May 2, 2023 – Angola Newswire

May 2, 2023

Registration for GMAT™ Focus Edition to Open in August 2023

Free prep materials available two months prior to propel candidates to success on their business school journey

RESTON, Va., May 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global association representing leading business schools, today announced that registration for the GMAT Focus Edition, an updated version of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) exam, will open on August 29, 2023 for testing in the fourth quarter this year. In addition, official GMAT Focus prep materials will be available on mba.com on June 6, 2023, with a free study planner of only six weeks to help test takers stick to a schedule, inform prep activities, and track progress, as well as a free GMAT Focus Official Starter Kit that comes with a sampler of 70 real GMAT questions and two full-length practice exams to help candidates establish performance baseline.

Earlier this year, GMAC introduced GMAT Focus Edition after extensive research efforts involving hundreds of school professionals and an in-depth concept testing with thousands of students globally. The GMAT, the most widely used business school admissions exam in the past seven decades, was redesigned with improved test taking experience and flexible new features to better support candidates of graduate business education. Schools will benefit from it as an improved element in their holistic admissions process.

“We want to encourage people with a broad set of qualifications, undergraduate backgrounds and lived experiences to understand the richness of their choice and take that leap forward on their business school journey,” said Joy Jones, CEO of GMAC. “It is our belief that GMAT Focus Edition will allow candidates to optimize their preparation for graduate business education while helping schools attract a global pool of qualified and diverse applicants.”

“This is an important evolution of the test,” said Bruce DelMonico, Assistant Dean for Admissions at Yale School of Management and a board member of GMAC. “In terms of the relevance and usefulness of the test, this is definitely a positive step that will be beneficial both to business schools and to candidates.”

More efficient, more flexible, and more insightful, in an all-new testing experience

The GMAT Focus Edition will feature three 45-minute sections: Quantitative Reasoning, which examines problem solving skills; Verbal Reasoning, which evaluates critical reasoning and reading comprehension but no longer incorporates sentence correction; and the newly developed Data Insights section, which measures candidates’ data literacy skills and ability to analyze and interpret data and apply it to real-world business scenarios. With these changes and the removal of the Analytical Writing Assessment (AWA), it is nearly one hour shorter than the current version of the GMAT and therefore requires less content to prepare. Besides new features that allow test takers to bookmark as many questions as they want, review questions within the remaining section time and change up to three answers per section, and to complete the three sections in any order, the enhanced Official Score Report now offers detailed performance insights that helps them assess strengths and identify focus areas at no additional cost.

“I think the redesign of the GMAT exam is testament to GMAC’s commitment to continuous improvement. Changes to the exam address the growing importance of certain competencies and the future of work – for example with the addition of Data Insight,” said Arnold Longboy, Executive Director, Recruitment & Admissions at London Business School.

New score scale and concordance to help assess candidate competitiveness

The GMAT Focus Edition’s Total Score, ranging from 205 to 805, is based on test taker performance on all three sections of the exam, with each section, ranging from 60 to 90, weighted equally. This change has been made to ensure that test takers and schools can easily distinguish from a GMAT Focus Edition score to the currently available GMAT Exam score, which ranges from 200 to 800. To understand a test taker’s relative competitiveness, one can use the concordance tables available on mba.com that link score distributions between the two versions of the exam by percentile. With the GMAT Focus Edition’s new score scale, percentile rankings deserve the primary attention from test takers and schools when looking to understand the results.

“When comparing scores of GMAT Focus Edition to the current version of the GMAT Exam, we encourage test takers and schools to compare percentile rankings rather than comparing total scores,” stressed Manish Dharia, director of product development at GMAC. “Because the Total Score scale and the score scale distribution have both changed, comparing total scores or section scores from the current version of the exam to the GMAT Focus Edition is not appropriate, accurate, or a meaningful comparison of performance. Scores of 600 and 605 may look similar, but they represent very different performance levels on different skills.”

Additional efforts to facilitate smooth transition and swift adoption

As GMAT Focus Edition rolls out for the remainder of 2023, the current version of the GMAT exam will continue to be available to candidates until early next year to facilitate their in-progress preparation and applications for business school. Also, to that end, the GMAT Focus Edition fees will remain the same as the current GMAT exam.

“Keep in mind, all GMAT exam scores – whether they are of the current GMAT or GMAT Focus Edition – continue to be valid for 5 years,” said Ashish Bhardwaj, senior vice president and head of market development at GMAC. “With the advance announcement of the new edition, we encourage candidates to proceed with registering and taking the GMAT exam in ways that best enable their pursuit of graduate management education.”

