Strathmore University has announced that it would increase enrolment of post-graduate students for its Masters Program by 10 percent. The University, currently with a population of 6000 students, said it was looking to grow its Masters Program in the 2015/2016 academic year by about 700 students eyeing a larger impact of its graduates in the African marketplace.
“We are interested, as a not-for-profit university, in ethics and quality. We are also aware that Masters graduates have a bigger impact on the economy and therefore, yearn to increase the number of the Masters graduates benefitting from our academic programs this year,” said the Deputy Vice Chancellor-Academic Affairs, Prof Izael Da Silva.
The enrolment increase will grow the undergraduate to graduate students ratio in the university to 80:20 with Master students’ population at above 1000.
Strathmore has expanded its research capacity through lab facilities including IT and Energy Research centres at its @iLAbAfrica facility. These are funded by about ten multinationals and seven East African companies. Other centres include the Strathmore Enterprise Development Centre, the Centre for Public Policy and competiveness, Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Institute of Healthcare Management.
“We have launched an awareness campaign through the Schools of Graduate Studies to market the various Masters program ahead of the academic year which starts in May,” said Prof Ruth Kiraka, Dean Schools of Graduate Studies.
Strathmore is at the same time seeking to increase its sponsorship for bright but needy graduate and post graduate students in a new Endowment Fund programme likened to the one at Harvard University.
“Our Endowment Fund is now at USD 2Million. Sadly, unlike Harvard where this fund is growing every year from inheritance and donations, we have not seen a lot of people who graduate and become successful bequeathing their land, wealth and other properties to their Alma Mater or even other Universities when they pass on. This very charitable culture has helped Universities grow the Endowment Fund elsewhere, enabling them to sponsor students from all over the world including in Africa. We will be appealing to Africans and companies doing business in Africa to support our Endowment Fund program so we can support the dreams of bright but needy children- first in East Africa and then all over Africa,” said Prof Da Silva.
