Kenyan attache meets students from her country at Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar

Esther Karema Mutua from the Kenyan High Commission in India visited Guru Nanak Dev University today. During her visit, Mutua met with Kenyan students and the Chairman of the International Students Cell at the Golden Jubilee Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (GJCEI) of the GNDU. She had open discussions with the Kenyan students, gaining insight into their educational experiences. Additionally, Mutua also met with the Vice-chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu, to discuss strengthening the university’s ties with African countries and fostering international relations.

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Mutua works as an education attaché with the Kenyan High Commission in India. GNDU has 60 international students, out of which 17 are from different African nations, including three from Kenya. “Her purpose of visit was to interact with the Kenyan students and also explore possibilities of further education-based exchange programmes in the field of life science, agriculture and entrepreneurship,” said Prof PK Pati, Chairman, International Students Cell, GNDU.

Prof Pati said that the international students are admitted through various funding agencies such as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

Mutua along with Prof PK Pati, an agriculture scientist, interacted with Kenyan students and discussed agriculture practices and technologies in both the countries. Justine Amgima, a Kenyan research scholar of biotechnology at GNDU, also shared his insights on the subjects as he presented his thesis. “Kenyan farming community is largely dependent on maize crop and farmers do not want to shift to other crops like banana, another significant crop in my country. This is quite similar to the situation in Punjab where farmers are dependent on paddy and wheat farming. I want to implement the outcome of my research on technology-driven practices and diversification of crop when I go back to my home town, Kisii, a small rural town that has 80 per cent farming community,” he said.

Justine, while working on his project, interacted with Punjabi farmers and had a word of advice for them. “In Punjab, crops like banana, millets and fruits would help in moving away from paddy-wheat cycle.”