CARNEGIE AFRICAN DIASPORA FELLOWSHIP Program

CARNEGIE AFRICAN DIASPORA FELLOWSHIP Program

The University of Kabianga (UoK) was awarded a sponsorship for its project from the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP) in the Winter 2022 funding cycle.

Announced in April 2022, Prof. Jonathan Choti of Michigan State University (MSU), United States, and Dr. Mohamed Karama of UoK, Kenya, were one of the lucky nominees for the sponsorship that year despite increased number of applications from across Africa and reduced donor funding.

The project is a collaboration between Prof. Choti and faculty members of the UoK kiSwahili Unit in co-developing kiSwahili as a Foreign Language courses, a first in universities here in Kenya. Also, strengthening and revamping the UoK Kiswahili curriculum in the Undergraduate and Postgraduate degrees. In addition, UoK Kiswahili lecturers and postgraduate students were to benefit from the workshops and training provided by Choti in his field of Bantu linguistics and research.

This project was expected to benefit both lecturers, students and the universities (UoK & MSU) in academic, research cooperation in Kiswahili and in all fields that benefit humanity. Talks between the two institutions on student & faculty exchanges, a partnership to bring MSU students to study Kiswahili and its culture at UoK, and other partnerships in all areas of cooperation have begun and are expected to be completed with an MoU. In addition, UoK is positioning itself as a suitable destination of learning Kiswahili as a Foreign Language for the whole world considering that Kiswahili is now a World Language.

Several productive workshops for faculty partners and student participants were organized during this project. Masters and PhD students had the chance to meet Prof., discuss their research progress in face-to-face and individual sessions. First year Masters students had the opportunity to be taught some courses by the Prof. Lecturers in the kiSwahili Department also benefited from the advice given during their sessions by Prof. about improving our Swahili curriculum; new and better methods of teaching local and foreign students; developing Swahili as a foreign language; and assist in the writing of a research proposal that will be presented for international funding. Although the project itself has a deadline for face-to-face meetings, it has established a solid stream of cooperation between faculties and both universities (Uok-MSU).

Every year the CADFP selects diaspora scholars to give their African counterparts the expertise they have accumulated abroad to benefit Africa and their native countries. These professionals are experts in their fields and are nominated by an Advisory Council. Every year there are calls for funding by CADFP and institutions in Africa are invited to submit project request(s) to benefit them and the country as a whole.