Chuka University together with other partners in in Italy, Greece, Malawi, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, and Kenya has secured a European Union ERASMUS-EDU-2026-CBHE-REGION-9 – Capacity building in Higher Education: Sub-Saharan Africa research grant worth 753,321.20 € (Theme: Sustainable agriculture, innovation, Green Deal). The project “Rural Green Skills Africa: Sustainable Agriculture and Renewable Energy Pathways Project (REAP)” supports higher education institutions and innovation ecosystem actors in Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Zimbabwe to modernise learning and strengthen employability for the rural green transition, with a specific focus on sustainable agriculture and renewable energy applications along agri-value chains.
Building on a structured needs analysis and multi-stakeholder consultation, the project addresses persistent gaps between labour-market demand and higher education outcomes: curricula that remain too theory-oriented, uneven access to practice-based learning, weak university–industry linkages, and limited capacity for inclusive delivery in rural and low-connectivity contexts. In response, the project applies a design–pilot–adopt–scale approach that combines curriculum reform, pedagogical innovation, institutional strengthening and replication mechanisms.
A core implementation pillar is the institutionalisation of structured university–industry cooperation. The research is being led by Prof. Geofrey Gathungu, Principal Investigator, and Co-Investigators Dr. Martin Njogu, Dr. Evans Mutuma, Dr. Juster Mungiria and Prof. Isaac Nkari. The project introduces quality-assured work-based learning and challenge-based collaboration with enterprises, incubators and community organizations; defines common standards for placements, mentoring and feedback; formalizes cooperation agreements; and supports the establishment of operational university–industry interface functions in partner institutions to sustain employer engagement and continuous curriculum improvement.
Chuka University is …… Inspiring Environmental Sustainability for Better Life
