The University of Nairobi’s (UoN) Research, Innovation, and Enterprise (RIE) Division on 29 April 2026 hosted Professor David Huffman of Western Michigan University (WMU), USA, in a landmark visit anchored in almost 20 years of a partnership that has shaped the careers of dozens of world-class scholars.
The visit served to honor past successes while laying the groundwork for a renewed partnership agreement focused on global competitiveness and commercialization.
During the meeting with Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor Prof. Leonidah Kerubo, Prof. Huffman announced the "Sodium” tribute, a symbolic recognition of UoN at the WMU campus. UoN alumni now postgraduate students at WMU have contributed a $5,000 monetary gift to secure a permanent place for the University of Nairobi on WMU’s monumental periodic table.
Although the money will not come to the University of Nairobi, the students proudly honoured their alma mater by selecting the element sodium (Na) and contributing to the "Elemental Fund". This is an endowment fund that provides emergency financial assistance to international students at WMU for medical needs or urgent travel back home. Prof. Huffman noted that the UoN alumni at WMU were working on appropriate wording for the commemorative plaque that will sit beneath the Sodium tile, ensuring their gratitude to UoN is permanently etched into the university’s architecture.
Prof. Huffman further praised UoN for producing high-quality graduates capable of innovating under pressure. "All the Kenyan students become very good at troubleshooting," he remarked, noting that many of them have become superior researchers.
A new agreement between the two institutions will shift the focus toward practical societal impact. Prof. Kerubo, who was accompanied during the meeting by Prof. Maina Wagacha, Director of Intellectual Property Management Office (IPMO), reiterated that the University of Nairobi was moving beyond traditional publishing: "We want to do research that can translate into innovations or policies that can transform society". Also present during the discussions were the Chair of the Department of Chemistry Prof. D. Kariuki, and Prof. John Onyari, the local coordinator of the department’s activities with WMU.
The renewed partnership will also explore dual degree programs (2+2), joint grant writing for U.S. agencies, and the establishment of innovation and incubation hubs within UoN faculties.