About GMAC

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) is a mission-driven association of leading graduate business schools worldwide. GMAC provides world-class research, industry conferences, recruiting tools, and assessments for the graduate management education industry as well as resources, events, and services that help guide candidates through their higher education journey. Owned and administered by GMAC, the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) exam is the most widely used graduate business school assessment.

More than 12 million prospective students a year trust GMAC’s websites, including mba.com, to learn about MBA and business master’s programs, connect with schools around the world, prepare and register for exams and get advice on successfully applying to MBA and business master’s programs. BusinessBecause and GMAC Tours are subsidiaries of GMAC, a global organization with offices in China, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.gmac.com

Media Contact:

Teresa Hsu
Sr. Manager, Media Relations
Mobile: 202-390-4180
thsu@gmac.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8829077

May 2, 2023

Les inscriptions à l’examen GMAT™ Focus Edition ouvriront en août 2023

Des supports préparatoires gratuits seront disponibles deux mois au préalable afin d’aider les candidats à réussir dans leur parcours vers les écoles de commerce

RESTON, Virginie, 02 mai 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Le Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), une association mondiale représentant les plus grandes écoles de commerce, a annoncé aujourd’hui que les inscriptions au GMAT Focus Edition, une version actualisée du Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), ouvriront le 29 août 2023, tandis que l’examen se déroulera au quatrième trimestre de l’année. Par ailleurs, des supports préparatoires officiels du GMAT Focus seront disponibles sur mba.com le 6 juin 2023, avec un planificateur d’études gratuit de seulement six semaines pour aider les candidats à se tenir à un planning, informer les activités préparatoires et suivre leurs progrès, outre un GMAT Focus Official Starter Kit gratuit fourni avec un échantillonneur de 70 vraies questions du GMAT et deux examens pratiques taille réelle pour aider les candidats à établir un référentiel de leurs performances.

Plus tôt cette année, le GMAC a lancé le GMAT Focus Edition après des efforts de recherche étendus impliquant des centaines de professionnels scolaires et un test de concept approfondi avec des milliers d’étudiants à l’échelle mondiale. Le GMAT, l’examen d’admissions pour écoles de commerce le plus largement utilisé au cours des sept dernières décennies, a été repensé pour offrir une expérience améliorée et de nouvelles fonctions flexibles permettant de mieux soutenir les candidats souhaitant poursuivre des études supérieures dans le commerce. Les écoles en bénéficieront en guise d’élément amélioré de leur processus holistique d’admissions.

« Nous voulons encourager les personnes avec un large ensemble de qualifications, les étudiants en premier cycle et les individus aux expériences vécues à comprendre la richesse de leur choix et à réellement avancer dans leur parcours vers les écoles de commerce », a déclaré Joy Jones, PDG du GMAC. « Nous croyons que le GMAT Focus Edition permettra aux candidats d’optimiser leur préparation aux études supérieures de commerce tout en aidant les écoles à attirer un pool mondial de candidats qualifiés et diversifiés. »

« Il s’agit d’une évolution importante du test », a commenté Bruce DelMonico, doyen adjoint pour les admissions à la Yale School of Management et membre du conseil d’administration du GMAC. « En termes de pertinence et d’utilité, ce test présente véritablement une progression positive qui bénéficiera tant aux écoles de commerce qu’aux candidats. »

Plus efficace, plus flexible et plus instructif, dans le cadre d’une expérience de test entièrement nouvelle

Le GMAT Focus Edition comprendra trois sections de 45 minutes : Raisonnement quantitatif, qui examine les compétences de résolution des problèmes ; Raisonnement verbal, qui évalue le raisonnement critique et la compréhension de lecture mais n’intègre plus la correction de phrases ; et la toute nouvelle section Connaissances des données, qui mesure les compétences de lecture des données des candidats et leur capacité à analyser et interpréter les données et à les appliquer à des scénarios commerciaux réels. Avec ces changements et le retrait de l’Évaluation de rédaction analytique (Analytical Writing Assessment, AWA), il dure près d’une heure de moins que la version actuelle du GMAT et requiert donc moins de contenu pour se préparer. Outre de nouvelles fonctions permettant aux candidats d’attribuer un signet à autant de questions qu’ils le veulent, de passer en revue des questions pendant le temps restant d’une section, de changer jusqu’à trois réponses par section, et de compléter les trois sections dans n’importe quel ordre, le Rapport de notation officiel amélioré intègre désormais des informations détaillées sur leurs performances qui les aident à évaluer leurs points forts et à identifier les domaines sur lesquels ils doivent se concentrer sans aucun coût supplémentaire.

