Transforming Africa through Leadership - Strathmore University

Transforming Africa throughLeadershipTransforming Africa throughLeadershipA campaign for Strathmore UniversityStrathmore University

Messagefrom the Vice ChancellorFor nearly 50 years Strathmore University has been creatinga culture of excellence through work and study thatgenerates intellectual excitement, transforms lives, anddevelops leaders. The university aims at transforminghigher education in Africa by attracting the best facultyand staff, increasing enrolment and providing a conduciveatmosphere for teaching and learning. The university wouldlike to serve as a reference point for education in Africa.The Campaign for Strathmore is a three-year, KShs 550 millionfundraising effort to increase Strathmore University’snational competitiveness and global impact. It will end up in2011 when Strathmore will celebrate its 50th Anniversary.The need for a major capital campaign was necessitated bythe increasing demand for education in Kenya at all levels withthe consequent increase in the demand for higher educationand especially the higher number of applicants in Strathmore.Our Strategic Plan emphasized the need for the university tobecome an entrepreneurial university. The university needsto establish a number of new faculties, including Hospitalityand Tourism, Law and Actuarial Science in the short term, andstart other new programs to meet the demands and needs ofKenya. To achieve its aims, the university needs the resourcesand personnel to reach its goals.Our project includes a new business school building, amodern teaching and learning centre and an ultra modernstudents’ centre, enhancing campus facilities to modernizethe University’s beautiful campus and improve the students’learning experience.The campaign will focus on making our programs andfacilities as good as we can make them with the moneyavailable. It will focus on what we already do well-and enableus to be exceptional and build on our strengths. We will takeour academic programs and research endeavors to an evenhigher level.I encourage you to be part of Strathmore University’s effortsto improve higher education in Africa by participating in thefundraising campaign in whichever way possible. With thehelp of our friends, alumni, students, and parents, I believe wewill succeed and we will lay the foundation for our work forthe next 50 years.Prof. John OdhiamboVice Chancellor1

The Case for StrathmoreStrathmore University is a leading African school of business, finance, and informationtechnology. For nearly 50 years it has been training leaders.Since its founding in 1961, Strathmore has been pioneering in Africa.Strathmore was East Africa’s first multiracial college. Strathmore wasfirst to train accountants in Kenya and now has trained two thirdsof all Kenya’s CPAs. Through Kianda College, with whom we mergedin 1993, Strathmore was the first institution to train executivesecretaries in Kenya, and now with women students totaling about50% of our student population Strathmore shows that it is seriousabout women’s empowerment.Strathmore has also designed new programs in micro finance, microenterprise development, cooperative management, executivemanagement, and good governance - all critical for raising Africa up.Strathmore enjoys a peerless reputation for academic excellence andmanagerial integrity, attested not only by Kenya’s various governments,but also by substantial funding from the European Union, the IFC, theFord Foundation and Rockefeller Foundation, to name just a few.Kenya is a critical place at a critical time:• Africa above all needs more wealth and job creation - and,thus, honest and capable young people who can develop thecontinent for the benefit of all.• Kenya is stable, but fragile: After some years of political andeconomic stagnation, Kenya has successfully passed through apeaceful transition to a new democratically elected governmentin which there is now hope for a new beginning. Kenya needsleaders to build on these gains for the future.• Kenya is strategic: with 35.5 million people, Kenya is thedemographic and economic center of East and Central Africa,bordering Somalia, Ethiopia, and Sudan. As Kenya goes, manybelieve, so will go East Africa.Thus Strathmore expects - and isexpected by many- to lead in the buildingof Kenya’s leadership and managementcapacity.Strathmore is reaching out to allinterested in African higher education,management and leadership development;entrepreneurship, women’s empowermentand good governance. We are especiallyseeking friends in like-minded fields ofbusiness, industry, commerce, finance,and information technology.This campaign will provide additionalteaching facilities (classrooms and facultyoffices). This will enable us provide amore enriching environment and adequatespace for both our students and lecturers.Thus our impact on society will be evenmore noticeable in the near future.2

