Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST Kenya) has recently announced that it will be admitting its first graduate students after the kick-off meeting held at Konza Technopolis City on February 12. During the meeting, approximately thirty educational officials from both South Korea and Kenya discussed necessary changes to administrational and architectural procedures for the KAIST-inspired institute. With the help of financial aid through investments from the KAIST consortium (9.4 million USD) and loans (95 million USD) from the Economic Development Cooperation Fund, KAIST Kenya aims to open its doors by 2021. The Kenyan government hopes that the establishment of such an institute will contribute to its transition to becoming a developed country as it industrializes Kenya.

Such exporting of education is not unprecedented. Ever since the foundation of KAIST in Korea in 1971, Korea has experienced unforeseen economic growth and development. Noticing such beneficial effects, a myriad of countries such as Turkey and Saudi Arabia have used KAIST as a benchmarking model in using education as their exit strategy. Moreover, even countries such as Japan and Hong Kong have emulated KAIST, establishing JAIST (Japan Advanced Institute of Technology) and HKUST (Hong Kong University of Science and Technology), respectively. KAIST has exported multiple educational programs worldwide; however, KAIST Kenya is KAIST’s first project to mass export its administrative and educational policies in their entirety.

The project not only helps facilitate international relations with Kenya, but also serves as the first step to exporting education to the Middle East, Africa, Central America, and Central Asia. Such export will encourage the production of a diverse and international group of future scientists, furthering the development of science and technology. Moreover, the project has the potential to create a worldwide impact on scientific research, while signalling the full-scale launch of being in the Top 10 Leading Official Development Assistance (ODA) Projects in Science and Technology. Ambassador Amina Mohamed, the Minister of Education of Kenya, added that it is of great significance to import KAIST’s successful developmental model, as it will be a major contribution to the industrialization of not only Kenya but also other developing countries.

A look at the proposed KAIST Kenya campus

 

Copyright © The KAIST Herald Unauthorized reproduction, redistribution prohibited