The Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) is a technology-based university modelled after a Korean University that had established a campus at Konza City.
KAIST was modelled after Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, a public university in South Korea, founded in 1971.
Construction of the university at the Konza Technopolis, Machakos County is almost complete, with the support of the South Korea government.
KAIST, an institution of strategic national importance in terms of Science, Technology, and Innovation will be admitting the first batch of students later this year.
The university is also considered to be critical in fast tracking modernization and transformation of Kenyan society into middle-income country by 2030.
The bachelor's tuition fees for international students at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology is Ksh731,930 per year while Master's tuition fee ranges between Ksh2 million to Ksh2.7 million per year.
Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo, on March 6 revealed that the government would open the Konza technology university this year.
Owalo stated the university will also produce graduates of science, technology and innovation as part of the government's interventions to drive digital transformation.
He added that the university was also expected to attract foreign investors to establish tech industries in Kenya, hence creating more jobs.
KAIST inaugural council
Education Cabinet Secretary Ezekiel Machogu on Wednesday, May 24 established first Council for the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
Machogu appointed Prof. Emmanuel Mustisya as chairman and Prof. Washington O. Yotto, Dr. Collins. K. Tanui, Eng. Meshack Kidenda and Purity Mureithi as members of the Council for a period of three years.
“Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology is an institution modelled after the Korean Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), aiming to be a critical catalyst for fast tracking modernization and transformation of Kenyan society into middle-income country by 2030,” Machogu stated.
Machogu explained that the institution development was being supported by the South Korean government and will be admitting the first batch of students later this year.
KAIST Council chairman Prof. Mutisya is a Project Assistant Professor at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate Program in Sustainability Science, Global Leadership Initiative (GPSS-GLI) and a Coordinator of the Next Generation of Researchers Group.
On his part, Dr. Tanui is a Research Scholar at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada, a position he has held since December 2022.
Prior to the new position, Dr. Tanui was a Post-doctoral Associate at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA.
Prof Yotto Ochieng, is the current Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in Positioning and Navigation Systems at Imperial College, London.
He is also the Senior Security Science Fellow at the Institute for Security Science and Technology (ISST) at Imperial College in London.
