KENYATTA UNIVERSITY

Prof. Olive M. Mugenda, PhD, MBA, EBS, CBSVice-Chancellor

May 2015

Social Innovation at Kenyatta University

Transforming Higher Education….Enhancing Lives

A social innovation is a novel solution to socio-economic challenges and are often effective, efficient and sustainable within

societies

Social Innovation: Definition

There has been a phenomenal surge of

interest in social innovation as a way to

achieve sustainable economic growth.

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Benefits of Social Innovation

Social outcomes: Inclusion, education Creates job

opportunities Creates beneficial

partnerships Enhances health

provision Ensures food security

To the workplace: Increases productivity, Enhances focus on

core functions Improves services

provision

Universities & Social InnovationUniversities need to entrench the culture

of innovation among staff, students & community in order to encourage solution creation

Universities can instil social innovation before students graduate

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Universities can influence the social innovation ecosystem by mapping out the stakeholders & creating a platform for engagement & harness synergies

Universities can develop social innovation labs & provision of meaningful support to provide requisite capacity to incubate the innovations

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At Kenyatta University, our social

innovation programs focus on developing

leaders who can solve the world’s most

challenging problems in diverse

disciplines e.g. engineering, business

areas such as healthcare provision, and

social justice. 7

Social Innovations: A Case Study of Kenyatta University

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Kenyatta University in Kenya

1) Business Innovation & Incubation Centre

At the Incubation Centre, 30% of the spaces is given to youth from communitiesThe University assists in identifying innovations from communities

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Services at Chandaria BIICAssistance with business basicsNetworking activitiesMarketing assistanceHelp with accounting/financial managementAccess to seed capital, bank loans, loan

funds and guarantee programsHelp with presentation/ pitching skillsLinks to strategic partners

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Access to Chandaria BIIC

Its open to all Kenyans We admit 70% KU students and 30%

non- KU Kenyans

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http://www.ku.ac.ke/chandaria-biic/

ChandariaBusinessInnovationAndIncubationCentre

@ChandariaBIIC

+254 020 +254 020 87109013871/ 0722587390/ 0700363741

Selected Companies @Chandaria BIIC

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Financial solution using a Y-Card for secondary school studentsThe solution ensures security for their moniesCashless systems help in controlling drug abuse in schools

Selected Companies @Chandaria BIIC

Produces interactive software in the form of games to induce knowledge in an entertaining way making learning fun

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Our Partners at the Chandaria Business Innovation & Incubation Centre

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2) Serving the community through the funeral home

The KU Funeral home provides dignified & high quality services to the community Students volunteer as ushers at the Funeral Home

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3) Legal Aid Clinic Kenyatta University established a legal aid clinic

that offers free legal assistance and advice to members of the community

Many vulnerable individuals in the community seek for legal advice from the Legal Aid Clinic where students from the University’s School of Law are attached

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4) Orphans & Vulnerable Students Fund

The University The OVS supports orphans & vulnerable

students from various communities across the country

We engage communities to find out those who are poor & missed admission due to inadequate space in universities.

Such Orphans & Vulnerable students are supported through their University education hence empowering them 18

OVS Beneficiaries in a seminar

4) Students Work Induction Programme

We facilitate student s’ service learning through university-industry partnerships

In the SWIP programme students are afforded an opportunity to

develop life skills in public and private organizations

5) Use of tablets in the Digital School

The Digital school allows the marginalized populations to pursue their education at the convenience of their work spaces and homes The use of smart tablets enhances ICT integration in the society

6) Student Training for Entrepreneurship Promotion (STEP) initiative

This is a hands-on, skill & research oriented initiative

In STEP, KU collaborates with Leuphana University of Germany & Kenya National Commissions for UNESCO

We trained KU students as Trainers of TrainersCurrently, we are training youth in the counties

STEP training session

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7) Health Advocacy & Medical Camps in the communitiesThe University’s Community Outreach &

Extension Programme organizes for health advocacy & medical camps in both rural urban settlements

In the camps students provide:Voluntary HIV testing Health educationSessions on lifestyle diseases

management & prevention e.g. diabetes & obesity

Malaria control management and treatment

8) Africa Centre for Transformative & Inclusive Leadership

Through the Africa Centre for Transformative & Inclusive Leadership, the University trains leaders on strategic and social innovation for transformation

Building capacities of existing & emerging African leaders in order to promote; Good governance, Entrepreneurship & Innovative leadership

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9) Young African Leadership Institute (YALI)

The University is has been selected to host YALI which is going to train the Next Generation of Leaders in:

Civil societyBusiness & entrepreneurshipCorporate leadership

YALI is supported by USAIDYALI is a President Obama initiative to inculcate

leadership skills among African youth

Northern

By-p

ass

Proposed Bridge

Phase One(300 beds)

10) Teaching, Research & Referral Hospital Under Construction

Northern

By-p

ass

Proposed Bridge

Phase Two(600 beds)

The hospital under construction will:Provide specialized medical services e.g. in oncology, renal medicine & geriatricsTraining of health personnelBe a referral hospital

To be opened in October 2015

Plans are underway to construct a 300-bed Children’s HospitalThe Children’s Hospital will be the 1st Public Children’s Hospital in

KenyaChildren occupy about 25% of the bed spaces in public hospitals There is a high demand for high quality pediatric health care provision

11) Children’s Hospital

To be opened at the end of 2016

Through skills trainingThrough mentorship supportBy creating support networksBy creating & sustaining a learning

environmentBy Institutionalizing social innovationBy giving rewards and incentives to

encourage innovation

How to Promote Social innovation

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Key LessonsSocial innovation bears the potential for

transformative rather than incremental changePartnerships & collaborations are

indispensible in the implementation of social innovations

Leadership is key to the development of social innovations

Working together in social innovations Creates efficienciesEnhances quality

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Sharing experiences & success stories

critical to future progress

Need for top leadership involvement

Institutionalizing creativity so that it becomes

a culture in the institution

Implementing monitoring & evaluation to

ensure that everything is on course

Conducting feasibility studies before

starting a venture

Taking feedback seriously from the

stakeholders

Thank You

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