Machakos University Staff Participate in YEMAYA Erasmus+ mobility programme in TUBAF, Germany

Three staff members, Dr. Veronica Okello and Dr. Elizabeth Ndunda, from the Department of Physical sciences, and Prof. Stanley Makindi from the Department of Environmental sciences, and the acting Deputy Vice Chancellor (Research, Innovation and Linkages), participated in the Erasmus+ mobility programme at the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology (TU Bergakademie Freiberg-TUBAF), Germany from 17^th to 30^th June 2025 under YEMAYA project.

The YEMAYA project focuses on enhancing female researchers’ competencies in sustainability areas such as biodiversity, water and soil monitoring, climate protection, and sustainable mining. The project emphasizes collaborative capacity building for impact-driven science that contributes to sustainable development.

Other Participating partner universities included:

• University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN)
• Taita Taveta University (TTU), Kenya
• University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Ghana
• University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD), Ghana

During the mobility, a technical meeting on the Intra-Africa Cooperation Frameworkwas held, focusing on strengthening partnerships through collaborative research and the exchange of faculty and staff, key avenues for fostering internationalization within African higher education institutions.

The Machakos University staff also had an opportunity to spend a working day at the research institutes of their exchange student to deepen institutional ties for collaborative research. Each of the participating universities have students participating in a six-month fully funded PhD traineeship programme at TUBAF. The postgraduate students including Ms. Abisaki Esitsakha, a PhD in Chemistry student from Machakos University, had an opportunity to present their research progress during a Midterm Colloquium.