Hello everyone,<br><br>Most of the contributions on this thread are focusing on the curricula and the finished product-ready for employment.<br><br>Being an SCI graduate myself, I was left wondering where, if at all we shall apply all that knowledge. And who says that SCI<b> must produce employable graduates</b> anyway? We need not forget that the University must also 'churn out' researchers and entrepreneurs.<br>
<br>Its very easy and obvious for all of us to extoll on the virtues of SCI producing graduates who are relevant to the industry and job market at the moment. However, it must also be noted that alot of students would gladly take up and scale their projects and various innovations to higher levels if only they were given the means to do so. Thus, if the University and SCI in particular can create an environment and a culture that encourages students to come up with market viable projects, and then create structures that will enable the projects/products/innovations to go to market, that to me would be a big plus, not only for the students but also for the country. Maybe SCI needs to find a way to either get a group of investors/mentors/.advisors who would partner with the students in developing market relevant solutions instead of waiting for the students to graduate and look for a safe secure job.<br>
<br><br>Thanks in advance.<br><br><br clear="all">Martin S. Njuguna<br>CEO<br>Digital Vision Limited<br>Kitengela Road, Langata, Nairobi<br>P.O Box 40721 00100<br>t:+254-20-21 33 865<br>c:+254 721 440 543<br><a href="mailto:e%3Amartin@digitalvision.co.ke" target="_blank">e:martin@digitalvision.co.ke</a><br>
w: <a href="http://www.digitalvision.co.ke" target="_blank">http://www.digitalvision.co.ke</a><br>Skype: <a href="http://digitalv.ke" target="_blank">digitalv.ke</a><br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Nov 11, 2009 at 9:21 PM, Harry Delano <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:harry@comtelsys.co.ke" target="_blank">harry@comtelsys.co.ke</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial"></font> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">John W,</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">I agree with you to an extend. However, I feel that clustering
of all these disciplines in one particular curriculum, either way or
Cramming</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">one course with all that can possibly be taught in class, and
meet what the employer might be seeking for may not be practical
in the long </font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">run. Infact this seems to be the case with the
current curricula, where most of the disciplines within the current course
outlines really never</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">get applied anywhere. This is wasted knowledge. Just like,
much of the physics and the Chemistry you and me learnt in High
school may </font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">just have been a </font></span><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">real total
'waste' of time, effort, and money. It might only serve to create
some </font></span><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">walking encyclopedias with knowledge that </font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">never gets applied. Let us develop Specialized Training
Curriculas way before even the university entry..</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">Muthoni, if you would ask me, I would recommend that even
before you overhaul the current University curriculum, a crucial
section of </font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">stakeholders that comprise the High School, and
probably the upper primary School fraternity, need to be brought into the fold
in order to</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">develop and adopt what I would call a
"Bottoms-up"</font></span><span> <font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial"> approach in </font></span><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">arriving
</font></span><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">at curriculum that flows right through the entire Education system
</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">as currently structured, with vision 2030 in
mind.</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">Of course the other end of the production - The employers, who
are consumers of the Finished products, are equally important, but
also</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">will need to make "Realistic" demands on the graduands.. When
you demand that you need graduates who have done computer Science,
</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">Electronic Engineering etc, all compressed in one, it
tends to lock out deserving prospects for the job. It may be
cost-saving to look </font></span><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">at it </font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial">that way but in the long run it won't augur well for skills
development that we have at our disposal.</font></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span><font size="2" color="#0000ff" face="Arial"></font></span> </div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><span></span><font face="Arial"><font color="#0000ff"><font size="2">P<span>lease cast the net far and wide, it's just as a
multistakeholder issue, at hand, just as the Constitutional Review
is..</span></font></font></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"><font color="#0000ff"><font size="2"><span></span></font></font></font> </div>
<div><font face="Arial"><font color="#0000ff"><font size="2"><span>Regards,</span></font></font></font></div>
<div><font face="Arial"><font color="#0000ff"><font size="2"><span>Harry</span></font></font></font></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left"><br></div>
<div dir="ltr" align="left" lang="en-us">
<hr>
<font size="2" face="Tahoma"><b>From:</b>
kictanet-bounces+harry=<a href="http://comtelsys.co.ke" target="_blank">comtelsys.co.ke</a>@<a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>
[mailto:<a href="mailto:kictanet-bounces%2Bharry" target="_blank">kictanet-bounces+harry</a>=<a href="http://comtelsys.co.ke" target="_blank">comtelsys.co.ke</a>@<a href="http://lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Walubengo J<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:18
AM<br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:harry@comtelsys.co.ke" target="_blank">harry@comtelsys.co.ke</a><br><b>Cc:</b> skunk; <a href="mailto:waema@uonbi.ac.ke" target="_blank">waema@uonbi.ac.ke</a>;
moturi; <a href="mailto:sci-acad@uonbi.ac.ke" target="_blank">sci-acad@uonbi.ac.ke</a>; KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<div><div></div><div><br><b>Subject:</b>
Re: [kictanet] The Premier B.Sc. Computer Science Programme in
Kenya<br></div></div></font><br></div><div><div></div><div>
<div></div>
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td valign="top">Muthoni M,<br><br>I think its good to see Academia going
back to the industry to ask for input in curricula development.
