Kabarnet University College (KUC) and North Carolina Central University (NCCU), North Carolina, USA, have held a follow-up engagement to advance the implementation of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between the two institutions earlier this year.
The engagement, held on 2 October 2026 at North Carolina Central University, provided an opportunity for the two institutions to review the areas of collaboration under the MoA and discuss practical steps towards strengthening their academic partnership, particularly in teaching, research, staff and student exchange, and collaborative grant writing.
The KUC delegation was led by the Ag. Deputy Principal, Academic and Student Affairs, Prof. Bernard Malakwen, and was accompanied by Dr. Priscah Mosol, Dean, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Moi University, reflecting the continued academic mentorship and support extended to KUC as it develops its health sciences programmes.
The engagement brought together senior leadership from NCCU, including University Chancellor Prof. Karrie Dixon, Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff Prof. Gary Brown, Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Prof. Ontario Wooden, Provost for Faculty Affairs Prof. John Grant, Assistant Vice Chancellor for International Programmes and Community Engagement Mr. Will Guzman, Prof. Mohammed Ahmed, Dean, College of Health Sciences, and Dr. Yolanda Van Riel, Chair, Department of Nursing, among other university officials.
Under the areas of collaboration, the two institutions discussed opportunities to strengthen teaching and academic exchange through the sharing of expertise and experiences. Research was also identified as an important area of cooperation, with opportunities for joint research and scholarly activities that address health and nursing priorities in Kenya and beyond.
Staff and student exchange will provide opportunities for academic and professional exposure, knowledge sharing and experiential learning, while collaboration in grant writing will support efforts to identify funding opportunities and develop joint proposals for research and other academic initiatives.
The discussions also focused on the next phase of the partnership, including plans to make arrangements for an NCCU delegation to visit Kenya in 2027. The proposed visit will provide an opportunity for the institutions to continue discussions in Kenya, explore additional areas of collaboration and identify specific activities for implementation under the MoA.
A key focus of the collaboration is the planned establishment of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Kabarnet University College. KUC is working towards the launch of the School in 2027, subject to securing the necessary approvals from the relevant regulatory and professional bodies.
The proposed School will strengthen KUC’s health sciences portfolio and provide a platform for the development of nursing and other health sciences programmes, alongside teaching, research and community engagement.
The engagement also included representatives from ICHcare, including President Ms. Susan Mutua and Vice President Prof. Philip Mutisya, as well as IFT Solutions Executive Officer Ms. Joan Cheboswony, who is also a consultant with ICHcare.
The follow-up engagement marks another step in implementing the MoA between KUC and NCCU and strengthening the academic relationship between the two institutions. As KUC progresses towards the establishment of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, the collaboration with NCCU will provide opportunities for academic exchange, research, capacity building and joint initiatives that can contribute to the development of health sciences education at the College.