Over 200 Kenyan students are undertaking University Education in Japan, Japanese Ambassador in Kenya Okaniwa Ken has said.
Ken spoke during a courtesy call he had paid to the Education CS Ezekiel Machogu in his office at Jogoo House.
The Education PS Belio Kipsang and his counterparts in University Education and Research Beatrice Inyangala and Technical Vocational Education and Training Esther Muoria were present during the occasion.
Machogu thanked the Japanese government for the immense contribution it has made towards providing education and training to Kenyan individuals.
He said the Japanese government had also given material and technical support to the establishment of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, apart from the support for research initiatives at the University.
Machogu said he will encourage 60 per cent of its learners under the Competence Based Curriculum to join science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
The Cabinet Secretary said Japan had contributed in building the capacity for teachers for STEM through the Centre for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education in Africa.
The ambassador said Japan will continue to support Kenya in building its human resources needs through exchange of human resources, academic exchange, joint research and other joint efforts to gather wisdom for the mutual benefit of the two countries.
The Principal Secretary for Basic Education, Belio Kipsang said Kenya would need virtual labs to strengthen the foundation for STEM at the secondary school level.
He said the Ministry would like to scale up the provision of science kits beyond the 200 secondary schools.
Principal Secretary for University Education & Research, Beatrice Inyangala said Japan was providing scholarships and that this was catalysing skills transfer Kenya needs for her development initiatives.
The Principal Secretary for TVET, Esther Muoria said the current concern was the need to improve the technical skills of trainers who will be in a position to provide better training experiences for trainees in training institutions.
