Juja, Kenya: On 2 December 2022, the Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation (PAUSTI) graduated its 8th batch of Master and PhD students. This was during a joint congregation ceremony with the host university, the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technologies (JKUAT), which was celebrating its 39th congregation ceremony.
This year, PAUSTI graduated 27 PhD and 57 Masters’ students. The ceremony started with an academic procession with august university authorities including the Chancellor of JKUAT, Prof. Joseph Mathu Ndung’U, the Vice Chancellor of JKUAT, Prof. Victoria Wambui and other academics. The AU delegation on its part, was led by the Vice President of the PAU Council, Prof. Amany Abdallah El-Sharif accompanied by Dr. Gilles Ogandaga, PAU Senior Academic and Students Affairs Officer, Mrs Pascaline Madoukam Epse Amakembe, PAU Administrative Assistant, and the PAU Communication Officer, Ms. Chancelle Bilampassi Moutsatsi. Were also present at the procession, two JKUAT students’ representatives, the valedictorian and the alumni representative.
The procession was followed by the singing of anthems including Kenya national anthem, East African Community Anthem, African Union Anthem and JKUAT anthem. The University Chaplain led the congregation in prayer before an entertainment interlude.
Several speeches were delivered during the ceremony including that of the Vice President of the PAU Council, representing the AU Commissioner for Education, Science, Technology and Innovation (ESTI), Prof. Mohammed Belhocine.
In her address, she congratulated the 2022 graduating class and commended the efforts made by PAUSTI in producing “quality human resources who are uniquely adapted to provide sustainable solutions to problems facing the continent”. She also appreciated the support of the African Development Bank in the construction of the PAUSTI Incubation Centre of Excellence, which led to the incubation of “12 innovations that are geared towards finding solutions in the fields of agriculture, health care, engineering, building sciences, renewable energy, bioscience and data science”.
To the graduands, she saluted their academic achievements and urged them to be brand ambassadors of PAU in Africa and around the world.
The series of speeches was followed by the conferment of Degrees and award of diplomas to the graduands by the Chancellor. Then, the Vice Chancellor presented the graduates to their parents, guardians and society, as new academic products ready to positively impact their communities.
Among the innovative PhD theses written by PAUSTI PhD graduates, are:
⦁ “ The efficacy of Silver nanoparticles of Bush Plum (Carissa Spinarum) against Sporisorium Scitamineum in Sugarcane” by NKHANBINDZE Bongani Zipho (Molecular biology and Biotechnology)
⦁ “STATCOM controller Tuning Using WCA-PSO Algorithm to enhance LVRT Capability of DFIG Based Wind Generators” by MUSIYO Irene Ndunge (Electrical Engineering)
⦁ “Multiplicative Biais Correction in the estimation of Quantities in Finite Populations” by MAKUMI Nicholas (Mathematics, Statistics).
Among the Master’s graduates are a few female students in the following areas of specialty:
⦁ 1 female student in Civil engineering (environment and ASAL);
⦁ 1 female student in Civil Engineering (structural);
⦁ 1 female student in Electrical engineering (power systems);
⦁ 1 female student in Electrical Engineering (telecommunications);
⦁ 2 female students in Mathematics (statistics)
It is worth congratulating all the young female graduates of PAUSTI who have embraced scientific studies and have brilliantly succeeded.
The ceremony ended with the pronunciation of the dissolution of the thirty ninth JKUAT/eighth PAUSTI congregation, followed by singing of national anthem and academic procession in reverse order.
For further information please contact:
⦁ Ms. Claudette Chancelle BILAMPASSI MOUTSATSI| ESTI Department, African Union Commission | Tel: +251 115 517 700 | E-mail:BilampassiC@africa-union.org
