Mount Kenya University on Wednesday last week welcomed a new batch of students joining the institution to pursue higher education.
The new students, who will be pursuing different courses at the university, were given a welcome address by the MKU Vice Chancellor Prof Deogratius Jaganyi.
Prof Jaganyi advised them to make the best use of their time at the university by acquiring different skills using the resources available at the university.
“At MKU, we believe education goes beyond the classroom. It is about engaging with ideas, questioning assumptions, working collaboratively, and finding creative solutions to the challenges of our time,” Prof Jaganyi said.
He further advised the students to embrace curiosity, build relationships and take ownership of their journey.
“Your presence here is a testament to your hard work, resilience, and determination. You have excelled in your earlier stages of education, and you now stand at the threshold of a transformative journey—one that will challenge you, inspire you, and prepare you for leadership and service in a rapidly changing world,” he said.
“At MKU, we believe that every student carries within them untapped power—the power of intellect, of creativity, of leadership, of innovation, and of service. This university is your platform to discover that power, to refine it, and to release it for the benefit of society.”
He further encouraged the new students to reflect on three key ideas about reaching their potential.
First, they emphasised the importance of self-belief, stating that they must trust our own capacity for greatness.
Challenges, Jaganyi noted, should be seen not as obstacles but as opportunities to become the best versions of ourselves.
Secondly, the VC highlighted the need for discipline and purpose to unlock one's inner power. And thirdly he told the new students that potential is most impactful when it is used to serve others.
“Remember that MKU is not merely a place of study; it is a community of discovery, a laboratory of ideas, and a crucible of character. You will be supported by your lecturers, and fellow students, but the greatest responsibility rests with you,” Jaganyi said.
“As you embark on this exciting journey, I encourage you: be bold, be curious, and above all, be true to the best within you. Let the years you spend at MKU be remembered as the time when you embraced your potential and unleashed the power within you.”
Among the areas that Prof Jaganyi highlighted that could be of interest to the new students include its labour migration programme initiated, offered through a partnership between MKU and Germany’s Hochschule Koblenz University of Applied Sciences.
The programme, which has been lauded as a model project in facilitating the export of labour, offers healthcare professionals with an understanding of the German language, an opportunity to work in Germany where they are absorbed in the country’s healthcare sector initially as paid apprentices and offered a platform to grow.
The programme has already seen three cohorts of apprentices leave Kenya for Germany, where they have already settled in their jobs.
A fourth cohort of students is currently undergoing training at MKU and are expected to be leaving Kenya for Germany later this year.
