@iLabAfrica Research and Innovation Centre virtually signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Milken Innovation Center to collaborate on developing, monitoring, reviewing, and implementing Kenya Development Lab, co-branded training, student fellowship, and jointly developed fundable projects on 2nd June 2021.
“I am delighted to sign a partnership agreement between the Milken Innovation Center and Strathmore University @iLabAfrica Research Centre,” said Professor Glenn Yego, Senior Director and Senior Fellow/Founder Milken Innovation Center. “This will formalize our objective to explore ways of working more closely together and fulfilling our respective missions of contributing to society. Partnerships between research centers are fundamental, and that is why the Milken Innovation Center strives to work in cooperation with leading organizations around the world. We look forward to a productive relationship with the @iLabAfrica Research Centre, and with the Strathmore University Network,” he said.
The Memorandum of Understanding builds on the Research Centre’s decade-old commitment to information communication technology for development (ICT4D) of ecosystems towards the attainment of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and on the ongoing relationship of Milken Innovation Center’s goal in accelerating economic growth, building human capital, and cementing Israel’s role as a pioneer in addressing global challenges in water, food, education, health, and energy with solutions that others can replicate. The partnership between the two Innovation centers is expected to benefit scholars in the form of Capacity Building through enrolling students of Strathmore University into Milken Innovation Center’s 3-credit graduate course on Financial Innovations for Economic Development taught at the Hebrew University’s School of Business, offering enrollment opportunities for Strathmore University students to the Global Development Practice Fellowship Program; Co-designing and implementing the project development labs in Kenya on pressing issues from Agriculture to Water based on the local needs as identified by in-country stakeholders.
Thanking Professor Glenn for his remarks, Dr. Joseph Sevilla, Director of @iLabAfrica Research Center, said: “It is important to identify that the agreement we are signing today is built on the confidence springing from the efforts of colleagues at both our centers. These early steps have focused on the development of interdisciplinary research, student commitment and association with Industry.”
About Jerusalem Institute Milken Innovation Center
The Jerusalem Institute for Policy Research, Milken Innovation Center focuses on developing market-based solutions to Israel’s greatest challenges as it transitions from a startup nation to a global nation. Our work leads to innovative policies and programs and financial technology transfer that democratize capital, finance ideas, create jobs, and accelerate economic growth.
The Blum Lab for Developing Economies is part of the global network of Blum Centers for Developing Economies based at the University of California (UC-Berkeley) enabling interdisciplinary problem-solving in key areas of energy, health, technology, food, water, health, and other challenges to sustainable development.
About @iLabAfrica Research Centre
@iLabAfrica is a Centre of Excellence in ICT Innovation and Development at Strathmore University. The center spearheads Research and Innovation in Information Communication Technology for the Development (ICT4D) of ecosystems towards the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and to contribute toward Kenya’s Vision 2030. The research center is involved in interdisciplinary research, students’ engagement, collaboration with government, industry and other funding agencies.
Written by Rose Barasa (Project Coordinator Industrial Relations Unit, @iLabAfrica, Strathmore University)