Microsoft equips Kenyan academics with tech skills

24 academics from several universities in Kenya have completed the Microsoft Africa Development Centre's (ADC) intense upskilling curriculum.

The 12-week programme, which was developed in collaboration with Microsoft Leap, provided participants with rigorous training that featured technological developments to better their comprehension of technical challenges.

Throughout the program of study, participants were assigned projects that incorporated AI, software engineering principles, and modern learning methods, giving them a greater understanding of how a developer team works in practice.

This concluded in a project competition in which lecturers had to develop a solution that needed knowledge of software development principles, and artificial intelligence

Irene Githinji, education engagements lead at Microsoft ADC said: “Our overall educational goal is to create a strong pipeline of capable individuals who will help to advance Africa's technology landscape. There is no better way to accomplish this than to improve lecturers' understanding of how the industry operates and what skills are required.”

For Yolanda Natal-Santos, director of Microsoft Leap, the program’s impact is two-fold: advancing individual careers while also strengthening educational institutions, ensuring they remain at the forefront of innovation.

She said: ”This second cohort introduced a new skillset for this group, teaching with AI, which reflects the growing role of generative technology in everyday life, including the classroom. The program also focused on software engineering fundamentals and 21st-century learning design through a project-based learning approach that allowed participating faculty to earn Microsoft certifications. ‘’