Completed View of the Kenya-AIST Campus (Image provided by KAIST)
DAEJEON, April 28 (Korea Bizwire) — South Korea’s Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced Monday that it has completed the first phase of establishing the Kenya Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (Kenya-AIST) in Kenya’s Konza Technopolis, marking the culmination of a decade-long overseas development initiative.
The project, aimed at creating a premier science and technology-focused higher education institution in Africa, has been underway since 2019 with funding from Korea’s Economic Development Cooperation Fund (EDCF) managed by the Export-Import Bank of Korea.
KAIST initially led the feasibility study between 2014 and 2015 and later secured a consulting contract from the Kenyan government in 2019 to oversee the Kenya-AIST construction project.
With the issuance of a site handover certificate confirming the completion of the new campus, the first phase — encompassing educational planning, construction bidding, building, and supervision — is now officially finalized.
More than 20 KAIST faculty members participated as advisory professors throughout the project. The initiative traces its roots back to 2008, when Jung Kun-mo, former South Korean Minister of Science and Technology and currently an honorary advisor to the project and a presidential advisor in Kenya, first proposed the KAIST model to the Kenyan president during the drafting of Kenya’s national development plan, Kenya Vision 2030.
Completion Ceremony of the Kenya-AIST (Image provided by the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Kenya)
Modeled after KAIST, the Kenya-AIST aims to train the next generation of highly skilled STEM professionals within the country. With the completion of construction, the project now moves into its second phase, which will focus on training faculty and administrative staff, upgrading laboratory equipment, and preparing for full academic operations.
Initially, the Kenya-AIST will offer programs in six engineering fields: mechanical and nuclear engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, ICT engineering, chemical engineering, civil engineering, and agricultural biotechnology. Basic sciences will be provided through separate academic programs.
The new campus has also achieved a significant environmental milestone as the first facility in Africa to be certified under South Korea’s Green Standard for Energy and Environmental Design (G-SEED).
Located about 60 kilometers southeast of Nairobi, Konza Technopolis — often referred to as “Silicon Savannah” — is a key part of Kenya Vision 2030, envisioned as a hub for innovation and high-tech industries.
Professor Kim So-young, head of the Kenya-AIST project team, expressed gratitude to all contributors over the past decade, emphasizing plans to continue long-term collaboration to ensure Kenya-AIST’s sustainable growth.
KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung said, “Kenya-AIST will stand as a prime example of how KAIST’s model of creative education and challenging research can expand globally,” adding, “We are committed to helping Kenyan youth prepare for their future through this institution.”
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
