Welcoming Remarks by The Vice-Chancellor During the Joint Orientation Programme for RUFORUM Cohort V Students

Vice-Chancellor Gulu University

Deputy Vice Chancellors,

University Management Board Members,

Members of the University Senate,

Members of Staff present,

Our esteemed students from Gulu University and Egerton University

Ladies and Gentlemen.

On behalf of the Chancellor, University Council, Management Board, Senate, members of staff and students, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and welcome the fifth cohort to Egerton University. Let’s give them a round of applause for this achievement.

Egerton University, Kenya, in partnership with the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) and Gulu University in Uganda, through the support from MasterCard Foundation are implementing a Program titled “Transforming African Agricultural Universities to meaningfully contribute to Africa’s Growth and Development (TAGDev)”.

The eight-year (2016-2024) program provides scholarships to students from across Africa, focusing on training competent and highly skilled African youth, developing the capacity of African universities to train and nurture graduates with relevant skills effectively. The TAGDev Programhasto date offered full scholarships to 122 students (55 undergraduates and 67 postgraduates) at Egerton University.

I want to thank RUFORUM, Mastercard Foundation and the TAGDev Program for doing an excellent job administering the scholarship program. We greatly appreciate the dedication and hard work you have shown in advancing agricultural education in Africa. Scholarships enable us to compete for the best and brightest students and provide critical financial support to students who otherwise would not afford a university education.

To the 26 Gulu University and 27 Egerton University students, continue with your hard work and dedication. Winning the highly competitive scholarship was no mean feat.

The program has also offered partial support to 59 students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels within the university. Students are drawn from Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Nigeria, Benin, Lesotho, Rwanda, Cameroon, Liberia and Zimbabwe.

TAGDev program aims at transforming students into innovative leaders who will catalyze Africa’s growth and development. The program also aims at facilitating students’ transitions to livelihoods with a special focus on careerfairs, internships and entrepreneurship.

By the end of the joint orientation programme, I hope that you will have gained skills and abilities that will be inculcated to you by the facilitators. The facilitators will train you on leadership, personal mastery, time management, financial literacy and management, entrepreneurial mindset, discovering inherent talents and abilities and positive thinking for personal development.

Through the orientation programme, you will also be exposed to critical thinking as you start your academic journey. Sub Saharan Africa needs you to be innovative in providing solutions to the challenges facing the agricultural sector.

There is this popular cliché that says, “youths are the leaders of tomorrow,” I want to say that that is not the case. The fact that you were accepted to the TAGDev program proves that you are already leaders in one way or another.

As I conclude, I look forward to interacting with you as you undertake your studies. I am confident that you will achieve a 100% completion rate and make it to the graduation list when the time comes. I wish to acknowledge the TAGDev Program Coordinator, Professor Nancy Mungai, the Secretariat and the TAGDev Coordinating Committee for the outstanding work that you are doing.

Thank you, and God bless you.