Vice-chancellor Prov. Laban P. Ayiro with the guests from Kütahya Dumlupinar University when they paid a courtesy call to the VC at his Nairobi Campus office

On 16th November 2022, Prof. Bünyamin HAN of Kütahya Dumlupinar University in Turkey paid a courtesy visit to the Vice Chancellor Prof. Laban Ayiro at Daystar University Nairobi Campus. 

Prof. Bünyamin HAN was accompanied by a team of five members.  Accompanying Daystar University Vice Chancellor was the Director of Open, Distance and eLearning, Dr. Caroline Muaka.

During the visit, Prof. Bünyamin HAN welcomed the establishment of collaboration between Kütahya Dumlupinar University and Daystar University.  The state owned Kütahya Dumlupinar University is among the largest institutions of higher learning in Turkey, with an enrolment of over 45,000 students. It is among best ranked universities in the world due to its contribution to scientific research and.

Prof. HAN reported that the choice of Daystar University for partnership was linked to the role Prof. Ayiro has played in the community not just in areas education but his contribution to higher education and scholarship.

Currently Kütahya Dumlupinar University works with only two public universities in Kenya besides several other universities in the world. In 2021, the University submitted 22 calls for research proposals, and all were accepted and funded.  Among key funding institutions include European Union. Currently they are implementing several programs in areas of education, refugees, research, staff mobility, exchange programs and entrepreneurship; areas that the Vice Chancellor indicated that Daystar was eager to engage in and partner with Kütahya Dumlupinar University. The Vice Chancellor shared the current ongoing Academic Performance Improvement Program that Daystar University is implementing at the Daadab Refugee Camp among secondary schools funded by Windle Trust International, Kenya.

The Vice Chancellor and Prof. HAN agreed that a cordial partnership between Daystar University and Kütahya Dumlupinar University will not only promote the two universities to the world in matters research, projects and education, but also see staff mobility, student exchange programs, scholarships, and opportunities for Daystar University students and faculty to go to Turkey and vice versa.

In conclusion, Prof. Ayiro thanked the team for their visit and choice to collaborate with Daystar University. He said that both institutions will work on a Memorandum of Understanding that will cement this relationship going forward.