Academic Partners

The University of Nottingham is a large, complex organisation with nearly 46,000 students (34,000 students in the UK and 12,000 at sizable, mature campuses in both China and Malaysia). The University is founded on a compelling vision that education can transform people’s lives, has great social and economic value and should be accessible to everyone who can benefit from it.

University of Nottingham (UoN) has strong links with Kenyan universities and policy institutes via personal relationships, via Kenyan-born staff and colleagues with long-term research interests in Kenya. These relationships have recently acquired greater scale and formality. Kenya is a strategic priority country in UoN's global strategy and a series of meetings have taken place with the High Commission and University leaders and MOUS signed.  Schools represented in this partnership have scaled up their Kenyan partnerships. Chemistry (Mokaya) has a large collaborative DFID funded project. Pharmacy (Anderson) works with the international Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) via UNITWIN Network in Global Pharmacy Education Development with African partners since the Nairobi 2009 inaugural meeting on capacity building. Education has formal partnership with the leading chain of international schools in Kenya to upgrade pedagogies, and with senior Ministry of Education officials as part of the Commonwealth education policy reform.

The Department of Chemistry, originally founded in 1956, currently has several thematic sections including: Organic, Inorganic/Analytical/Environmental, and Physical/Industrial Chemistry. A range of bachelor and master degrees are offered within the department with the ability to advance to PhD studies. Currently the Department of Chemistry has an establishment of 46 academic staff and 30 Technologists and support staff. Academic staff are actively involved in research in diverse fields including: bioactive compounds from medicinal plants, water treatment technologies, POPs and pesticides, heavy metals, biopolymers, nanostructured materials for various applications, biosensors, air pollution studies, synthesis of inorganic materials and applications etc. Research services include production of detergents, the managment of Chamomile Farm at Kibwezi, and consultancy services.

The School of Pharmacy, founded in 1974, is currently composed of three departments— Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Pharmacology & Pharmacognosy, and Pharmaceutics & Pharmacy Practice.  The School of Pharmacy remains the premier pharmacy training institution in Kenya at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It boasts of a large number of specialist pharmacy training at postgraduate level, currently offering a total of six Masters Programmes, and a range of academic doctorate degrees.  From 1978 when the pioneer class graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree, the School has produced over 1,000 graduates who have played a key role in the delivery of pharmaceutical healthcare and research within Kenya, the African continent and internationally.

Kenyatta University is the second oldest public university in Kenya with more than 70000 students who come from diverse backgrounds both locally and internationally. The university has a rich history having grown from a teacher training college to a fully chattered university. In its quest to make education both affordable and accessible to all Kenyatta university offers programmes through three different modes of study, namely, full time, Institutional Based learning and Distance and e-learning modes guided by the motto of Transforming higher education … enhancing lives. To enhance and enrich the learning experience of students the university through the existing schools, departments and institutes has strong collaborations and links with other universities and research institutions within and outside the country.

The Department of Chemistry is one of the eight departments in the School of Pure and Applied Sciences (SPAS) offering BSc (General), BSc (Analytical Chemistry with Management and BSc (Industrial Chemistry with Management), MSc (Chemistry), MSc (Applied Analytical Chemistry) and PhD(Chemistry). The Department exists train Scientists in Chemical Sciences with enhanced transferable skills as well as producing graduates with hands-on-experience. To enhance and enrich student experience, the Department has active international links with a number of other institutions including Nagasaki University, Iowa State University and Louisiana State University Department of Chemistry, University of Nottingham, UK, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, UK; University of the Western Cape (UWC), SA; Universität Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany Department of Natural Products Chemistry, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. 

The Department of Pharmacy and Complementary/ Alternative Medicine was established in April 2005 within the School of Health Sciences and opened its doors to the first batch of students in January 2009. The department is responsible for the training of professional Pharmacists and Natural Medical Practitioners both at the Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels, to meet the needs of the country in hospitals, industry, retail, research establishments and academia. The Pharmacy degree course is accredited by Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Kenya. 

The Chemistry programs at JKUAT have been offered within the College of Pure and Applied Sciences since its’s inception 1994.  JKUAT offers three, four year undergraduate programs including: BSc Chemistry, BSc Analytical Chemistry and BSc Industrial Chemistry. Each undergraduate program curriculum is reviewed every four years. Currently there are around 600 students enrolled in the undergraduate chemistry programs. The postgraduate programs in this faculty include; Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry in the areas of Analytical, Inorganic, Physical and Organic Chemistry.

The School of Public Health, within the College of Health Sciences, offers both undergraduate and graduate programs. This school is serviced by multiple departments such as the departments of Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Pharmacognosy to name a few. The four year BSc in Public Health program starting in 2010 and currently has 456 students. Like the chemistry bachelor programs, the curriculum for this program is reviewed every four years.  The post graduate programs offered by the School of Public Health include MSc and PhD in Public Health, Epidemiology and International Health.

The School of Pharmacy, also located in the College of Health Sciences, offers a five year Bachelor of Pharmacy. This program began in 2011 and currently has 300 students enrolled.  The Bachelor of Pharmacy degree program was started in year 2011. It is within the School of Pharmacy in the College of Health Sciences. The curriculum for this program is reviewed every five years. A postgraduate program in pharmacology and drug design is currently being developed.

Maseno University was founded in 1991 as a constituent college of Moi University. In 2001, it became the sixth public University of Kenya by an act of parliament. Maseno University is a modern institution of higher learning set up to advance teaching, learning, research and development that responds to the emerging socio-economic as well as technological and innovation needs of Kenya and the Eastern African Region. The programmes offered by Maseno University ensure that all graduates of Maseno are adequately exposed to a knowledge-base that enables them to live, learn and work in a multi-disciplinary setting where IT (information technology) is as much a resource for learning and working, as it is a discipline in its own right.

In the endeavour to achieve greater impact, Maseno has joined forces with other reputable organisations through several MOUs and MOAs. In addition, the project idea was conceived when Maseno University Deputy Vice Chancellor of PRI Prof. S. Chacha visited University of Nottingham in April 2016.

Maseno University currently has four Campuses, a College and a Constituent College. It boasts of approximately 18,000 students at the undergraduate and about 3,000 at the post graduate level. These students are spread in 13 teaching Schools and about 130 programs. The e-Campus is one of the latest innovations by Maseno University to facilitate online delivery of high quality certificate, diploma and degree programmes to learners in various parts of the country, the East African region and beyond. Alongside its academic programs the University also manages enterprises such as the Kisumu Hotel and the University farm where it produces agricultural products which are used within the university and the surplus supplied to nearby markets.