Wednesday 12 March 2026
DVC(RIE) Prof. Leonidah Kerubo in attendance
The University of Nairobi (UoN) has launched a strategic digital programme to bolster its global research visibility and institutional ranking. A high-level workshop convened by the Research, Innovation, and Enterprise Division (RIE) underscored the commitment to ensuring that the university’s world-class scholarship and innovations are accessible to local, regional, and global audiences.
At the well-attended workshop by the University’s Faculty Deans, Associate Deans, Directors of Research Institutes, and Chairs of teaching departments, the message of the day was for researchers and innovators to take the lead in their professional branding because "the strength of the University lies in the collective achievements of its scholars". By modernizing the digital footprints of its staff and faculty, UoN aims to attract international partnerships, secure competitive research funding, and enhance its standing in global citation indices.
"In today’s digital era, institutional visibility is closely tied to the quality and accessibility of online academic profiles," noted the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation, and Enterprise), Prof. Leonidah Kerubo, during the workshop. "When our academic profiles are incomplete or outdated, the University loses valuable opportunities for collaboration, funding, and global recognition", she said, terming the workshop a "strategic step" designed to ensure that the university’s world-class scholarship, innovations, and expertise are visible, accessible, and impactful to the world.
The Director of Research and Enterprise, Prof. Thomas Ochuku Mbuya, emphasized that this engagement was a timely intervention to ensure the university accurately documents its immense research capacity and specialization with attendant benefits for researchers and research groups. The Director of Innovation and Intellectual Property Management Prof. Maina Wagacha noted that showcasing innovations and ongoing projects was critical for responding to national development initiatives and attracting industry partnerships.
Recognizing the critical link between digital presence and international university rankings, Prof. Marc Zolver, Foreign Expert-Industry Academia Cooperation from the Directorate of University Advancement and Institutional Cooperation, said the new strategy of optimizing data accuracy and research accessibility was an excellent opportunity to aim for even higher global tiers. He reiterated that in an increasingly competitive landscape, university rankings were a vital benchmark for tapping into the pool of millions of students ready to go global, in addition to securing major research grants.
The atmosphere among participants of the well-attended event was one of proactive engagement and critical reflection to address barriers to visibility. Deans and faculty members expressed a strong desire for the University to support access to high-impact international journal publishing channels while also supporting the progressive development of university journals to elevate UoN's global presence.
The Directorate of ICT, represented by Deputy Director, Mr Muchina, assured the participants that the updated digital profile system empowers individual staff members to manage their own profiles while ensuring strict compliance with data protection standards. The user-managed content and enhanced security of the system also promote interdisciplinary collaboration by allowing access to a database through which researchers can identify expertise across different faculties.
By aligning technical infrastructure with the strategic direction set by the Research and Enterprise division, the university is committed to making profile development a daily digital engagement and permanent fixture of its institutional identity. As stated by Prof. Kerubo,"Profile development is not a one-time activity; it should become part of our academic culture”.
This evolution will ensure that UoN remains at the forefront of global scientific discourse and
continues to serve as a key contributor to knowledge and innovation.