Hon. Ndindi Nyoro Delivers Stirring Lecture at Tom Mboya University: Calls for Youth-led Transformational Leadership
Homa Bay, Kenya – In a compelling public lecture at Tom Mboya University, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro addressed a packed auditorium of eager students, faculty, and local leaders, underlining the critical role of the youth in steering transformative leadership modeled after the late Thomas Joseph Mboya.

Nyoro, a charismatic leader known for his passionate advocacy for youth involvement in politics, commenced his lecture by recalling the profound legacy of Thomas Mboya, whose life was tragically cut short at the age of 39. Mboya, a visionary trade unionist and politician, was instrumental in shaping Kenya’s path to independence and development. “Today, we are here not only to remember a great leader but to awaken a new generation of transformational leaders,” Nyoro stated.

Focusing on Mboya’s contributions, Nyoro highlighted his role in founding the Nairobi People’s Congress Party, which later merged into KANU, propelling Kenya towards independence. “Mboya was a beacon of hope and a strategist, whose educational policies carved out pathways for many Kenyans, including former President Barack Obama’s father, to receive higher education abroad through the famous Airlift Africa project.”

Drawing parallels to the present, Nyoro emphasized the unprecedented challenges and opportunities facing the youth, from climate change and technological disruption to globalization. He urged the students to harness their unique capabilities to foster societal change, much like Mboya did through education and strategic political engagement.

“Mboya’s legacy teaches us that leadership is not just about high positions but about impactful change,” Nyoro remarked, pointing out that today’s youth are the most connected, educated, and resourceful generation in history. He encouraged them to leverage these assets to advocate for inclusive policies and engage in grassroots movements that aim at comprehensive community development.

Nyoro also discussed the importance of mentorship, a principle deeply valued by Mboya, urging current leaders to invest in the potential of young people. “Just as Mboya was once mentored by Jomo Kenyatta, so must today’s leaders pave the way for the young,” he added.

In his closing remarks, Hon. Ndindi Nyoro called for a renewed commitment to public service among the youth, stating, “Let us be the torchbearers of integrity, innovation, and inclusivity, following in the footsteps of Thomas Joseph Mboya. Our country’s future depends on it.”

The lecture concluded with a standing ovation, with many students expressing their motivation to contribute to Kenya’s development, inspired by Mboya’s enduring legacy and Hon. Nyoro’s compelling call to action.

From academic faculty at world-renowned universities and EdTech startups, to Chief Innovation Officers and tech developers, the conference attendees and speakers are the people best placed to provide insight into the future of education.

This year, Imperial College Business School is co-hosting the event, and so we thought it apt to find out a little more about the ways they are using technology to transform the student experience.

Imperial offers a number of graduate programs from master’s degrees and PhDs to MBA programs. But the main thing the business school prides itself on is its innovative ethos and its STEM-driven technologies.

The Dean of Imperial College Business School Francisco Veloso told us: “We started investing in technology for education a few years ago. That has been present on the courses delivered to our community. The flexibility is quite important.

“For example, when we delivered accounting digitally to the students across Imperial, subscriptions went up 30 percent.

“It’s because all of a sudden if you’re a civil engineering student, [studying accounting] is no longer competing with your structures because you can take it online.” 

Collaboration is key to success

To give one more example of how Imperial College Business School have embraced technology, the school recently joined a group of leading business schools to launch a new digital learning platform to create a more flexible learning experience. 

By combining faculty expertise with cutting-edge technology, the platform hopes to meet growing demands from executives and students for a more flexible, bespoke and globally accessible learning experience.

Known as the Future of Management Education Alliance, the platform aims to transform the future of management education. As the first platform of its kind in the business education sector, Imperial and its partners are hoping for great things.

This new alliance will enable partner schools (Imperial, ESMT Berlin, BI Norwegian Business School, the Lee Kong Chian School of Business, EDHEC, Business School and Ivey Business School), to enhance the student experience through face-to-face, experiential and online learning methods.

Understandably, living your entire life through a computer screen can cause motivation and focus to take a dip here and there. For many who’ve never had to study remotely before, making the adjustment is likely to have been taxing.

So, it’s worth paying attention to what universities are doing to ensure their students are getting the most out of their studies when at home, with even more distractions readily available.

QS in Conversation recently held a virtual panel on this topic, featuring: Dr Betty Vandenbosch Chief Content Officer at Coursera; Alex Chisholm Head of Analytics at QS Quacquarelli Symonds; Dr Gog Soon Joo Chief Futurist, Chief Skills Officer, Chief Research Officer at SkillsFuture Singapore.

Are students performing better with online learning weaved into their academic year?

In the online space, a student is in control of their learning experience; how they curate and learn, and also if they repeat tasks. But what needs to be done by educators to encourage students to undertake their studies?

Vandenbosch said: “I think the most important thing is that students and faculty together have to recognize that it’s a different world.

“In online education, the instructional design helps faculty put together a course that is engaging and helps people.

“With instructional design you can have worked examples, readings, peer experiences, projects, guided projects, all sorts of things you can do to help students learn better than just watching a video and taking notes. That’s what’s going to make the difference in helping students stay engaged online.”