ENGAGE Program Launch at Kabarak University
Today marked another significant step for the ENGAGE Project as the team embarked on a rigorous two-week journey across Kenya, delivering computers to Kabarak University. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Henry Kiptiony Kiplangat, received the equipment, making Kabarak the fifth university to receive essential training materials for piloting in August 2024.
ENGAGE Project will pilot Tier 3 in the Rift Valley region at Kabarak by equipping them with skills in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Prof. Henry Kiplangat, the Vice Chancellor of Kabarak University, commended the University of Nairobi for its partnership and vision in selecting Kabarak as a key collaborator for the transformative ENGAGE Project in the region. He reflected on the fruitful relationship between the two institutions, which began in 2020 with a joint research project on health information systems. This collaboration has already yielded significant benefits, improving healthcare access and fostering partnerships within Baringo and Nakuru Counties. As a culmination of the meeting, Kabarak University and the University of Nairobi signed a Collaborative Research Agreement (CRA).This agreement strengthens their collaboration and sets the foundation for expanding the partnership through program implementation.
The ENGAGE Project team experienced a tour of the university and participated in a mid-morning service at the chapel, which was led by the student choir. Prof. Julius Oyugi, the Principal Investigator of the ENGAGE Project, reiterated the commitment to challenging the status quo in the male-dominated field of data science. He highlighted that by equipping young women from underserved backgrounds with machine learning skills; the project aims to create a diverse data science workforce capable of addressing biases and improving health outcomes.
This initiative not only aims to empower young women, but also seeks to create a sustainable change in the landscape of data science and public health in Kenya.
