Strengthening Global Collaboration: Machakos University and TCVC Host a Strategic Virtual Meeting

Machakos University and Tianjin City Vocational College (TCVC), China, recently held a virtual collaboration meeting at the university’s Luban workshop to deliberate on the planned strategic activities for the Kenyan Luban Workshop for the year.

The meeting was attended by the Machakos Vice Chancellor, Prof. Joyce Agalo, members of the management team, heads of various departments, among others. The meeting commenced with warm welcome remarks from Mr. Anderson, a representative from TCVC, who acknowledged the presence of participants from both institutions and expressed enthusiasm for the ongoing collaboration.

Mr. Anderson presented ten strategic activities planned for the Kenyan Luban Workshop in 2025 including:

• Strengthening cross-institution communication between faculty and students.
• Machakos University’s support in TCV’s curriculum development.
• Launch of a bilingual monthly journal involving Machakos University, Meru University, and TCVC, featuring written, video, and audio testimonials, to be submitted between the 1^st and 5^th of each month.
• Mr. Franklin Mutisya of Machakos University appointed as journal update coordinator.
• Planned exchange visits for students and staff from both TCVC and Machakos University.
• The EPIP Centre at the university to serve as a training base, with strong emphasis on expanding short-term skill training.
• First cohort in Cloud Computing and Information Security set to graduate, TCVC invited to send a representative to attend the ceremony.
• TCVC pledged support for students who will be selected to pursue postgraduate studies in China.
• Joint collaborations for the Global Huawei ICT Competition scheduled for May, 2025 in Shenzhen, China.

Internship and Employment Opportunities

Eng. Dr. Charles Mwaniki, Dean of the School of Engineering and Technology (SET), shared enrolment statistics for the BSc in Cloud Computing and Information Security Program as follows:

• First Year-31 students, Second Year-22 students, Third Year-11 students, Fourth Year-25 students.

Eng. Mwaniki, further reported internship placements for the 2024 (May-August) cohort as follows:

• Government Institutions-14%
• Private Sector- 19%
• Hospitals- 19%
• Local Government Offices- The remaining percentage

Outstanding Contribution Recognized

An English language teacher from TCVC received special recognition for exemplary efforts in bridging cultural and communication gaps.

Huawei ICT Competition Overview

Mr. Franklin Mutisya, provided an overview of the 2024-2025 Huawei ICT Competitions, outlining its goals and structure. He introduced the Machakos University students participating and commended their commitment. He shared the following statistics:

• 150 students from Machakos University registered for the competition.
• 5 students qualified for the regional competitions held in South Africa.
• 4 of the regional qualifiers are from the BSc Cloud Computing and Information Security program.
• 3 students qualified for the global finals in China, scheduled to take place from May 18, 2025.
• Hands-on training sessions held at Huawei Kenya Headquarters.
• The competition plays a key role in driving Huawei-TCVC-Machakos University partnerships.

Vice Chancellor’s Address- Machakos University

The Vice Chancellor of Machakos University, Prof. Joyce Agalo delivered an inspiring speech, extending her gratitude to TCVC, the China Ambassadors Schorlarship Program, the Ministry of ICT in Kenya, and Huawei Technologies Kenya for their invaluable support. Prof. Agalo highlighted that the Luban Workshop was instrumental in training over 500 students across BSc programs in Computer Science, Information Technology, Telecommunication, and Cloud Computing and Information Security. Additionally, about 300 students had undergone Huawei training through the workshop.

The Vice Chancellor proudly stated that through Luban Worksho, Machakos University had been recognized and honored by UNESCO as the Chair of Cloud Computing. She further noted that over 60 students had benefited from the Ambassador’s scholarship. The VC emphasized the critical role of the EPIP initiative in bridging theoretical knowledge with practical skills and announced plans to extend EPIP to other departments to benefit both students and faculty.

Prof. Agalo acknowledged that EPIP initiatives had led to the establishment of various student clubs, such as the Huawei Club, Google Developer Club, and the Innovation Club. The ongoing innovation projects like the “Blind Eye” and “Deaf Connect” were undergoing the patenting process.

The Vice Chancellor expressed confidence in Machakos University as an upcoming Global ICT hub, and that continued partnerships, particularly with TCVC, would further elevate the institution’s global reputation, especially through the publication of the monthly journals.

Closing Remarks by Professor Li Yan (TCVC)

Prof. Li Yan appreciated the ongoing collaboration and commended the Luban Workshop’s role in the recent state visit by Kenya’s President to China.  She reaffirmed support for postgraduate pathways for Machakos University graduates, welcomed students attending the Global Huawei ICT Competition in China, proposed integration of the EPIP model into TCVC’s curriculum, extended an invitation to the Vice Chancellor to speak at the 8^th EPIP International Education Alliance Academic Annual Conference, and further, pledged continued joint research and innovation initiatives.

Additional issues discussed included:

• Plans to launch a Robotics Curriculum and Drone Technology Program -Mr. Humprey Mwambaji, Technologist at the Luban Workshop, was assigned to oversee its development by mid May.
• Creation of a digital testimonial link via the ICT department for monthly journal content.
• Call for increased social media and website publicity of Luban Workshop’s achievements.
• Call for the Ambassador’s Scholarship beneficiaries to be present during the upcoming award ceremony.

Both Machakos University and TCVC participants departed with renewed enthusiasm for deepening collaboration and scaling impact through the Luban Workshop partnership