By Issa Hussein - Reporter
Kenya, July 10 ,2026 - The Technical University of Kenya (TUK) has become the first institution in the country to join a French-funded research network aimed at strengthening scientific research, innovation and capacity building in computational materials science.
In a statement released on Friday , the partnership with the French-African Network on Computational Material Science (FRANCIS) was launched earlier this week by Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Technology Development Prof. Isaac Orina on behalf of Vice-Chancellor Prof. Benedict Mutua.
Funded by the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the two-year initiative will bring together researchers from Kenya, Rwanda, Ghana and the Republic of the Congo to collaborate with four CNRS laboratories in France and other research institutions across Europe and Africa.
Prof. Orina said the partnership would elevate TUK's research profile while creating new opportunities for students and faculty to engage with leading international scientists.
"This partnership marks a significant milestone for the Technical University of Kenya as the first university in the country to join the FRANCIS research network. It will open up opportunities for our students and researchers to access advanced training, undertake collaborative research and engage in international knowledge exchange, strengthening our capacity in research and innovation," he said.
The African partners in the project include the University of Rwanda, Université Marien Ngouabi of the Republic of the Congo, the University of Ghana and the East African Institute for Fundamental Research in Rwanda.
The collaboration is expected to benefit students and staff in the departments of Physics, Chemistry, Computational Science, Mathematics, Materials Science and related disciplines through advanced training, joint research programmes and academic exchanges.
University officials said the project is expected to strengthen research excellence, promote innovation and expand international scientific collaboration, positioning TUK as a key contributor to advanced materials science research in Africa.
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