JOOUST Hosts DIES NMT Kenya Workshop 2 to Advance Sustainability Leadership in Higher Education

DIES NMT Kenya 2025–2026 Workshop 2: JOOUST Hosts National Leadership Forum on Sustainability Transformation in Higher EducationJaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology is hosting the Second National Multiplication Training (NMT) Workshop under the DIES Kenya 2025–2026 Programme, bringing together senior university managers, academic leaders, and sustainability champions from institutions across Kenya to accelerate the integration of sustainability into higher education.Held under the theme, “Advancing Sustainability in Kenyan Higher Education: The Role of University Managers in Promoting Sustainable Institutions in the Digital Era,” the workshop marks an important progression in the DIES National Multiplication Training programme. While the inaugural workshop focused on building conceptual understanding of sustainability in higher education, Workshop 2 is dedicated to practical implementation, institutional innovation, and long-term sustainability transformation.The workshop is jointly organized by Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology (JOOUST), Chuka University, and Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) in collaboration with distinguished regional and international partners, including Taita Taveta University and the University of the Western Cape. This broad partnership reflects a shared commitment to strengthening leadership capacity and fostering sustainable institutional development across African universities.The initiative forms part of the Dialogue on Innovative Higher Education Strategies (DIES) programme, coordinated by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) with support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). Through this global framework, Kenyan universities are being equipped with the knowledge, leadership skills, and collaborative networks necessary to drive sustainability in teaching, research, governance, and community engagement.Unlike conventional professional development workshops, the Second National Multiplication Training Workshop has been designed as a high-impact leadership and innovation laboratory where university managers are challenged to move beyond policy discussions and develop practical solutions capable of transforming their institutions. Participants are guided to translate sustainability principles into actionable institutional strategies while strengthening their capacity to lead organizational change, cultivate strategic partnerships, and build resilient universities capable of responding to emerging global challenges.A key feature of the workshop is its emphasis on innovation and impact. Participants explore pathways for transforming research into tangible societal solutions, developing innovation ecosystems that support sustainability, and designing initiatives capable of attracting funding and long-term investment. Through collaborative design-thinking exercises, peer learning sessions, and project pitching, university leaders refine ideas that can be implemented and scaled within their respective institutions.The learning experience follows a carefully structured progression that begins with strengthening leadership for institutional resilience, including managing organizational change, overcoming resistance, and building partnerships for sustainable development. Participants then examine research and innovation strategies that connect academic excellence with real-world impact through sustainability laboratories, innovation mapping, and resource mobilization approaches. The programme culminates in the development and peer review of institution-specific Project Action Plans (PAPs) that provide clear implementation roadmaps, complemented by experiential learning activities that encourage reflection and contextual understanding of sustainability leadership.By the conclusion of the workshop, participants are expected to have developed comprehensive Project Action Plans tailored to their institutions, produced innovative sustainability concepts and prototypes, strengthened collaborative networks among Kenyan universities, and committed to measurable actions that will advance sustainability across their campuses.The workshop represents a significant milestone in Kenya's higher education transformation agenda. By shifting the focus from dialogue to implementation, it empowers university leaders to institutionalize sustainability as a core element of governance, teaching, research, innovation, and community engagement. The practical orientation of the programme ensures that participants leave not only with enhanced knowledge but also with concrete strategies and implementation commitments capable of delivering measurable institutional change.