Sports FacilitiesThe sports complex will have the following:• Football Pitch• Rugby pitch• Volleyball courts• 2 Tennis courts• 2 Basketball courtsThe university aims at providing an all roundeducation to all its students. To this end, itencourages its students to participate inextracurricular activities. Depending onindividual interests students are able tojoin some clubs or sports teams andthus develop their personality and talentsoutside the classroom and the library.The university is in the process ofdeveloping an ultra modern Students’centre and Sports complex for use bystudents.6

Students’ Funding• About 5% of Strathmore students receive some kind of financial aid.We want to increase that to 20% by 2011• Strathmore’s current endowment is Euro 550,000. The target is to increase the endowment to Euro 1 million• Strathmore has started a loan scheme for students with the IFC and CBA, a local bank.• The initial credit line for the students’ loan scheme is KShs. 280 Million with a second phase in 2011.• The total amount distributed on scholarships in the academic year 2007/08 is KShs. 30 million.7

TestimoniesIndeed, the stewardship of Kenya’s corporate sector owes much gratitude toStrathmore, not just for its ability to supply qualified accountants, but also for thehigh level of professionalism by past graduates of this institution.His Excellency, Mwai Kibaki, President of KenyaThe goals of Vision 2030 will not be realized unless we continue to expand accessto higher education through building and strengthening institutions such asStrathmore.Honourable Raila Odinga, Prime Minister of KenyaThe Management Information Systems of Strathmore University are beingimplemented by public and private universities around East Africa. We in the FordFoundation are very happy to be associated with this project.Dr. Carla Sutherland, project officer, Ford Foundation East AfricaEarlier this year (2008) I had the privilege and pleasure of addressing thestudents and tutors at Strathmore University. I was impressed not only by thebuildings, which were built mainly with a grant from the EU, but also by the staffand the students. I came out of Strathmore with renewed hope in the future ofKenya and Africa.Sir John Corrie, Honorary President of the ACP/ EU Joint Parliamentary AssemblyStrathmore University is the best kept secret in town. I encourage others tovisit it. Like me I do not think you will be disappointed.Dr. Richard Leakey , former head of the civil service and secretary to the cabinet9I have known Strathmore for some years now. I also serve on the Association ofAfrican Business Schools Group. I have no doubt that Strathmore has the visionand capacity to lead the transformation of university education in Africa.Baroness Lynda Chalker, former UK Minister of State for Africa

Reaching out to those most in needAs we launch this ambitious campaign we are not forgetting thosewho very often cannot afford to go to University in Kenya, and theyare many. For them we have developed a three point strategy that willhappen concurrently with our building project:• Strathmore is re-training and motivating teachers and headmasters throughout Kenya.This project, which started five years ago, has the potential to transform the lives ofmany thousands of children.• We are helping in the fund rising of the Eastlands College of Technology in Nairobi.This is a new vocational college that Strathmore Trustees want to build in a depressedarea of Nairobi. The University has already helped them to begin to give courses inentrepreneurship to people working in the informal economy. These classes havebeen running in a rented house for the last 3 years.• We will also informally adopt 20 schools around Kenya, mainly in Kibera, a slum areanot far from our campus. We are already helping several of these in improving theirinfrastructure and equipment. The ultimate objective would be for students fromthese schools studying with us.10

Howyoucan help?DonationsYour gift, unrestricted or designated, is greatly appreciated. Gifts of everyamount are welcome and help address the needs of Strathmore’sstudents and staff.Donors, parents, alumni and friends can make donations to StrathmoreUniversity through cash, cheques or standing order payments. Please feelfree to write or call for advice or details.Cheques should be made payable to “Strathmore University” and mailed to:Office of Advancement & External RelationsStrathmore UniversityP.O. Box 5985700200 Nairobi, Kenya.Bank transfers and / or standing orders can be made to the university’s bankaccount. We can forward details on request.Please note that in Kenya your donation can be tax deductible.If you have questions about making a donation, please call us at(254) 020 606155 ext 2309 or send e-mail to: esaulo@strathmore.eduYour timeWe would appreciate any help you can givein terms of volunteering your time to help usfundraise. You can introduce us to your friendswho can help Strathmore in different ways.Thank youin advancefor yourgenerosityto Strathmore!