« Je crois que la refonte de l’examen GMAT atteste de l’engagement du GMAC en faveur d’une amélioration continue. Les modifications apportées à l’examen s’adressent à l’importance grandissante de certaines compétences et à l’avenir du travail, par exemple avec l’ajout de la section Connaissances des données », a déclaré Arnold Longboy, directeur exécutif du recrutement et des admissions à la London Business School.

Une nouvelle échelle de notation et un système de concordance pour aider à évaluer la compétitivité des candidats

Le Score total du GMAT Focus Edition, allant de 205 à 805, se base sur les performances d’un candidat aux trois sections de l’examen, où chaque section, allant de 60 à 90, est considérée avec la même valeur. Ce changement a été apporté pour s’assurer que les candidats comme les écoles puissent facilement distinguer une note au GMAT Focus Edition d’une note à l’examen GMAT actuellement disponible, qui va de 200 à 800. Pour comprendre la compétitivité relative d’un candidat, il est possible d’utiliser les tableaux de concordance disponibles sur mba.com qui lient les distributions de notes entre les deux versions de l’examen par centile. Avec la nouvelle échelle de notation du GMAT Focus Edition, les classements par centile méritent le plus gros de l’attention des candidats et des écoles cherchant à comprendre les résultats.

« Lorsqu’il s’agit de comparer les notes du GMAT Focus Edition à la version actuelle de l’examen GMAT, nous encourageons les candidats et les écoles à comparer les classements en centile plutôt que les notes totales », a insisté Manish Dharia, directeur du développement produits au GMAC. « Comme l’échelle de Note totale et la distribution de l’échelle de notation ont toutes deux changé, il ne serait pas approprié, précis ou pertinent de comparer les notes totales ou des notes de sections de la version actuelle à celles de l’examen GMAT Focus Edition. Des scores de 600 et 605 peuvent paraître similaires, mais ils représentent des niveaux de performance très différents pour différentes compétences. »

Des efforts additionnels pour faciliter une transition fluide et une adoption rapide

Alors que le GMAT Focus Edition se déploie pour le reste de l’année 2023, la version actuelle de l’examen GMAT restera disponible pour les candidats jusqu’au début de l’année prochaine afin de faciliter leur préparation en cours et leurs candidatures aux écoles de commerce. Par ailleurs, à cette fin, les frais pour le GMAT Focus Edition resteront les mêmes que pour l’examen GMAT actuel.

« Gardez à l’esprit que toutes les notes à l’examen GMAT, qu’il s’agisse du GMAT actuel ou du GMAT Focus Edition, restent valables pendant 5 ans », a déclaré Ashish Bhardwaj, vice-président sénior et responsable du développement de marché au GMAC. « Avec l’annonce anticipée de la nouvelle édition, nous encourageons les candidats à s’inscrire et à passer l’examen des façons qui favorisent le mieux leur poursuite d’études supérieures en management. »

À propos du GMAC

Le Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) est une association de prestigieuses écoles supérieures de commerce du monde entier, au service d’une mission. Le GMAC fournit au secteur de l’enseignement supérieur en management des recherches, conférences sectorielles, outils de recrutement et évaluations de classe mondiale, ainsi que des outils, ressources, événements et services qui guident les candidats pendant leur parcours dans l’enseignement supérieur. Propriété du GMAC, qui assure sa gestion, l’examen du Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) est l’évaluation pour école de commerce la plus largement utilisée.

Plus de 12 millions d’étudiants potentiels par an font confiance aux sites Web du GMAC, y compris mba.com, pour en savoir plus sur les programmes de MBA et de masters de commerce, contacter les écoles du monde entier, se préparer et s’inscrire aux examens, et obtenir des conseils sur les procédures d’admission aux programmes de MBA et de masters de commerce. BusinessBecause et GMAC Tours sont des filiales du GMAC, une organisation internationale avec des bureaux en Chine, en Inde, à Singapour, au Royaume-Uni et aux États-Unis.

Pour en savoir plus sur notre travail, rendez-vous sur www.gmac.com

Contact auprès des médias :

Teresa Hsu
Cadre de direction, Relations avec les médias
Portable : 202-390-4180
thsu@gmac.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8830032

May 2, 2023

Amii welcomes over 2000 of the world’s brightest minds in AI to annual Upper Bound event

Four days of events include keynotes, panels, demos and socials from world-leading AI researchers and innovative business leaders

EDMONTON, Alberta, May 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amii (Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) welcomes the world AI community to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada for Upper Bound, May 23-26. All are invited to attend the multi-day event, with diverse programming catered for AI researchers, industry leaders, pop culture enthusiasts and anyone who has ever been curious about artificial intelligence.

