Category: Latest News

UNESCO Regional Director for Eastern Africa and Representative to Kenya Prof. Hubert Gijzen accompanied by Sam Partey a Program Specialist at UNESCO Regional office for Eastern Africa paid a courtesy call to the Director General for National Commission for Science Technology and Innovation Prof. Walter Oyawa on 13th October 2021 at the Commission’s headquarters. During the meeting, there were opportune discussions on possible areas of partnership and linkages regarding Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) in Kenya towards sustainable development. The … Continue reading “VISIT BY UNESCO REGIONAL DIRECTOR TO NACOSTI”

Columbus, Copernicus, Michelangelo, Medici were all celebrated explorers of their day – they navigated the unknown, be it terrestrial, celestial, artistic or socio-economic. They lived in an era when creative expression, literacy and learning was revered. This age of humanism led to a resurgence of universities being built as centres of education and influence that in time, propelled civilisation towards modernity. As our creative capacity fuelled the arts, music, philosophy, language and literature, our pursuit of empirical knowledge drove discoveries … Continue reading “FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION- RENAISSANCE”

America is serious about avoiding a future where the West must rely on authoritarian regimes for technology. The United Kingdom’s policymakers also need to recognize that science and innovation are not only bedrocks of the West’s future prosperity, but also vital for its global standing. LONDON – The challenge that China’s rise poses for liberal democracies puts a premium on pushing the frontiers of science and technology. Western economies have a deep ability to innovate when they have the will … Continue reading “FRONTIERS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION”

The National Commission for Science, Technology and Innovation on 17th August 2021 assessed the Research Directorate’s readiness to institutionalize St. Paul’s University’s Ethical Review Committee. This is a great milestone for the directorate as it will simplify review and approval of scholars’ work.

The role of STI in Kenya’s development discourse is acknowledged by the Kenyan Government as is depicted in the 10th Edition of the Performance Contracting (PC) Guidelines for the FY 2013/2014, where MDAs were expected to report on research and development (R&D). In FY 2021/2022 the Ministry of Public Service and Gender accepted NACOSTI’s request to STI Mainstreaming as an Indicator in the 18th PC Cycle. To enhance the capacity of the MDAs to effectively implement and report on the … Continue reading “SENSITIZATION ON STI MAINSTREAMING PERFORMANCE CONTRACT INDICATOR-FY 2021/2022”

Daystar University vice-chancellor has stressed the need to give emphasis to ethics, integrity and quality in research. Prof Laban Ayiro and other scholars emphasised the need for academic honesty, saying it was critical for education to make an impact. “Total lack of ethics will carry itself with you as you walk around telling people that you have a PhD, yet you know that the ethical standards of your PhD are false,” said Prof Ayiro. Prof Walter Oyawa, the director-general of the National … Continue reading “SCHOLARS CALL FOR ACADEMIC INTEGRITY”

Kenya has launched a five-year strategic plan to tackle non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension. The National Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of NCDs 2020/21-2025/26 (2021) sets out to strengthen the national health system’s capacity to manage non-communicable diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle. Surveillance, monitoring, evaluation and research form one of the five pillars of the plan. The next step will be to establish national research priorities and an implementation plan (Govt of Kenya, 2021; Nakweya, 2021). As the UNESCO … Continue reading “KENYA LAUNCHES FIVE-YEAR PLAN TO CONTROL NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES”

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the importance of science and technology for the well-being of global populations, and advances in these fields are necessary not only to recover better from the crisis, but also to address other global challenges, such as poverty, inequality and climate change, speakers said today as the Economic and Social Council opened a two-day forum on the subject. “COVID-19, and the inadequate response to the pandemic, have divided the world in two, between those countries primed … Continue reading “ADVANCES IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY CRUCIAL FOR EQUITABLE PANDEMIC RECOVERY, GLOBAL GROWTH, SPEAKERS STRESS, AS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL OPENS MULTI-STAKEHOLDER FORUM”

The challenge of translating knowledge infrastructures to public need The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak made it clear that despite the potential of science, technology, and innovation (ST&I) to positively impact healthcare systems worldwide, as shown by the rapid development of SARS-CoV-2 test diagnostics and new mRNA vaccines, healthcare stakeholders have faced significant challenges in responding to the crisis through well-integrated ST&I-oriented health initiatives and policies. Therefore, the pandemic has mobilized experts, industry, and governments to evaluate alternative trajectories to … Continue reading “RETHINKING APPROACHES OF STI IN HEALTHCARE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC”

According to a report by the World Intellectual Property Organization, Kenya came second after South Africa on the continent. The ranking was done based on an index dubbed the Global Innovation Index (GII) 2021 which looks at the investments in innovation. The report revealed that despite the effects of the global pandemic, countries continued investing heavily in innovation. “Many sectors have shown remarkable resilience – especially those that have embraced digitalization, technology and innovation”, said WIPO Director General Daren Tang. In … Continue reading “KENYANS NAMED SECOND MOST INNOVATIVE PEOPLE IN AFRICA”