Beatrice Khamati Njenga
Beatrice Khamati Njenga is currently the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement at the International Leadership University (Kenya). She is an educationist and environmental scientist with many years of working locally and internationally in the areas of education, energy, environment and sustainable development; with government, non-government and community organisations. She has taught Physics and Chemistry in secondary school and worked at Kenyatta University, where her major areas of research and teaching were Renewable Energy, Environment and Technology Development. Beatrice was among the pioneers in the development of improved biomass energy technologies in the region. She has also done significant work in youth mentoring and empowerment, as well as gender mainstreaming and women＊s empowerment.
Dr. Njenga was Head of Education Division (and doubled as Head of Youth Division for a few years) at the African Union Commission for many years until her retirement in 2019. She established, developed and managed the African Union＊s continental education programme covering all African Union Member States: working with African ministries and institutions responsible for all levels of education and relevant officials in regional economic communicates in articulating African common positions in education development, which includes STEM Education. She coordinated development and implementation of the Continental Education Strategy for Africa (CESA) (2016-2024) and previously the Plan of Action for the Second Decade of Education for Africa (2006每2015), both of which promote STEM education. Some of Dr. Njenga＊s achievements were the Mwalimu Nyerere AU Scholarship and Intra Africa Academic Mobility scheme, which have a special focus on STEM education and research with gender equity; Harmonization and Quality Rating in African higher education and research; the STEM focused Pan African University.
Dr. Njenga also initiated the annual AU Continental Teacher Award, and the Innovating Education in Africa Expo whereby education innovations are identified and showcased for wider adoption and replication, while the innovators are celebrated and rewarded.To ensure ownership, and strategic and participatory implementation of continental agenda, Dr. Njenga established the CESA thematic clusters framework, which ensures that stakeholders are on board in driving action. Dr. Njenga is keen to see that education development ensures inclusive access, quality, relevance and responsiveness to contribute to attainment of the knowledge, skills, values and mind-sets required for attaining the Africa We Want, driven by competent African leaders of integrity, as an influential force for good in the global community.