EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Background

For more than a decade, the Kenyan chapter of The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) has held the annual Engineering Student’s Exhibition. 

The exhibition has gained momentum over the years with a wealth of supporters and participants. The quality of display has flourished to show case innovation in engineering, ICT, mobile application and renewable energy. 

The focus of this year’s event is to involve students in developing and sustaining innovations that will revolutionize rural development taking it to greater heights. 

The participants are required to place their projects into one of the following categories:

               i.       Engineering

a.     Electrical

b.     Electronic

              ii.      Information & Communication Technology (ICT)

a.     Computer Hardware

b.     Computer Software

            iii.      Mobile Application                                                               

             iv.      Alternative Energy 

The goal of the exhibition is to drive students to develop their skills and to give them a deeper insight into technology coupled with market demand. The preparation and presentation of projects will challenge them to mix and match their theoretical and practical skills. Past exhibitions have been an invaluable networking opportunity for local and international participants. In addition the exhibition drives research and development in the engineering and computing sector. 

This years’ event is going to be our biggest one yet, stimulating innovation in socio-economic development. Through the theme “ICT & Alternative Energy in Rural Development” the exhibition will bring together participants from local and international universities as well as students from other institutions of learning, the countries ranging from, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Nigeria and other countries worldwide. The participants are expected to showcase over 200 exhibits developed around the theme stated above. The exhibition is scheduled to take place 12^th-13^th September 2008 to be held at The Sarit Expo Hall – Nairobi, Kenya.

The following corporate organizations have partnered to support the exhibition: Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA), Kenya ICT Federation (KIF), Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and IEEE.

The following students organizations are also involved in the exhibition: Youth Agency for Development for Science, Technology and Innovation (YADSTI), Society of Engineering Students (SES), Society of Computer Science and Information Technology SCOSIT - JKUAT, Engineering Students Association (ESA-University of Nairobi), Electronics & ICT Clubs (EIC)  of University of Nairobi, AISEC, SIFE and Daystar Information and Technology Association (DITA) among others.

 Expected Outcomes
The Engineering Students’ Exhibition brings together the academia, industries and government to realize the important opportunity of linkage creation and collaboration towards finding ways in improving higher education for better socio economic development and empowerment of the youth.

Other expected outcomes of the exhibition include: 

·          A new generation of employees available for hire.

·     Encourage our youth to have a sustainable role in society and capacity to communicate creatively in their professional careers.

·          Encourage women in engineering

·          Creation of an Innovation System Portal and youth framework policies.

·          Link private sector and academia to fuel academic development.

·          To help students network and build bridges from various colleges, regions and countries.

·          To support invention and entrepreneurship in order to sustain development.

·          Encourage, foster and apply innovative and entrepreneurial breakthroughs in partnership with private sector.

Strengths and Opportunities

a) Strengths

·          The engineering students’ exhibition has been running since 1997.

·          Organisations in the private sector came out strongly in support of the exhibition by donating prizes and providing employment opportunities.

·          The exhibition is supported by some of the leading international organisations and companies including Lemelson Foundation, Google, IBM and IEEE.

·          In addition the event is also supported by the Government through the Ministry of Youth Affairs, The Ministry of Information and Communication and the Secretariat for E - Governance.

·          The Government through the Ministry of Youth has created a body to loan funds for starting of micro-businesses by the youth. The exhibition as an entity can identify viable projects with a view of the youth borrowing funds for setting up small enterprises.

 b) Opportunities

·          The local industries currently are faced with increased competition further fuelled by globalization. They are unable to research and are losing out because of the lack of innovation within their processes. They would embrace the potential available.

·          Past exhibitions have demonstrated the existence of creative talent as the projects have had significant leaps in quality, presentations and creativity.

·          There are countless job opportunities that exist within the industries as shown by private sector support.

·          “We are encouraging our universities to carry out research to produce our own local products. The government is also working on spreading fibre optics everywhere and using the concept of ‘Digital Village’ to collect data from the villages that can be used to develop the country.  We are also planning to make computers within the next five years” - Bitange Ndemo, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Communications, during last year’s event. This demonstrates the Government’s dedication and reliance on ICT being the driving force of the future.

Impact

Ø  Increase pursuit of careers as inventors or innovators.

Recognition, support and sponsorship of projects will encourage more and more students to enroll for engineering courses and their creativity will be rewarded. Already there exists a system of visiting learning institutions (both lower and higher education) to give engineering career talks i.e. Mentorship system.

Ø  Sustainable enterprises and job created as a result of new technology.

Past exhibitions have shown how the students are being recruited by many of the best industries. For example: Safaricom has employed several engineers through the exhibition. Industries have also adopted some projects with a view of having them developed to suit their specifications. Some companies have setup workshops employing fellow students and creating sustainable enterprises. A training facility has been set up to train and equip students with entrepreneurship and business skills.

Ø  Sustainable economic and social advancement for beneficiaries of innovations.

The exhibition encourages the private sector to offer financial support to the innovators with a view of setting up business enterprises. Since the majority is youth, this will empower and advance their social and economic status resulting in greater social economic development in the country. The publicity also makes the innovators to be held in high esteem in society, elevating their social status.

Ø  Increased public and/or private support for invention, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The Private sector has in the past, demonstrated willingness to support innovation as they are one of the major beneficiary of invention. The industries are unable to fund research directly and due to lack of innovation systems within their processes, they are willing to support the innovative solutions.

Recognition, funding, rewarding and encouraging the innovators will lead to them setting up enterprises that will promote economic development and job creation. This will create a self sustainable economy.

 
IEEE – KENYA STUDENT ASSOCIATION