Previous University Dons would rather claim it was their sole prerogative
to say what needs to be taught and when and how it would be
taught.<br><br>Indeed just looking at the recent post from Eng. Kariuki
regarding "ICT Jobs at Huawei" it shows the gap between industry and
academia. Whereas most ICT University Curricula continues to be strictly
segmented along EITHER "Computer Science/Info Technology" OR
"Electrical/Telco Engineering" most employers seem to be looking for BOTH
CompScience/IT and Engineering components from their
candidates.<br><br>The Challenge then becomes, should IT students be
taught some Telco-engineering concepts or Should Electrical and other
Engineers be taught IT concepts? I know I have not answered your question
regarding inputs for the Computers Science program, but it is just that
your question provokes more questions than
answers...<br><br>walu.<br> <br><br> <br><br>--- On <b>Tue,
11/10/09, Muthoni Masinde <i><<a href="mailto:muthoni@uonbi.ac.ke" target="_blank">muthoni@uonbi.ac.ke</a>></i></b>
wrote:<br>
<blockquote style="border-left: 2px solid rgb(16, 16, 255); padding-left: 5px; margin-left: 5px;"><br>From:
Muthoni Masinde <<a href="mailto:muthoni@uonbi.ac.ke" target="_blank">muthoni@uonbi.ac.ke</a>><br>Subject: Re: [kictanet]
The Premier B.Sc. Computer Science Programme in Kenya<br>To:
<a href="mailto:jwalu@yahoo.com" target="_blank">jwalu@yahoo.com</a><br>Cc: "moturi" <<a href="mailto:moturi@uonbi.ac.ke" target="_blank">moturi@uonbi.ac.ke</a>>, "KICTAnet
ICT Policy Discussions" <<a href="mailto:kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>>,
"<a href="mailto:sci-acad@uonbi.ac.ke" target="_blank">sci-acad@uonbi.ac.ke</a>" <<a href="mailto:sci-acad@uonbi.ac.ke" target="_blank">sci-acad@uonbi.ac.ke</a>>,
<a href="mailto:waema@uonbi.ac.ke" target="_blank">waema@uonbi.ac.ke</a><br>Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2009, 2:39 PM<br><br>
<div>Dear Nancy,<br>I agree with you; we actually review
our curriculum every 4 years; the<br>current one is 4 years old and that
is why we are reviewing it. We have<br>always done it through the
approach you have described but this time round,<br>we would like to
incorporate stakeholders views. Quality assurance issues<br>are
well taken care of.<br><br>The issue of specialisation from 2nd year
seems to be favoured by many and<br>we consider this.<br><br>Thank you
very much for the comments and indeed I will be glad to receive<br>more
ideas from ICSIT-JKUAT.<br><br>Best regards,<br>Muthoni<br><br><br>On
11/10/09 12:03 AM, "<a href="http://mc/compose?to=n_macharia@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">n_macharia@yahoo.co.uk</a>"
<<a href="http://mc/compose?to=n_macharia@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">n_macharia@yahoo.co.uk</a>><br>wrote:<br><br>>
Muthoni,<br>> <br>> This is a brilliant idea. In my view you
benefit by eliciting very valuable<br>> and resourceful ideas for the
Curriculum from experienced and sharpened staff.<br>> <br>> An all
stakeholder involvement in either curriculum review or development
is<br>> an IUCEA and CHE requirement. Its the right process for both
academic quality<br>> assurance and towards offering demand
driven(ICT industry, Kenyas vision 2030)<br>> and custom built
training.<br>> <br>> The revision is long overdue. In any case the
requirement is one cycle which<br>> is in the period of five
yrs.<br>> <br>> On CS, the direction focus should be
specialisation from 2nd Year of study<br>> after the foundation
units.<br>> <br>> We in academia, believe in sharing "cable", here
knowledge and ideas. Will<br>> share this with ICSIT colleagues in
JKUAT and come back to you.<br>> <br>> Nancy Macharia<br>>
Deputy Director<br>> ICSIT JKUAT <br>> Sent from my
BlackBerry®<br>> <br>> -----Original Message-----<br>> From:
Tuma Barua <<a href="http://mc/compose?to=tumabarua@gmail.com" target="_blank">tumabarua@gmail.com</a>><br>>
Date: Mon, 9 Nov 2009 17:19:40<br>> To: <<a href="http://mc/compose?to=n_macharia@yahoo.co.uk" target="_blank">n_macharia@yahoo.co.uk</a>><br>>
Cc: KICTAnet ICT Policy Discussions<<a href="http://mc/compose?to=kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke" target="_blank">kictanet@lists.kictanet.or.ke</a>>;<br>>
moturi<<a href="http://mc/compose?to=moturi@uonbi.ac.ke" target="_blank">moturi@uonbi.ac.ke</a>>; <<a href="http://mc/compose?to=waema@uonbi.ac.ke" target="_blank">waema@uonbi.ac.ke</a>><br>>
Subject: Re: [kictanet] The Premier B.Sc. Computer Science Programme in
Kenya<br>> <br>>
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