In-person and virtual tickets start at $0. Registration and schedules are available at upperbound.ai

A celebration of AI excellence in Alberta and beyond, Upper Bound will take over Edmonton with a full event schedule and more than 100 events taking place in the downtown core. Upper Bound is pleased to welcome our 2023 keynote speakers including:

Richard S. Sutton, trailblazing AI researcher and Amii Chief Scientific Advisor, considered by many as the pioneer of reinforcement learning | Ticket Access: Community Pass, Upper Bound Pass, Talent Bursary All Access and Online Pass
Cam Linke, CEO, Amii | Ticket Access: Upper Bound Pass, Talent Bursary All Access and Online Pass
Peter Stone, Executive Director of Sony AI America | Ticket Access: Academic Symposium and Upper Bound Pass (limited)
Marlos Machado, Amii Fellow & Canada CIFAR AI Chair | Ticket Access: Academic Symposium

“AI is the most important tool of our time, and it continues to dominate global conversation,” says Cam Linke, CEO of Amii. “Upper Bound puts a spotlight on Alberta’s AI leadership and legacy and is a celebration of AI that welcomes everybody to learn, network, discuss and join in on the conversation. This is an invitation for the world’s AI community to experience the best of what Amii and Canada has to offer in scientific excellence, start-up creation and industry application — so they can leave inspired by the connections they’ve made, the information learned, and their ambitious ideas realized.”

Upper Bound is an AI event for everyone and includes sessions, demos, networking events and socials open for a range of ages and familiarity with AI. Scheduled events include:

An Academic Symposium, showcasing leading research and organized by Amii Fellows from the University of Alberta, one of the world’s top academic institutions for AI research.
Panels on AI in industry, including discussions on innovative applications of AI in industry; the demand for AI talent; advancing cellular agriculture; ventures and start-ups; and more.
AI & Culture, high-energy and fun events for all AI enthusiasts.
Social and networking opportunities with daily coffee catch up, beers with peers and the hottest ticket in town, the official Upper Bound Party.

Last year more than 2,000 attendees from 38 countries attended the inaugural event. Amii awarded Talent Bursaries to over 500 recipients from around the world to cover travel and accommodation costs with over 69% of recipients self-identified as members of underrepresented groups in STEM.

This year, Amii has awarded over $500,000 in Talent Bursaries to support 700 recipients from 22 countries to Upper Bound in person. An additional 612 global Talent Bursary applicants received Online Pass access for live-streamed content and full immersion in the Upper Bound app.

Upper Bound is proudly presented by Amii. One of Canada’s three centres of AI excellence as part of the Pan-Canadian AI strategy, Amii is an Alberta-based, non-profit institute that supports world-leading research in artificial intelligence and machine learning and translates scientific advancement into industry adoption. Learn more at amii.ca.

Media Contact

Lynda Vang, Communications Specialist

E: lynda.vang@amii.ca

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8829558

May 2, 2023

Dorothy Nyong’o To Serve As Global Ambassador For World Ovarian Cancer Coalition

The World Ovarian Cancer Coalition has announced that Mrs. Dorothy Nyong’o has joined the organization as an Ambassador to help raise awareness of ovarian cancer, tackle low health literacy, and empower women in Kenya and across the world to take action to improve equitable access to high-quality, affordable care.

The announcement comes ahead of World Ovarian Cancer Day, a flagship awareness-raising initiative in which approximately 200 organizations from around the world raise their voices in solidarity in the fight against ovarian cancer.

A statement from the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition indicates that if access to high-quality, affordable care does not improve, the number of new cases of ovarian cancer in Kenya is estimated to increase by more than 130% from 2020 to 2040.

‘Sadly, the majority of women who have ovarian cancer live in low- and middle-income areas where access to treatment is extremely limited by inefficient infrastructure, inadequate resources, and cultural barriers. It can be impossible or financially crippling for many women and their families to obtain appropriate care,’ read the statement.

‘Worse still, there is a stigma around ovarian cancer for too many in the world, even in 2023, and that is compounded by many societal and economic barriers to health care, not just in my country, Kenya,’ said Mrs. Nyong’o.

‘As a founding trustee of Africa Cancer Foundation, I am excited to serve as an Ambassador so we can improve awareness and access for all women – no matter where they live,’ she said.

Mrs. Nyong’o is the Managing Trustee of Africa Cancer Foundation, First Lady of Kisumu County, and Director of 7th Sense Communications Limited.

