Bomet Governor Prof. Hillary Barchok has initiated plans to create student exchange programmes between his county, especially on technical aspects of education with universities in Athens, Greece.
Speaking when he hosted the Rector of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Greece Professor Andreas G. Boudouvis and his colleague Professor Ioannis Paspaliaris who are on a return visit to Kenya, the governor reiterated there was a need for students from his region to start benefiting from programmes offered abroad.
The governor affirmed that his county and the National Technical University of Athens, Greece (NTUA) would build on the existing intergovernmental relations to collaborate in the sectors of academia, innovation and technology transfer.
“Bomet County has made a first move to collaborate with NTUA Greece on academia, innovation and technology transfer and soon my administration and NTUA will now enter into a partnership agreement to roll out a student exchange programme, especially in the technological skills field,” said Prof. Barchok.
“We are aiming to revolutionize this region through technology by transferring ideas from abroad and conceptualizing them here. We want Bomet to be an industrialized county by 2030,” he said.
Barchok also confirmed that soon they would collaborate with one city in Greece to transform the structure of Bomet town and have a good plan that would ensure the town looks like a city soon adding that the talks were underway.
The Greek delegation was accompanied by the Kenyan consulate in Greece Vicky Pantazopoulou said they were happy for NTUA for accepting to collaborate with the Bomet county government which would create a good relationship with the entire country adding that Kenyan students would have much to learn in terms of technology.
Ms. Vicky said the discussion for the collaboration started last year when a delegation led by governor Barchok visited Greece.
“A delegation led by a Kenyan governor visited my country, discussions were brought in and I am glad to announce that we are a step ahead towards actualizing the idea,” Ms. Vicky explained.
Rector National Technical University of Athens NTUA, Prof. Andreas G. Boudouvis, confirmed that his institution is ready to work with Bomet County, and recommended Barchok for valuing education.
By Lamech Arisa
