St. Paul’s University received a grant of approximately KES. 13 million as part of the FOSTER project, a co-funded project by the European Commission (EU) addressing the Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) action, which aims to strengthen Inclusive, Collaborative and Responsible Science, Technology, and

Innovation ecosystems through the implementation of Open Science principles and values in Kenya and Tanzania Partner Countries (PCs).

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor in-charge of Academic Affairs Prof. Abraham Waithima shared his thoughts during a panel discussion dubbed, Open Science Forum, held on 24^th and 25^th April, 2025 at Daystar University. In his remarks, Prof. Waithima said, “Open Science is an idea whose time has come!” insinuating that the idea is timely. FOSTER project Institutional Project Coordinator Dr. Kevin Muriithi Ndereba commented, “This project will strategically enhance a more equitable, just, and fair higher education landscape.” Other notable faculty participating in the project include Dr. Ukaiko Ojiambo (HOD Communication Studies), Dr. Ndanu King’oo (University Registrar), Dr. John Muhoho (Director, Postgraduate Studies), Mr. Paul Ruto (Research Fellow), Ms. Margaret Thuo (Finance Department), Mrs. Irene Kibandi (University Librarian), and Ms. Grace Kinyanjui (Virtual Campus Director).

To date, St. Paul’s University has actively participated in the consortium meeting held on 22^nd to 23rd April, 2025 and the Open Science Forum held on 24^th to 25^th April, 2025 that had key stakeholders in attendance such as Prof. Mike Kuria, Chief Executive Officer, Commission for University Education (CUE), Kenya Education Network (KENET), Dr. Penninah Musangi, Amref International University, Prof. Arnold Mwanzu, Kenya Libraries and Information Services Consortium (KLISC), and Ms. Joy Owango, Director, Training Center in Communication, among many others.

FOSTER, is a three-year project running from 1^st January 2025 to 31^st December 2027. The project will entail awareness creation events, policy formulation for partner universities, dissemination fora, capacity building on open science, informal short courses and curriculum, staff mobilities for benchmarking best case practices, and the creation of an open science hub, which will be one of the few in Sub-Saharan Africa, for more enhanced collaboration, research and higher educational development.

FOSTER, is a three-year project running from 1^st January 2025 to 31^st December 2027. The project will entail awareness creation events, policy formulation for partner universities, dissemination fora, capacity building on open science, informal short courses and curriculum, staff mobilities for benchmarking best case practices, and the creation of an open science hub, which will be one of the few in Sub-Saharan Africa, for more enhanced collaboration, research and higher educational development.

Scientific knowledge is a critical driver of innovation, policy development, and socio-economic growth. However, in Africa, access to scientific resources, collaborative networks, and funding opportunities remains uneven. Open Science — promoting free access to research outputs, data, and infrastructure through inclusive, equitable and sustainable knowledge production for scientists and society as a whole — offers a strategic solution to bridge these gaps. Open science practices and infrastructure in higher education institutions (HEIs) is important in improving publication outputs among African academics, addressing siloed practices, infrastructure and data practices through synergised and collaborative efforts which would take the forms of communities of practice and citizen engaged science. The benefits for HEIs are digitization of university structures and practices, increased visibility and ranking of academic staff, tangible community engagement in society together with increased revenue generation.

Through the FOSTER project, St. Paul’s University seeks to create new paths in higher education in service to God and humanity, where faith and science are seen as important gifts from God for the advancement of society.

Other FOSTER project partners include Daystar University (Project Coordinator) and Garissa University, in Kenya. University of Dar Es Salaam and the Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI), in Tanzania. University of Zaragoza (Spain), International School for Social and Business Studies – ISBSS (Slovenia), VU Amsterdam University (Netherlands), and European Policy Development and Research Institute - EPDRI (Slovenia), the Project Co-Coordinator.

For more information about FOSTER Project, please send an email to: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.