She holds an Executive M.Sc. in Organizational Development from the United States International University (Nairobi), a Postgraduate Diploma in Mass Communications, and a B.A. Hons in French and Political Science from the University of Nairobi.

In her role as Ambassador, Mrs. Nyong’o will help the Coalition in its efforts to empower the ovarian cancer community in Kenya and across the globe through collaboration, knowledge, and action.

‘If we don’t take action now, the lives of hundreds of thousands of women in Africa will be lost over the next two decades. Ovarian cancer must become a priority, so that the increasing burden and challenges of successfully treating women with ovarian cancer are recognised and planned for at local, regional, and national levels,’ said Clara MacKay, CEO of the World Ovarian Cancer Coalition.

It is our great honor to be working with Mrs. Nyong’o who has done so much already to help close gaps in care in Kenya and has shown such commitment to the advancement and empowerment of women in her country. Together we are determined to improve the lives of women in Kenya who are living with, or at risk of, ovarian cancer, she added.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 2, 2023

Ailing Ex-Harambee Stars Goalkeeper, Who Lost 13 Children To AIDS Appeals For Assistance

‘I am sad that I lost 13 children to HIV/Aids and am left with one daughter who is already married. My health is deteriorating on a daily basis and I have been walking on the streets, visiting offices and appealing to well-wishers for daily bread and medical assistance.’

These are the remarks by none other than Mzee Joel Owino Odongo, 75, a former Harambee Stars goalkeeper, Bata Bullets FC player, and a football and netball coach for several clubs who walked into KNA offices recently armed with an officially signed proforma document seeking help.

‘My children, please help me. I have nothing to eat or fed for my wife Carren Acholla and several grandchildren. I am no longer able to work on my farm due to my ailing condition and I don’t own any business,’ Mzee Odongo, a frail-looking, 5’8 tall, dark complexioned elder appeals as we welcomed him to have a seat

Clad in a brown coat and black trousers Odongo revealed that he had six boys and eight girls (one survived) adding he now has 39 grandchildren.

‘My sons and daughters succumbed to HIV/AIDS in the 1980s when there were inadequate preventive and curative measures,’ he recalled with a tinge of pain.

Born in 1948 in Kochogo location, Ahero-Nyando Sub-County, Kisumu County, he revealed that he has had multiple surgeries to save him from the jaws of death.

‘My right groin was swollen with pus oozing, I underwent an operation to treat it. As we talk I have only one kidney and suffer from high blood pressure. The medical bill totaled Sh 800,000, and we only managed to raise Sh400,000 courtesy of the Universities, Colleges and Parastatals where I had offered my coaching services,’ he explained and thanked these institutions for their generosity.

The money, he noted enabled him to receive treatment at various hospitals including Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) where he was admitted for three months, Port Florence Hospital Kisumu (one and half months) and Gendia Hospital in Kendu Bay where he was hospitalized for three months.

His face beamed with joy as he recounted his heydays as one of the pioneer goalies and football coaches in the country.

He elaborates that he began his football career as a goalkeeper while a pupil at Bunde Primary School. After completing class eight, he said he never joined high school and played for his local community football team Ahero Rangers for three years starting in 1962.

‘I was poached by Bata Bullets FC from Limuru who came to play against us. After the match, they said that they were going to give me a job due to my goalkeeping prowess,” Odongo smiled warmly, adding that he joined Bata Shoe Company in 1966 and played for them for seven years.

At Bata Bullets FC, he adds, he played alongside former Kisii Senator Chris Mogere Obure who was a midfielder and the Company Secretary.

‘I was delighted when I received my first call to adorn the shirts of our national team Harambee Stars in 1969 as the second goalkeeper by Coach Grzegorz Polakow. The first-choice goalie was James Aggrey Siang’a and the third was Mr. Ogutu from Kenya Breweries Limited,’ he said.

In 1973, Mzee Odongo shifted his focus to coaching roles after being appointed the coach of Kimbo FC then being managed by former East Africa Industries. He served there for two years.

Other clubs where he showcased his skills, experience and won several cups as a coach were Kenya Prisons FC (1976-1979), Mombasa Port Reitz FC (1982-1985), Malindi Municipality FC (1985-1986), and Thika Bullish Tanneries (1986-1988).

He mentioned Aluko Jack, Zaddock Silabi and Joram Roy as some of the best strikers adding: ‘Some of the prolific strikers who tormented me between the goalposts include Allan Thigo, Sammy Nyongesa (both from Gor Mahia FC) and Joe Kadenge (AFC Leopards FC).’

In a twist of coaching career events, Mzee Odongo attained ‘netball ranks’ after undergoing a one-year Netball Coaching Course in 1988.

