there's similar thinking already at KoTDA. What do pundits here think? Best regards -- John Kieti Phone: +254-735-764242 // +254-722-764242 Twitter: @johnKieti // Skype: jkieti Blog: gmeltdown.com // LinkedIn: https://ke.linkedin.com/in/kieti The ordinary just won't do _______________________________________________ kictanet mailing list kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/listinfo/kictanet Unsubscribe or change your options at https://lists.kictanet.or.ke/mailman/options/kictanet/jkulubi%40yahoo.co.uk The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development. KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
Hi Prof. Kulubi, That Moi University would be the best parallel to the proposed first university in Konza is not convincing. This is more so as regards the aspects (i) a world class university (ii) focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship. Your point about inflexibility and inherent bureaucracy of the world's top universities is well noted. Your point about following the MSC Malaysia model is noted. I stand corrected but I would think the MSC Malaysia model is a lot more about a special economic zone with tax breaks which is OK but does not directly address our specific dream of home grown scalable IT enterprises tapping into home grown world-class talent. That said this is a good discourse that may not have absolutes. ps. is being academic a bad thing? best On Thu, Apr 23, 2015 at 10:12 PM, James Kulubi <jkulubi@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
John, You may be easily accused of being academic. Careful examination of your statement "For instance we have seen thriving new University towns in Kenya. From Egerton, to Maseno, to Daystar and other universities, we see independently thriving ecosystems." shows that you are trying to select cases that fit your imaginations. The best example of a Kenyan university that fits Konza is Moi University - not Egerton, Maseno or Daystar. Moi started as a government sponsored science and technology university but quickly degenerated into something else. You can confirm with the report of the second university in Kenya. Moi University's location with respect to Eldoret is similar to Konza's with respect to Nairobi. It is 35 kms from Eldoret. Moi's impact the local town - Kesses - is well know. After 30 years of existence, Kesses is not a leading innovation centre. Neither has any leading international company found it appropriate to set base at Kesses. But the best of the Kenyan KCSE graduates still go to Moi University and the best of the Kenyan lecturers teach at Moi. Why are the leading innovation companies not going to Kesses? Must you hand over the institution to them so that they come? Most leading universities have very restrictive policies on setting up constituent colleges and more so in foreign countries. If you reflect on these questions deeply, then you will see that the focus should not be on setting up a university campus. It should be to set up an ICT city modeled along the lines of the Multimedia Super corridor in Malaysia or other inovation centres elsewhere. Institutions (schools, universities, hospitals, etc) will follow when you get the city concept right. Regards Prof. James Kulubi
On Thursday, 23 April 2015, 21:06, John Kieti via kictanet < kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke> wrote:
Dear Listers and Pundits,
Hear is my long overdue article on what expedited establishment of a University focusing on innovation and entrepreneurship at Konza Technocity would mean.
http://www.gmeltdown.com/2015/04/a-worldclass-university-is-all-konza.html
Am advised that there's similar thinking already at KoTDA. What do pundits here think?
Best regards
--
John Kieti Phone: +254-735-764242 // +254-722-764242 Twitter: @johnKieti // Skype: jkieti Blog: gmeltdown.com <http://www.gmeltdown.com/> // LinkedIn: https://ke.linkedin.com/in/*kieti* <https://ke.linkedin.com/in/kieti>
The ordinary just won't do
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The Kenya ICT Action Network (KICTANet) is a multi-stakeholder platform for people and institutions interested and involved in ICT policy and regulation. The network aims to act as a catalyst for reform in the ICT sector in support of the national aim of ICT enabled growth and development.
KICTANetiquette : Adhere to the same standards of acceptable behaviors online that you follow in real life: respect people's times and bandwidth, share knowledge, don't flame or abuse or personalize, respect privacy, do not spam, do not market your wares or qualifications.
-- John Kieti Phone: +254-735-764242 // +254-722-764242 Twitter: @johnKieti // Skype: jkieti Blog: gmeltdown.com <http://www.gmeltdown.com> // LinkedIn: https://ke.linkedin.com/in/*kieti* <https://ke.linkedin.com/in/kieti> The ordinary just won't do
participants (2)
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James Kulubi -
John Kieti