Through the Erasmus+ staff mobility program, the Chairman, Arch. Peter Njeru, travelled to the host institution, Klaipėdos Valstybinė Kolegija (KVK), in Klaipeda, Lithuania. During the nearly two-week visit to the Baltics, which included visiting Latvia and Poland, Arch. Njeru participated in the KVK 20th International Week and BIP Professional Development program. The event attracted 43 participants from 30 institutions of higher learning, with the University of Nairobi being the only university represented from the African continent. The academicians came from numerous European universities, including but not limited to, Comenius University Bratislava in Slovakia, Karlovac University of Applied Sciences in Hungary, Kutaisi International University in Georgia, National University of Ostroh Academy in Ukraine, Polytechnic University of Tomar in Portugal, Politechnica University of Timisoara in Romania, University of Life Sciences in Lublin in Poland, University of Minho in Portugal, Orleans University in France, Riga First Medical College of the University of Latvia, and University of Bohemia in Czech republic. Academicians from Afyon Kocatepe University in Turkiye, and Multimedia University in Malaysia were also present.

During the academic visit, Arch. Njeru presented a paper entitled ‘Decarbonizing University buildings - a case study of ADD building, Nairobi’ during the ongoing International Scientific-Practical Conference under the sub-theme ‘Sustainable Environmental Development: Innovative Technologies’. The paper highlighted the inventory of the energy, water, and material components of the ADD building and the proposed bold strategies put in place to transform it to attain a net zero carbon rating.

Arch. Njeru also had a courtesy visit to the Dean of the faculty of technologies, Dr. Vijolė Bradauskienė, where together with Dr. Daiva Stanelytė (Head of the Engineering and Informatics Department) discussed various avenues for enhancing the collaboration between the two institutions. Following the meeting, an opportunity for two of our exemplary students to visit KVK for two months from August 2024 under the Erasmus+ student mobility program was agreed upon. It was equally encouraging to have Dr. Daiva agree to come to the University of Nairobi in May 2024 for one week under the staff mobility initiative.

Arch. Njeru and the entire department would like to express their sincere gratitude to the Erasmus+ fraternity as well as KVK, and more specifically to Jurate, Ina, Almeda Jurgita and Vijole for organizing the program.

We will continue to treasure and strengthen this partnership.

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