He even joined Nelson Mandela University in South Africa where he served for two years as a netball coach. In 1992, he proceeded to Nigeria University for Netball Practical Training and in 1995 became Kampala University netball coach where he served from 1995-1999.

Locally, he colorfully took charge of Maseno University (1999-2000), Kericho Training Teachers College (2000-2002), Kisumu Posta Netball (2003), Migori Training Teachers College (2004-2005), and Kisumu Railways (2006) when he retired from the ‘court’ duties.

Mzee Odongo appeals to the national government and sporting federations to urgently come to the aid of former players who he lamented lived in abject poverty.

‘It is high time they come up with the Kenya Hall of Fames to honor and reward sportsmen and women for the glory they brought to the nation in their various disciplines,” he advised.

Hall of Fame is a list of individual achievements or other entities, usually chosen by a group of electors to mark their excellence or fame in their fields. They can consist of actual halls or museums that enshrine the honorees with sculptures, plaques and displays of memorabilia and general information.

On the current club players’ salaries and allowances, Mzee Odongo points out that during their days they were players-cum-employees which, he noted, brought financial security and boosted their morale on and off the pitch.

He urged local football clubs to pay their players well to prevent them from hopping to others saying doing so would also help in improving Kenyan football standards.

He advised talented youth to be highly disciplined as they grow their talents if they want to succeed.

As we parted, the renowned former sportsman appealed to the government and good Samaritans to help him out of the financial abyss he was currently in due to his ill health amidst hard economic times.

‘I can be reached through my personal contact number 0768226678,” he said, happily stretching his legs to reveal torn socks and dustily worn-out shoes.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 2, 2023

Two Kenyan Dons, TVETs Clinch Prestigious Global Awards

Two career educationists and three Technical and Vocational Education and Training have thrust Kenya on the world map after being feted by the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics (WFCP).

Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology (RVIST) Principal Sammy Chemoiwo was awarded a gold medal in Leadership in Inclusivity category, while his immediate predecessor Dr. Daniel Mutai was feted with a silver medal in the Lifetime Achievement award category, during the sixth edition of the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics 2023 TVET excellence for all awards held in Montreal, Canada.

At the same time, the 43-year-old RVIST won a gold medal for the Sustainable Development Goals Award, Harare National Polytechnic of Zimbabwe took home the silver, while Australian Technical and Further Education (TAFE) institute got the bronze.

Dr. Mutai said the awards were telling the world that Kenyan TVETS have done a good job, adding that it goes into global records that the country had made a mark.

WFCP 2023 Awards of Excellence recognized outstanding contributions from member institutions, individuals and associations’ exceptional initiatives, which are strengthening applied learning and research outcomes.

The congress, touted as the largest professional and technical education event in the world, was attended by more than 700 delegates from 50 countries and six continents.

Both Kenya School of TVET and Nairobi Technical Training Institute clinched bronze medals for the Teacher Professional Development Award and the Applied Research and Innovation Award categories respectively.

WFCP is a global network of individual, national and regional associations of colleges, with those in Kenya represented through the Kenya Association of Technical Training Institutions (KATTI).

Earlier during the fifth edition of the WFCP 2022 Congress that was held in Donostia-San Sebastian, Spain, Dr. Mutai who retired in February last year won a bronze medal in the Leadership in Diversity and Inclusion Award category, becoming the first-ever Kenyan to win the award.

The 61-year-old who has been a TVET instructor for 34 years and a principal for more than 10 years, also served at Bureti, Shamberere and Eldoret national polytechnics

He has also supervised and guided the establishment of four young technical training institutions with minimum resources including Belgut Vocational Training College and Kericho Township Vocational College.

Dr. Mutai has been working with various experts in actively formulating simple solutions that can be co-opted into and applied by post-secondary institutions to make a difference to the communities they serve.

His work has been included in the fourth volume of the World’s Best Practice Guide in Professional Technical Education and Training.

Dr. Mutai who was flanked by his spouse Mrs Alice Mutai who is also a tutor at RVIST, said Africa’s leap to new industrialized status was being hampered by overemphasis on University Education as opposed to acquisition of technical skills through TVETS.

The former Principal added, ‘The youth will change their mindset on degrees and embrace blue as opposed to white collar jobs through training of artisans, when they realize labour is in short supply in these fields,’

He said the country was grappling with a shortage of plumbers, masons, painters and electricians, yet at the moment these are the jobs that are well paying.

‘TVETs play a very central role in any country’s social-economic wellbeing. They offer skills that power innovation and industrialization thereby boosting the economy and creating jobs. Any country that fails to strengthen its TVET ecosystem starts bringing in expatriate masons, plumbers, electricians and such like technicians’ observed Dr. Mutai.

