I spent most of the day with Nicholas Letting, Director of Strategy & Business Development, and Lean Munyao, Director, KIM School of Management. I’ve developed even a deeper appreciation of the history and accomplishments, as well as the challenges that have resulted in a strategy to develop partnerships with US business schools and faculty to support the success of the KIM School of Management.
The day began with a brief meeting with Dr. David Muturi, Executive Director/CEO, who shared his vision and commitment to providing the East Africa Union (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda) with business degree programs that develop the leadership necessary to build and sustain this rapidly growing economic region. The challenge is the limited availabilty of doctoral level business school faculty necessary to develop and deliver the innovative programs they’ve designed.
Needless to say, “I’m in!” And I want to do everything I can to contribute and help identify and recruit like-minded “pracademicians”. My vision is an initial partnership with JFKU, that has already expressed interest, and spending half of my time here in Kenya helping KIM establish the partnerships they envision.
How’s Kenya? Beautiful and green again now that the drought is over. Jesse and I are staying at the Panafric Hotel in downtown Nairobi. The weather is warm high 70’s, low 80’s. We went for a short jog this morning in the city center park, although the fumes of the many deisel powered cars made us us get away from the main drag as soon as possible.
The Panafric is full of people from all over the world, so Jesse was in his element the first day, hanging around and engaging as he always does. I’ve visited two of KIM’s offices, heard about several of their programs, every one of which represent more opportunities to partner with business leaders and faculty here in the US. It’s been such an intense that I forgot all about the camera in my purse. Hopelfully, I remember it tomorrw.
More later!
