Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST) has launched a revised strategic plan 2016/2021 that will enable the institution align its programs to the changing global market trends.
The university also unveiled their revised service chatter and ISO 9001:2015 certifications aimed at improving the quality of service delivery and promoting prudent use of resources at the university.
The university has estimated that it will use approximately sh.3.9 billion to implement its plans over the next 10 years.
Speaking during the launch Friday, the University Chancellor Dr. Vimal Shah said the revision of the strategic plan is important for the institution to align its courses to meet the current global needs.
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Dr. Vimal said the new strategic plan gives the university an opportunity not only to improve the quality of its service delivery but also to digitize its courses and programs to conform to global trends.
He revealed that the plan has components like capacity building and development of market driven academic programs which are critical ingredients for success.
“Markets trends are rapidly changing not only in Kenya and Africa but everywhere else, so the universities need to come up with relevant courses to match the rapidly changing environment,” Vimal said.
The Chancellor asked both the teaching and non-teaching staff together with the university students to be ready to embrace the new changes and adopt new global trends or risk becoming obsolete.
Dr. Vimal observed that with the advancement of technology, and the rapidly changing needs of the society, courses learnt today can easily become obsolete tomorrow hence the need for continuous learning and reviewing of the courses for relevance.
He said that the university prepares its students for continuously learning so that they can better adapt to changes in their environment.
“What the university does to its students is that it makes them able to continuously interrogate their environment and continuously learn and adapt to changing trends,” Vimal explain.
JOOUST university vice chancellor (VC) prof. Stephen Agong said the launch of the revised strategic plan is a mark of quality and test of commitment to continuous improvement.
Agong revealed that the university undertook to review its strategic plan to conform to the government’s big four agenda of housing, manufacturing, affordable health care and food security.
The VC revealed that the university also considered the sustainable development goals in the reviewed strategic plan.
The Don said that through the revised strategic plan the university will sustainably exploit the lake environment as it endeavors to harness opportunities through the blue economy.
“We are located in a unique environment which has a lake that needs to be sustainably exploited for as we look to create opportunities through the blue economy,” Agong said.
He also said that the university is looking at the changing digital space and they would rebrand their courses and programs to align with the changing times.
The university council chairman Amb. Steven Loyatum reiterated that the strategic plan will accord the university an opportunity to align its programs not only to the big four agenda but also to vision 2030 blue print.
He disclosed that the successful implementation of the plan which will cost an estimated Sh 3.9 billion will require concerted efforts from various stakeholders including the government and the private sector.
Amb. Loyatum stated that the plan will also improve sustained linkages with other stakeholders who are key to the success of the university.
He added that the ISO certification is important in the realization of the university’s vision and mission.
The Council’s chair revealed that JOOUST through the old service chatter has been issuing certificates to graduands one month after graduation and with the revised service chatter, they plan to issue the certificates within one week making it the first university to do so in the country.
The occasion was attended by Siaya county deputy governor Dr. James Okumbe and Ms. Wanjiku Karanja of Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) who presided over the unveiling of ISO certification.