While hailing a proposal by the national government to staff and equip village polytechnics, Dr. Mutai said world over the labour market was now shifting towards practical-based skills, adding that a significant number of students qualified to join university were enrolling in national polytechnics and technical training institutes.

Dr. Mutai has a Bachelor of Education (Technology Education), a Master of Philosophy and a Doctor of Philosophy in Education Communication and Technology from Moi University.

‘This is such a momentous and important occasion at the hallmark of my life. It is quite difficult to put feelings into words. I’m indeed truly and deeply honoured to accept the Lifetime Achievement award accorded to me,’ said the former principal in his acceptance speech.

‘I dedicate the award to managers of TVET institutions, associations, colleges and polytechnics who are committed to setting global standards in leadership, and who seek to expand and offer equitable opportunities to communities globally,’ he said.

On her part, Mrs. Mutai while noting that her husband had been relentless in his efforts to champion diversity and inclusion, particularly in TVET and bringing about positive change for youth empowerment in Kenya and globally termed as detrimental the move to convert technical institutes and polytechnics to constituent university colleges or full- fledged universities, saying this was undermining technological development.

She expressed concern that the country’s educational institutions are churning out more quantity surveyors, engineers and architects than the number of skilled artisans such as plumbers, masons, electricians and painters graduating from Technical Vocational Education Training (TVETS) institutions and polytechnics.

On the other hand, Chemoiwo said RVIST trains students in mitigation of climate change, sustainable agriculture, agriculture engineering and renewable energy.

‘As an institution, we have been championing mitigation of climate change through various avenues and we include it in the training of our 12,000 students. We inculcate life skills so that all activities that students undertake they will use them to ensure we have a climate-friendly environment,’ said Chemoiwo.

He went on ‘We have been focusing on 13 Sustainable Development Goals and have set up various committees which are running specific programs inside and outside the institute on clean environment, food nutrition and security, climate change, youth empowerment and availability of clean and sufficient water among others.

The principal disclosed that the institution had rolled out initiatives such as sustainable agriculture geared towards safeguarding the environment, expanding the earth’s natural resource base and maintaining and improving soil fertility.

‘Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network Global and the United Nation are some of our collaborators where our staff and students have offered themselves to acquire skills that they pass on to their communities in the fight against climate change,’ Chemoiwo indicated.

The institute, he added was training students from marginalized communities to identify seeds and trees they can plant in their regions, here at the institution and then take them home to plant during the rainy season.

He indicated that RVIST was partnering with Geothermal Development Company (GDC) and Triple X among others to leverage on value addition from renewable energy,’ added Chemoiwo.

Researchers and students at RVIST are also exploring the use of technologies and innovations like solar irrigation, digital agriculture, climate-smart agriculture and climate-smart breeding, as ways of tackling the negative effects of climate change.

Other technologies the institute is rooting for include bio-fortification and use of climate-smart seed varieties.

‘The climate is changing so fast that current technologies won’t be able to keep up. Innovators in climate smart technologies must up their game,’ Chemoiwo explained.

He insisted that there was a need for concerted efforts among private and public industry stakeholders to give more attention to research.

Meanwhile, in undertaking the climate change mitigation program, RVIST has also been collaborating with Climate Smart Agriculture Youth Network Global, the United Nations, Kenya Power, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the County Government of Nakuru and Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen).

‘We involve our research unit to impart skills to our students so that when they complete their studies they will help the communities boost food production. We train communities how to use borehole water and steam instead of discarding boreholes with hot steam,’ the principal added.

The state owned GDC is exploring for steam at Menengai Crater, while RVIST is collaborating with the corporation to tap into the skills and pass them to the students.

According to Chemoiwo, RVIST is partnering with community-based institutions based in Narok and Baringo counties to promote climate change awareness.

‘We have picked students from Baringo and trained them how to raise seedlings,’ said Chemoiwo, adding that every student is given 100 tree seedlings that they go and plant in their environment.

‘In our next financial year, our target is to have a million tree seedlings. We sell 60 per cent and 40 per cent we donate to the community as part of our contribution to the government’s ambitious project to plant 15 billion trees in the next five years,’ said the Principal.

He thanked RVIST staff for their teamwork, resilience, synergy and commitment to duty that saw the planning and implementation of many focal projects at the Nakuru-based institution that enabled him to win the global award.

The principal also thanked the state department of Vocational and Technical Training in the Ministry of Education for supporting his projects.

