We received a substantial number of applications from individuals eager to contribute to the natural resources sector in East Africa, recognising it as a treasure trove of invaluable natural capital.

The oral interview dates have been scheduled for April 4 and April 11, 2024.

Memorable Early Stages with a Resolute Philosophy

The inception of the Kenyan-German Centre of Excellence for Mining, Environmental Engineering and Resource Management (CEMEREM) concept was driven by a singular philosophical persuasion and policy conviction that East Africa urgently needs to produce a critical mass of practice-oriented mining engineers and resource managers. The collective response resulted in a successful DAAD-funded project in 2016 at Taita Taveta University in collaboration with two esteemed partner universities in Dresden and Freiberg, Germany: HTW Dresden and TU Bergakademie Freiberg.

A Scholarship Boon for East Africans

It is now common knowledge that East Africa’s natural resource potential is vast, making it a critical region for sustainable development initiatives. The surge of interest in mineral resource exploration and management efforts, a ‘mineral renaissance in East Africa’ of sorts, creates a growing demand for a skilled workforce, underscoring the importance of CEMEREM’s practice-oriented higher education and training programmes.

For years now – yes – since 2018, CEMEREM, hosted at Taita Taveta University (TTU), Kenya, has been competitively recruiting candidates for MSc (Mining Engineering), MSc (Process Engineering), MSc (Environmental Engineering), and MBA (Natural Resource Management). The catchment area for eligible scholarship candidates is the vast and populous East African region. The graduates of the programmes have vindicated the conviction of the pioneers of these novel and gap-filling programmes, for a region whose central position in the growing international interest in sustainable mining and natural resource management cannot be overemphasised.

Scheduled Interviews for a Rising Population of Candidates

This year, on 4th and 11th April, CEMEREM will interview the candidates who applied for the advertised 2024 CEMEREM Scholarships, tenable at Taita Taveta University. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is the agency providing the scholarships. The 2024 applicants were the highest in number since inception, hence necessitating the reservation of two dates for the rigorous oral interview that had previously been lasting only a day. The tradition of insisting on excellence remains a constant, though. The usual rich mix of a panel of examiners, drawn from the CEMEREM partner institutions of Taita Taveta University, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, and HTW-Dresden, will be another constant in an engrossing exercise that has over the years earned a mark of transparency, fairness, and scholarly inspiration.

We received a substantial number of applications from individuals eager to contribute to the natural resources sector in East Africa, recognising it as a treasure trove of invaluable natural capital.

We are excited to meet the talented individuals who have applied for these prestigious scholarships and we look forward to engaging discussions during the upcoming interviews.

To every reader, scholar, or prospective candidate, please note that we look forward to your relentless championship of these scholarship opportunities, continued support, and interest in advancing education and research initiatives in natural resources across East Africa.

You must be logged in to rate posts.

Lecturer and Director of TVET Institute Nashon Adero Taita Taveta University More blogs from this author

1 Comments