CENIT@EA Overview

CENIT@EA was launched in late 2017. The centre was established for several reasons which include:

• Aiming at strengthening teaching and research in the field of embedded and mobile systems in East Africa
• Facilitating the collaboration between academia and industry for improved capability and efficiency in solving societal and industry-related challenges

CENIT@EA was established in cooperation with the Inter University Council of East Africa (IUCEA), German Development Agency (GIZ), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and an academic consortium which is composed of:

• CENIT@EA host institution, the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology
• CENIT@EA Academic Coordinator, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
• The University of Dar es Salaam
• The University of Technology and Arts in Byumba (UTAB)
• The University of Applied Sciences Mannheim
• The German Aerospace Center (DLR)

In July 2021 the CENIT@EA project entered its second phase, themed Digital Skills for an Innovative East African Industry (dskills@EA-CENIT@EA). This phase builds and expands on CENIT@EA project activities including: further facilitation of the MSc. EMoS programme, improving CENIT@EA’s societal and industrial collaboration at local, regional, and international levels as well as developing participants’ digital skills to improve youth employment and entrepreneurship in the EAC region.

Programmes and How to Apply

CENIT@EA supports capacity building, digital skills accelerator events as well as industrial placement for students. To date the centre has facilitated several events including: innovation promotion, entrepreneurship, android programming, summer schools, student participation in regional summits, data science and guest lectures in various areas related to Embedded and Mobile Systems. The centre has also secured various industrial partnerships in the region.

The MSc. EMoS curriculum is continuously improved through systematic reviews. The Centre supports innovation management for students and graduates with start-up plans, as well as offering training courses to improve practical digital skills that are in demand in the business world. The Centre is working towards establishing: a career service unit, an alumni work centre and a didactic centre. Digital skills are invaluable and we at CENIT@EA see to it that we positively contribute towards building these skills.