Nairobi, 21 August, 2020 / 9:24 pm (ACI Africa).
At the convocation to mark the official start of the Academic year 2020-2021 of the 34-year-old Kenya-based Catholic institution of higher learning, Tangaza University College (TUC), the Vice Chancellor (VC Designate) said the COVID-19 pandemic has triggered reflections around the meaning of the institution of the university.
“COVID-19 pandemic has provided uncertainty that we have not experienced before. In essence, it has redefined life, it has redefined how we relate, it has redefined what we do and how we do it. To me, it has redefined the definition of University or better still, created an awakening for us to rethink the meaning of University,” TUC’s VCD Prof. David Wang’ombe said Friday, August 21.
“Many of us who have perhaps studied through High School thought of University as some place we shall go, some kind of epitome, the highest level of education,” Prof. Wang’ombe said and added, “But perhaps along the way we confused the meaning of University. It is not a place. The place with the buildings and the resources and structures are only tools to facilitate what a University is.”
The Kenyan-born Prof. who has been at the helm of the jointly owned Catholic institution since January continued, “A University’s function is the function of knowledge sharing, knowledge creation. It is a function of using knowledge for community transformation.”
“Let us not think, at any one moment that Universities are closed. No, Universities ought to be carrying out their function in the new norm and that is we are challenged to,” Prof. Wang’ombe said during the August 21 event at TUC, a nine-Institute entity that is owned by 22 Religious Orders and Societies of Apostolic Life.
