Université Paris-Saclay: Close partner of Kenya’s Technical Universities crowned world leading institution

Picture taken during the Kick-off meeting of the French Government funded project “Upgrading Curricula for Industry Purposes” in presence of the Vice-chancellors of TU-K and TUM, as well as H.E Mrs. Aline KUSTER-MENAGER, Ambassador of France to Kenya and

Following this merge, Paris-Saclay reached the 14th position of the Shanghai Overall World University ranking. It also attained the 3rd place in the European ranking, just after Oxford and Cambridge, and sits at the top in the field of Mathematics. The success story of this world leading research university has been related by a publication of ‘The Economist”, dated 29th of August 2020.

In Kenya, The University of Paris-Saclay already works closely with the Technical University of Kenya and the Technical University of Mombasa through one of its technical components, the Institut Universitaire Technologique de Cachan. Starting last year, a student and several teachers went to Paris to follow a Masters or practical training sessions in fields that meet both Kenyan and French strategic interests. This growing partnership is also the inspiration behind the French Government funded project “Upgrading Curricula for Industry Purposes”, which allows several trainings of trainers to take place in both countries.

Picture taken during the robotics workshop conducted in October 2019 at the Technical University of Kenya by a team of two professors from University of Paris-Saclay (IUT Cachan).

Goluck Konuko, graduate assistant at Technical University of Kenya who pursued a specialized Masters course in Multimedia Networking at Paris-Saclay, considers the University to be “one of the few institutions on the globe that have the most rigorous coverage of the associated theoretical and practical material”. Goluck also expressed that “while the Masters programs are supervised by award-winning professors, the environment provides daily contact with researchers who are pioneering new technology”. In addition, he believes that: “this relationship has thus created a buzzing community of intellectuals who are always looking to add competent and motivated students or scholars to their teams”.

Following his Masters, Mr. Konuko was offered by the Institut Polytechnique de Paris a position of research engineer with the goal of consolidating the next generation of multimedia packaging and distribution tools with artificial intelligence capabilities into an existing open-source software tool.  As the University of Paris-Saclay has just been granted European Union funds to finance mobilities from Kenya’s technical universities, many more students will follow his steps. 

Furthermore, Paris-Saclay, which has recently obtained the label “Bienvenue en France” that ensures the highest standards in the welcoming of international students, raises curiosity of Kenyan students from several horizons. Mme Dorothy Chepngenoh, former alumni of Eldoret University, chose the University of Paris-Saclay to pursue her Masters in Biomedical Engineering this year. Dorothy was mostly attracted by the fact that a good number of complete Masters and Doctorate degrees are taught 100% in English.

Mme Ruth Oriama, who has recently been elected President of the AFRAKEN, French alumni in Kenya association, graduated from a Master in Innovation and Research Development at Université Paris-Sud (component of Paris-Saclay) in 2018. She remembers the close relationship between all of Paris-Saclay’s components, allowing students and teachers to “borrow from each other’s wealth of knowledge and experience,” as well as the opportunity to “participate in co-curriculum activities that include students from all faculties.”

Finally, students mention the Southern Parisian University’s strategic location, within the heart of the economical tissue, and praise its close linkages to French and International big companies. Indeed, through Paris Saclay’s Career Center and annual Business Forum, students are aware of work and research opportunities while they are still at University. Moreover, the growing alumni network will assuredly broaden the student’s international professional network.