FAMU President James H. Ammons recently met with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya Raila Amollo Odinga and signed an agreement that would launch a new partnership in Africa that would benefit FAMU students and faculty. Odinga was part of a 25-member delegation that helped to pen the agreement that would seek to develop a process for implementing engineering and health sciences training systems at the Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology in Kenya.
Among the group accompanying the Prime Minister were Professor Crispus M. Kiamba, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Technology; and Elkanah Odembo, the Kenya ambassador to the United States.
“Florida A&M University is proud to sign this memorandum of understanding between the government of Kenya,” said FAMU President James H. Ammons. “We are looking forward to exposing our faculty and students to this beautiful country. We believe that through this agreement Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology will become a stronger institution and help FAMU as we strive for excellence in a new era as we develop the millennial FAMUan, a Florida A&M University student who is a citizen of the world.”
FAMU and RIAT agreed to work collaboratively to contribute toward mitigating the national/regional inadequacies in human resource capacity. The selected areas of interest include curricula development and training in engineering, pharmacy, nursing and allied health sciences, environmental science; environmental research collaboration; joint medicinal research; joint grant writing; staff and student exchanges; and funding for facilities development.
“I am very humble and delighted to be here today,” said the Rt. Hon. Raila Amollo Odinga, who is a mechanical engineer by profession. “It is honor to sign this agreement with FAMU.”
Florida State Senator Anthony C. "Tony" Hill Sr., District 1, was in attendance and expressed the importance of the partnership.
“I was glad to have the opportunity to participate in the program today where this historic and important agreement between one of our own great universities---Florida A&M University--- and the Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology in the Republic of Kenya,” said Hill. “This is a great opportunity to provide some of Florida’s and this nation’s best and brightest students to become fully immersed in a true global partnership.”