RVIST also hosts the annual Agri-business expo and participates in Agricultural Society of Kenya Trade Fairs.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 2, 2023

CJ Condoles With Late Hayanga’s Family

Chief Justice Martha Koome has sent a message of condolence to the family, friends and colleagues of the late Justice (Rtd) Andrew Isaac Hayanga.

In a message sent on her own behalf and the entire Judiciary, the CJ expressed their deepest condolences to the entire family and colleagues, saying they were deeply saddened by his untimely death.

Koome described the late Hayanga as an exemplary jurist and a steadfast defender of justice who was known for his unwavering commitment to the rule of law and protection of human rights.

In a press statement sent to newsrooms, the CJ said Justice (Rtd) Hayanga served at the Judiciary as a distinguished jurist, where he delivered numerous judgment and rulings that enriched the country’s jurisprudence and contributed to the development of the legal system.

She said one his landmark ruling in Dominic Arony Amolo vs. AG (2003) is an often cited example, which opened the gates of victims of historical human right abuses during the repressive political era.

‘It was used to get redress after the 2002 transition by holding that limitation of Actions Act did not apply to constitutional cause,’ stated Koome.

The CJ who eulogized Justice (Rtd) Hayanga as a mentor, friend and a person who touched many lives with his courage, warmth and wisdom and foresight said his legacy will continue to inspire future generations of the judicial and legal professionals.

‘It is our hope that we can all find solace in the memories of his remarkable life and the long lasting impact he made in the pursuit of Justice,’ stated Koome.

She prayed to God to grant the soul of the late Hayanga eternal peace.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 2, 2023

The Elderly Want Their Monthly Stipend Increased

A section of elderly persons has called on the National government to consider increasing their Inua Jamii monthly stipend to help them pay for the National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) and other expenses.

While decrying harsh economic times coupled with prolonged drought, they said that the delays in releasing the funds from the government has caused them a lot of misery.

The elderly said as they age they require more medical attention, thus asked the government to allocate some extra money specifically for their medical expenses.

On his part, Ndaragwa Deputy County Commissioner Walter Ngaira said that the government has put in place adequate measures in ensuring that majority of the elderly persons benefit from the cash transfer programme.

‘We have approximately 5000 people from the sub county benefiting from the Inua Jamii. We are hoping from the next financial year there will be an upscale of the amount because we are expecting more people to have attained that age of receiving the stipend.

‘Many have urged the government to add the amount so that they can pay for their NHIF cards. This area being among the most hit by drought, the amount addition would be a welcome relief. I also want to urge all farmers to go back to their farms and utilize the ongoing rains and the subsidized fertilizers,’ said Ngaira

Ngaira, who was speaking in Ndogino area of Ndaragwa constituency in Nyandarua County, when he oversaw the distribution of relief food from the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA), urged the elderly also to invest part of that money in farming to ensure the money benefits many at the household level.

Over 4800 households benefitted from the relief food which comprised of rice, green grams, maize and porridge flour, cooking oil and other assorted foodstuffs.

The Inua Jamii programme under the Ministry of Labour targets orphans, vulnerable children; older persons and persons with severe disabilities.

Under the Inua Jamii programme, the beneficiaries are eligible to a Sh2000 monthly stipend.

Source: Kenya News Agency

May 2, 2023

President Kais Saied meets World Bank Vice-President for MENA

President Kais Saied met with World Bank Vice President for Middle East and North Africa Affairs, Ferid Belhaj on Tuesday at the Carthage Palace,.

The meeting tackled Tunisia’s relations with the World Bank Group and the projects that were previously funded by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the International Finance Corporation, in particular in the social field, like the construction of educational institutions in general.

The President of the Republic also stressed that the state cannot abandon its social role, pointing out that in order to deal with many issues today, it is necessary to formulate new concepts taking into account, mainly, the role of the state in providing basic human rights, includng health, education, social security and others.

The President said the State should eliminate the social inequalities that have arisen in recent decades and that have worsened the economic and social crisis.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse

May 2, 2023

Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to make working visit to Tunisia Wednesday (MFA)

Libyan Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Najla Mangoush, is making a working visit to Tunisia on Wednesday, May 3, at the invitation of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Immigration and Tunisians Abroad, Nabil Ammar.

Mangoush will be heading a delegation that comprises, in particular, Minister of Transportation, Mohamed Salem Chahoubi.

This visit falls within the framework of strengthening the long-standing Tunisian-Libyan historical ties and fostering the relations between the two countries. It also fits into the joint keenness to raise them to the highest levels, in order to achieve the aspirations of the two brotherly peoples for further integration and active and solidarity partnership, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs released Tuesday evening.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse