USIU-Africa students join over 600 delegates at the UN Summit on diaspora remittances in Gigiri Nairobi
By Josh Maiyo
Learning at USIU-Africa strives to integrate real-word experiences for students to acquire skills and knowledge that meets the demands of the modern work environment. On June 14-16, a delegation of USIU-Africa students and alumni from the School of Humanities and Social Sciences attended the just concluded Global Forum on Remittances and investment and Development (GFRID Summit 2023) held at the UN Office at Nairobi (Gigiri).
Our students were part of over 600 global and African delegates, including senior Kenyan government officials such as the Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya and the Principal Secretary for Diaspora Affairs among others. The summit was devoted to addressing the opportunities and challenges in enhancing the role of diaspora remittance and investment for development in Africa in the post-pandemic landscape.
Oloo Aloyu, who is writing his Master of Arts thesis on the role of remittances in enhancing household incomes in Nairobi said that the conference not only expanded and deepened his knowledge on the topic, but also provided contact with key informants for his data collection. Safari Mugenya, a recent Master of Arts in International Relations (IR) graduate appreciated the networking opportunities for her future career growth, while Master of Arts in International Relations students Esther Kairu and Grace Kibui hailed insights gained in furthering practical understanding of the real world of international relations and development.
Dr. Josh Maiyo, Assistant Professor in International Relations who coordinated the student delegation highlighted the critical role of practical field trips and conference participation in the quality of educational experience at USIU-Africa.
