MINNEAPOLIS – A Christian university based in Nairobi is opening a science and technology center in an effort to steer its graduates towards building an industrialized Kenya, the institution’s chancellor said.

 Daystar University’s reputation in media and public relations has led to the university’s steady growth with a student population of 3,100 on two campuses. While most of its students are local, Daystar hopes to increase student in-take from other African countries.

 Speaking to Mshale in Minneapolis, Rev. Godfrey M. Nguru made clear his university’s commitment to broaden scope of its academic curriculum.

“Daystar is the first private university in Kenya to offer electronic engineering,” Rev. Nguru said.  “We will continue to offer diversity in our programs as [Daystar is] the heartbeat that will impact the African church and society. “

 To assist the university’s outreach and fundraising program, a non-profit organization, Daystar U.S., has been established in Minnesota. It has the task of raising scholarship and building expansion funds in the U.S for the university’s students and campuses according to Executive Director Todd Rasmuson.

 Because private university tuition costs are prohibitive to many Kenyan youth, Daystar is partnering with international sponsors to assist deserving students in garner university diplomas.

 So far, Daystar U.S. annually raises full scholarships for 150 students. It has also raised funds to the building of a state-of-the-art women’s dormitory that houses 100 students in its Athi-River campus. According to Rasmuson, 90 percent of their donations are from Kenya, while the rest is from the U.S.

The Science and Technology complex is a $4-million-dollar project that will include four buildings as well as the recruitment of university lecturers who have masters and doctorate degrees. In the first year of a three-year-campaign the university and well-wishers have raised $500,000.

“We would like to thrust Daystar into Kenya’s Vision 2030. If we are not science and technologically based then we will be irrelevant,” Rev. Nguru said.

 Vision 2030 is a development initiative by Kenya’s government to achieve certain socio-economic and industrial goals by the year 2030. The first program that will be offered by Daystar from this department will be electronic engineering, a first for any private university in Kenya to offer it. The university is also working on a curriculum to offer its students a nursing program.

 As the university grows Rev. Nguru said he would like to see their graduates in every career field in addition to its traditional humanities and social sciences emphasis.

 The university was the first in Kenya to offer Community Development as a degree course offering Kenya’s non-government organization community local graduates with a focus on social empowerment. Other programs that are now offered to diversify Daystar’s academic portfolio include Counseling Psychology, a degree course that was developed to fulfill Kenya’s growing need for psychologists.

 “As Kenya industrializes, people move from the simple life in the rural areas to the chaotic one in the cities,” Rev. Nguru said.

 Daystar U.S. is currently working towards recruiting students from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Burundi and Rwanda by offering lucrative scholarships, Rasmuson

Rev. Nguru was in Minneapolis for a week US tour to meet with potential sponsors and donors.