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In the next five years, Prof Patrick Verkooijen will be at the helm of the University of Nairobi, having been appointed as the sixth Chancellor.

“I am humbled and I do feel the weight of taking up this position. It is upon us to rewrite your stories, you came here for education and we are committed to giving you the best,” the chancellor stated.

And added: “We want to become and we will become the number one university on the continent… and that is why you need a chancellor who is connected to and fro the global north because a lot of the funding which is required has to come from somewhere else, and that somewhere else is some of the world I represent.”

He says he was picked by the UoN Senate and confirmed by President William Ruto because of his results adding that in the last two years, he has been active in mobilising financial resources from the global north to Africa on climate adaptation.

“Why was I appointed as chancellor? …it is being the transmission line between the great assets of the university – the best university in the country – the faculty, the staff, technology, innovation and the world of finance. Bring UoN to the world and at the same time bring the world to the university. I am determined to make things happen,” he said in a televised interview.

He states that there is no way this country can grow without the higher education system being effective and productive.

Ruto appointed the Dutch environmentalist, who succeeded the incumbent, Dr Vijoo Rattansi after serving for 10 years.

“I am thrilled that Prof Verkooijen will be leading the nation’s premier educational institution. He brings unrivalled experience in key areas and leadership in confronting critical issues that define the most important challenges for states, societies, economies and institutions of our time,” said Ruto when he announced the appointment.

The President was optimistic that Verkoojien will be invaluable in the task ahead saying that the human capital is the country’s greatest resource.

“This generation of young people deserves the opportunity to realise its dreams, and education is a cornerstone of the resilient future that we all aspire to, and are actively building. Prof Verkooijen has a proven track record in many domains…We know where our destination lies and I have confidence that he will be a steadfast navigator in our journey into the future we want,” added Ruto.

The chancellor described UoN as an academic powerhouse. “I am inspired not only by the university’s commitment to excellence but also by the passion of its staff and community for tackling the continent’s most pressing issues and challenges. The University of Nairobi is and will be, during my watch, the pre-eminent incubator for African talent,” the chancellor said.

The UoN Vice-Chancellor, Prof Stephen Kiama received the chancellor and lauded him for accepting the role.

“I want to thank Prof Verkooijen for accepting to serve as the Chancellor of the University of Nairobi. The University is privileged to have a person of his stature as the head of the institution. I look forward to working with him to make the University of Nairobi globally competitive to meet the demands of the new age,” Kiama stated.

The UoN officially received the chancellor last Monday, after which he was taken to a four-day tour of all the ten faculties in various campuses.

Create balance

He also met with members of staff, students and their leaders

These included Lower Kabete Faculty of Business and Management Science, Upper Kabete in the faculties of Veterinary Medicine and Agriculture as well as the pilot plant under department of Food and Nutrition and Technology, Kikuyu in the faculty of Education, Chiromo’s faculty of science and technology and also Parklands law campus.

At the main campus, he toured faculties of Arts and Social Sciences, Engineering as well as Architecture, drawing and designs.

During his visit of the campuses, the chancellor called for the need to create a balance in pursuing knowledge with commercialisation of innovations to ensure that the benefits of innovation reach society without compromising academic integrity.

Verkooijen committed to focus on three critical pillars namely innovation, partnerships and resource mobilization as well as supporting the university’s leadership in its strategies.