Varsities resolve to supplement State funding

Vice Chancellors and principals from public universities and constituent colleges have resolved to champion resource mobilisation efforts to supplement the Exchequer provision.

The Vice Chancellors said they would champion for resources through co-ordination of critical stakeholders in and outside the universities.

This was agreed upon during the Vice Chancellors and principals for public universities and constituent colleges during the 2024 leadership training workshop.

They resolved to prioritise, scale up, and commercialise sustainable relevant technologies and outputs.

“The meeting concluded that the government and partners will optimally fund Public Universities to play their critical role in national development and the global good, through teaching, research, innovation and community engagement,” they said in a joint communiqué signed by all participants drawn from 42 public universities.

They also agreed to identify areas of comparative advantage and prioritise investment in them to develop the niche for which they will be known as centres of excellence.

During the workshop, Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu urged public universities and other institutions of higher learning to come up with innovations that can help them remain afloat due to dwindling funding.

He said the government will not change its new higher education funding model for universities anytime soon, adding that the new approach has addressed challenges that universities and TVET institutions have been grappling with. “Some of you are yet to move out of your comfort zones to become part of the solution to the problems that afflict our universities,” said the CS.

The Vice Chancellors also resolved to work towards internationalisation of higher education in their institutions incorporating collaborative research, student and faculty exchange, curricula internationalisation, innovation and entrepreneurship.