The University of Nairobi has partnered with Kantaria Innovation Centre to enhance practical skills and innovation.

The Agricultural Students Industrial Linkage Workshop 2025 was organized by the Kenya Agricultural Students Association (KASA) on Friday, July 18, at the University of Nairobi, Upper Kabete Campus.

The University of Nairobi and Elgon Kenya Limited are working together to help bridge the gap between what students learn in class and what the agricultural industry needs on the ground.

Held under the theme: ‘Strengthening Partnerships Between Academia and Industry to Provide Agricultural Students with Real-World Experience and Career Opportunities,’ the workshop focused on mentorship, practical training, and preparing students for real jobs in agriculture.

The speakers pushed for more hands-on learning in universities while students got the chance to share their views on how to make agriculture more relevant and exciting for the new generation.

“We need to look at the knowledge that we are training our young people, and this needs to be the soft skills to a very large extent. Then, we impart them with the skills,” TVETS Principal Secretary, Dr Esther Muoria said.

“We cannot use the knowledge of the 1980s to train a 21st-century graduate that is ready to take up their positions in the sector that is actually the backbone of the economy, and that is agriculture,” UoN Vice Chancellor, Prof Margaret Hutchinson, added.

Elgon Kenya managing director, Dr Bimal Kantaria, urged the government to involve the private sector in changing the curriculum to be more dynamic.

“I encourage the government to look a bit more forward into changing the curriculum to be more dynamic, and to involve the private sector where they can in curriculum development.”