The University of Eldoret (UoE) was privileged to co-host the first UK-East Africa Research Management Capacity Strengthening Workshop, an international collaboration aimed at enhancing financial, policy, and legal frameworks governing research in higher education institutions. The four-day workshop brought together participants from University of Eldoret Royal Holloway – University of London (UK), Kibabii University (Kenya), and Makerere University (Uganda). The workshop is the first part of the implementation of the Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) Research Management Capacity Building Grant of £49,994 awarded to the three institutions by the British Academy. The project is jointly led by Dr. Hilary Lynch – Head of Strategic Grants at Royal Holloway University of London, Dr. Becky Aloo – Head of Intellectual Property Management Office at University of Eldoret, and Dr. Manasi Echaune – Coordinator Research and Innovation at Kibabii University, and Prof. John Baptist Tumuhairwe – Dean & Associate Professor at Makerere University’s College of Agricultural Sciences.

The project team at University of Eldoret also includes Dr. Jafred Muyaka (Policy Workpackage), Dr. George Ariya (Knowledge Exchange & Commercialization Workapackage), Dr. Grace Mureithi (Motivation Workpackage), Mr. Stephen Anditi (Legal Workpackage), and CPA Barnabas Agar (Finance Workpackgae).

The first UK-East Africa workshop officially kicked off on 21 July 2025 in Eldoret, with opening remarks from the project leadership and University of Eldoret's Ag. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Planning, Research and Extension), Prof. Gelas Simiyu. In his welcome address, Prof. Simiyu underscored the workshop’s importance in enabling institutions to reflect, share, and co-create practical solutions to transform research management systems. He celebrated the collaboration between the Global South and the Global North as a vital strategy for building more equitable and resilient research ecosystems. The day featured presentations on UK funder requirements and exercises that explored grant management challenges and potential solutions. Also present in the workshop was Prof. Lizzy Mwamburi, the Director, Research and Innovation.

On 22 July 2025, the team held the workshop at the University of Eldoret's Main Campus, beginning with a courtesy call to the Vice-Chancellor’s Office. The guest participants were warmly welcomed by the Ag Vice chancellor Prof. Nicholus Makau, and the Ag. Deputy Vice Chancellor (Planning, Research and Extension), Prof. Gelas Simiyu who emphasized the University’s strategic commitment to building research excellence through partnerships and capacity development. During these sessions, key university officers presented on University of Eldoret’s research-related frameworks, focusing on financial procedures, legal compliance, and institutional policies. These presentations informed joint discussions and collaborative group work that tackled real-world challenges and proposed localized solutions in research administration.

Speaking at the opening session, the UK Project Lead, Dr. Hilary Lynch from Royal Holloway, highlighted the importance of this exchange in building resilient systems that can enable more effective participation in international collaborative research, especially by institutions in the Global South. The day included presentations on University of Eldoret’s financial, legal, and policy frameworks related to research management, and culminated in cross-institutional group work sessions exploring localized challenges and context-specific solutions in research administration.

The workshop continued with sessions in Eldoret and Kibabii University and ended on 24 July 2025. The next workshops scheduled to take place at Royal Holloway in October 2025, and Makerere University in 2026. The workshop marks a major step toward cross-institutional learning and international collaboration for research on solutions to shared global challenges in the global south and north. The UK-East Africa Research Management Capacity Strengthening Project is not only a significant milestone for the University of Eldoret but also a step forward in regional and international collaboration aimed at enhancing research governance, and management in Africa’s higher education sector. University of Eldoret remains committed to initiatives that position the University as a center of excellence in research, and building collaborations to strengthen the research ecosystem.