THIKA, KENYA
In a bold move to align academic instruction with the rapid evolution of the global tech industry, Mount Kenya University (MKU), in partnership with the Global Peace Foundation Kenya and Oracle Academy, hosted the 2026 Transforming Education Bootcamp. The high-impact event, held at MKU’s Thika Main Campus, brought together ICT and Computer Science lecturers from across Kenya and the wider region to master cutting-edge competencies in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Cloud Computing.
Evolving Pedagogy for the AI Era
The bootcamp addressed a critical challenge in modern higher education: ensuring that teaching methods evolve as fast as the students themselves. Prof. Deogratius Jaganyi, Vice Chancellor of MKU, emphasized that the convergence of AI and cloud computing is a double-edged sword that requires immediate institutional adaptation.
“While our students are increasingly becoming technologically advanced, we must ensure that our teaching methods evolve accordingly,” noted Prof. Jaganyi. “The future of education lies in our ability to integrate these innovations into curriculum delivery.”
He further challenged faculty to rethink traditional assessment, urging a shift toward application-based and critical thinking-oriented evaluation to remain relevant in an era where AI can handle routine tasks.
Industry-Ready Skills at Zero Cost
The initiative highlighted a powerful commitment to inclusivity. Danny Gooris, Senior Director at Oracle Academy, underscored that modern employers now prioritize practical, real-world experience over theoretical knowledge. Through the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), educators and students can now build and deploy solutions using the same tools used by Fortune 500 companies.
Lorna Juma, Oracle Academy Program Manager for Africa, issued a clarion call to institutions across the continent:
- Free Resources: Access to world-class curriculum and cloud technologies at no cost.
- Hands-on Training: Practical exposure to autonomous databases and machine learning models.
- Future-Proofing: Preparing students for the “future of work” through industry-aligned training.
Technology for Peace and Development
Representing the Global Peace Foundation, Africa Regional Representative Daniel Juma Omondi linked the technical training to a broader social mission. He noted that by strengthening educator capacity, the partnership is investing in a generation that will create indigenous solutions for Africa’s most pressing challenges in agriculture, healthcare, and finance.
Dr. John Kamau, Dean of the School of Computing and Informatics at MKU, hailed the sessions as “timely and transformative,” noting that the insights into autonomous databases and cloud-based app development would immediately enhance the university’s curriculum.
