When Pwani University (PU) received its charter in 2013, it marked the beginning of a transformative partnership with the KEMRI-Wellcome Research Programme (KWRP) – one that has become a model for institutional research capacity strengthening.
What began as modest teaching support and open invitations to KWRP seminars for PU faculty has evolved into a dynamic, multidimensional collaboration. Over the past decade, PU has appointed more than 20 KWRP researchers to academic positions, including adjunct roles and substantive appointments as associate and full professors. In parallel, several PU faculty members have taken up visiting researcher roles at KWRP, bridging academia and applied research.
The collaboration has since expanded to co-develop three academic programmes that respond to national and regional training needs: a Postgraduate Diploma in Health Research Methods, a Master’s in Bioinformatics, and a Master’s in Immunology.
These programmes have graduated over 200 students since 2015, with dozens more currently enrolled (3 PhD, 15 Master’s, and 30 PGD students). Each year, KWRP hosts up to five PU undergraduate trainees for experiential learning placements, helping to nurture the next generation of Kenyan scientists.
Short courses jointly delivered – including an “Introduction to Research” course, an R programming course, and the high-impact “Understanding Complex Health Systems” course for mid-level health managers – further reinforce capacity at multiple levels. KWRP and PU also co-host the annual Africa Biology of Parasites (AfriBoP) course, attracting PhD and postdoctoral scientists from across the continent. These educational programmes have significantly broadened PU’s training portfolio and academic reach.
Crucially, this partnership is not limited to training. It has catalyzed world-class research conducted jointly by both institutions. A standout example is the series of Controlled Human Malaria Infection (CHMI) studies hosted at PU facilities and run by integrated teams of KWRP and PU scientists. These studies have delivered critical insights into malaria immunity and contributed to the global search for next-generation malaria vaccines.
Underpinning this progress is joint resource mobilization. The partnership has attracted major funding from the Wellcome through The Developing Excellence in Leadership, Training and Science in Africa (DELTAS Africa) initiative, as well as from Kenya’s National Research Fund. This has led to the establishment of the Pwani University Biomedical Research Centre (PUBReC), a state-of-the-art molecular biology lab, and semi-field entomology facilities – both now used in cutting-edge health, agricultural, and marine biology research.
While formal agreements have guided the partnership, its success rests on a deeper foundation: the mutual trust, vision, and sustained commitment of the leadership at both KWRP and Pwani University. Together, they are not only training the next generation of African researchers – they are shaping the future of research and innovation at the Kenyan coast.