Karatina University continues to grow its faculty having, today, issued Letters of Appointment to six new Associate Professors. These are:
The Ag. VC congratulated the six new faculty and indicated that Professors are a special group in the University setup.
‘The utmost desire for anyone in a university is to be a professor; the highest academic achievement for a scholar’, he said.
He further stated that professors are admired in the society and have been, in many ways, regarded as giants. He encouraged them to be role models by cultivating, nurturing and growing the stature of a professor so that the University community can aspire to be professors.
He challenged them to take lead in providing solutions to the existing problems both in the University and beyond because they are the epitome in society. Therefore, they are to give the University the best of service. Apart from making every attempt to see to it that things are happening in the right way, they are also to emulate from best practices to enhance the quality of teaching, research and community service in the University.
‘What can you do as an individual? What can the University do to grow you as an individual as you serve the institution and society? I encourage you to hold the hands of other staff as you grow so that you can mentor and nurture them’, he stated.
The Ag. VC urged the dons to expand their territories to other institutions both locally and internationally so as to enhance internationalization. In this way, they will be able to attract international students to KarU. This will also ensure that they stand out in their areas of expertise.
‘Symbolically, a professor is to be like yeast.
They are to accelerate completion rates of postgraduate students. The best marketer of a product is the consumer and the Karatina University product is the graduate. Let’s ensure that these graduates are fully baked for the market,’ said the Ag. VC.
On research, the new Associate Professors were urged to provide requisite leadership by forming research teams that would work towards attracting funds and exploring ways of how the output of their research can make an impact in society.
‘The University is happy when staff grow. Therefore, identify opportunities for the University to grow,’ he concluded.
