Strathmore inks deal with World Bank to avail global skills for innovation and research

Strathmore University and the World Bank Group have inked a new partnership aimed at availing global development experience to lecture rooms while creating new pathways for students, researchers and innovators.

The Memorandum of Cooperation, signed through Strathmore Institute of Mathematical Sciences, on September 1, 2026, establishes a framework for collaboration in human capital development, student mobility, research and policy engagement, digital transformation, innovation and entrepreneurship, and knowledge exchange.

Through the partnership, students are expected to interact with World Bank Group experts through guest lectures, research and policy discussions, innovation challenges, mentorship and exposure to development projects.

They will also refine awareness on career pathways within the institution, including internships and the Young Professionals Program.

Mabel Udoh, who leads talent attraction efforts at the World Bank Group, said the partnership presents an opportunity to help close the gap of allowing students to practice their skills in the marketplace.

“Talent is indeed universal, but opportunity is not always equally distributed,” she told students.

World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa Dr. Ndiamé Diop said the group is focused on uplifting young talent.

“We are also self-interested; we want to detect talent for our hiring pipeline,” he said.

Aside recruitment, the partnership help solve complex development challenges confronting Africa.

Strathmore Vice Chancellor, Dr. Vincent Ogutu challenged students to think beyond qualifications and conventional definitions of career success, reckoning it should be measured by how graduates utilize their knowledge.

“The question is not just about your professional qualification, but the problems you can solve using the skills you acquire here,” he said.

That philosophy reflects a broader direction at Strathmore, whose 2026–2030 Strategic Plan places greater emphasis on moving from excellence to measurable societal impact.

The University’s history itself is rooted in challenging the circumstances of its time.

Founded in 1961 as Kenya’s first multi-racial, multi-religious Advanced-level Sixth Form College, Strathmore sought to break educational barriers in pre-independence Kenya. Its motto, Ut Omnes Unum Sint (that all may be one), continues to anchor its emphasis on professional excellence, ethics and service.

Dr. Diop urged students to remain curious and seek opportunities to see how development interventions affect communities on the ground.

Drawing on experiences from the World Bank’s work in the region, he illustrated how ideas developed in policy discussions can translate into changes in classrooms, businesses and livelihoods.

“Concept moves to reality when you see the impact up close,” he said.

Dr. Ogutu described this as developing “mad skills”, including exceptional capability that enables people to tackle difficult problems even when resources are limited and circumstances are less than ideal.