UoN and Qatar Fund collaborate in Restructuring the Faculty of Business Curriculum
Are our universities adequately structured to produce graduates who are competent, skilled, and capable of demonstrating what they have learned in real-world contexts? This critical question formed the foundation of a transformative three-day curriculum transformation workshop from the 11th- 13th February, 2026, organized through a partnership between the Qatar Fund for Development and the University of Nairobi, Faculty of Business and Management Sciences.
On behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ayub Gitau, Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academic Affairs, commended the collaboration with the Qatar Fund for Development, describing it as a strategic step toward strengthening academic quality; noting that universities can no longer rely on traditional content-heavy approaches but must embrace models that prioritize competence, innovation, and measurable impact.
The Project lead and principal facilitator, Professor Habib Mahama from Qatar University’s College of Business and Economics, conducted the 3-day workshop challenging members of the faculty to rethink curriculum architecture and alignment. ‘‘A curriculum system is not merely a collection of courses but an integrated structure where program objectives, course content, learning outcomes, teaching strategies, and assessment methods are aligned.’’ According to Professor Mahama, effective curriculum systems must be intentional and outcome-driven, ensuring that every academic component contributes to clearly defined graduate attributes.
Through Problem-learning outcomes and Course-learning outcomes design, Professor Habib guided faculty members through practical sessions on defining the core qualifications expected of graduates' critical thinking, ethics, skills, innovation, teamwork, and global awareness. He emphasized that learning outcomes should be measurable and directly linked to industry and societal expectations. Involving solution-based learning approaches within curriculum systems, universities can foster solution-oriented mindsets among students.
Professor Rosemary Khitieyi Imonje, Department of Educational Management, Policy and Curriculum Studies, provided a clear explanation of Kenya’s Competency-Based Education Training (CBET) and its importance for higher education. Professor Imonje explained that the CBET represents a paradigm shift of knowledge accumulation to competence demonstration. She emphasized, it is to produce learners who are skilled and able to apply their knowledge practically.
According to Professor Imonje, Curriculum review process, and new approaches created learning pathways under CBET. CBET will be structured and Governed at the University of Nairobi. The proposed CBET model to be adopted at the University of Nairobi was presented with key challenges the institution may face in preparing the new cohort of CBET come 2029.
Professor Kennedy Ogollah, Dean, Faculty of Business and Management Science, and Professor James Njihia, Department of Management Science and Project Planning, highlighted the importance of such Sessions that help to explore experiential learning models, collaborative projects, technology-enhanced methods of learning and teaching . Faculty members worked in groups to redesign course outlines, map graduate attributes, and develop aligned assessment tools.
The workshop held at the Wangari Maathai Institute, observed that modern working environments demand graduates who can integrate knowledge across disciplines and adapt to technological advancement. The partnership between the Qatar Fund for Development and the University of Nairobi was hailed as a catalyst for academic innovation, capacity building, and global collaboration.
