UNAI SDG Hub 10: Reduced Inequalities
Mount Kenya University (MKU) is an institution of higher education committed to a broad-based, holistic and inclusive system of education, with the vision of being a global hub of excellence in education, research and innovation, and with the mission of providing them for a global transformation and to advance sustainable development.
The university offers an all-rounded education irrespective of religion, race, gender or political affiliation, social or cultural background. It endeavors to develop well trained manpower equipped with technological, scientific knowledge and capacities, while being guided by policies to ensure gender inclusion and protection of peoples with disabilities.
It offers among others, Bachelor’s programs in Development Studies, Community Development, Social Work and Administration -the latter of which addresses issues on disabilities and inclusion-, and Master’s programs in Special Needs Education, Development Studies, Environmental Security and Sustainable Development, as well as Gender Studies.
Mount Kenya University has a robust public – private partnerships driven corporate social responsibility, and it has established over a hundred linkages and connections with several strategic organizations, which serves as an enabler in achieving the university’s vision and mission and fostering a large number of community outreach projects. It collaborates with a wide range of stakeholders, notably civil society organizations and other institutions, towards increasing pedagogical and teaching skills at all levels.
The university hosts the UNESCO Chair on Digital Education, Inter-Disciplinary Teaching and Sustainable Development, aimed at looking at digital education in regard to educational technologies, research on education for the marginalized, and education in emergencies. MKU’s UNESCO Chair runs a number of programs on education of the out-of-school youth, especially those in correctional facilities jointly with government agencies.
Mount Kenya University hosts the Centre for Professional Development that coordinates professional training to enable students and other Kenyans to acquire additional skills that make them competitive in the job market, and has an innovation hub equipped with up-to-date technology infrastructure to support the development and testing of new discoveries to conceptualize and realize different innovations in various fields.
This institution also promotes youth empowerment to tackle unemployment through its Graduate Enterprise Academy, aimed at providing young graduates with practical business management skills, which empowers the community through job and wealth creation for poverty reduction. And, it was the first private university partner in East and Southern Africa for the deployment of UN University Volunteers.
