Kenyans Get South Korean Nuclear Scholarships Worth 10.8M Per Student

Nuclear Plant: Image Courtesy

Courtesy of Business Daily Africa:  

The government of South Korea has granted Kenya additional scholarships to train professionals in nuclear power engineering as part of a technology transfer pact. 

Six more Kenyan students will next year be admitted to the prestigious KEPCO International Nuclear Graduate School (Kings) for a- two- year specialised engineering programme. 

“We have made a full scholarship offer for about six more Kenyan students we hope to enrol next year. In 2012, we admitted six students from Kenya and another four last year,” Prof Han Ki-in, the Dean of Academic Affairs at the university said Wednesday during a visit to the school by a team of Energy ministry officials and MPs from Kenya.

Some 10 Kenyan students are already enrolled at the institution that is based within the Kori nuclear power plant site.

The students are mainly drawn from Kenya Power and the Kenya Electricity Generating Company. Each student is awarded a scholarship worth $120,000 (Sh10.08 million) for the programme.

“For now, we only admit those we have offered scholarships, but Kenya as a government can offer other scholarships and we shall enrol them,” the dean said. “There is growing demand for practical nuclear experts and engineers as well as professionals.”

Giant

Kenya’s Ambassador to South Korea Ngovi Kitau said that the government was keen on securing opportunities for more students to be trained in nuclear technology.

“The growth of South Korea from ruin to an economic giant in a very short period is testimony of what sufficient energy output can do for a country,” he said. 

“Nuclear power has helped grow the Korean economy immensely and we want to share in the success by having the technology transferred to our people.”

Ochillo Ayacko, executive chairman and chief executive of the Kenya Nuclear Electricity Board, said that the government would continue building its human resource capacity as Kenya considers taking up the technology.

“We have to take decisive steps if we have to meet the growth targets we dream of as a country,” he said. “We are ready to walk with South Korea as a partner to see that our dream is realised.”

Kenya and South Korea have stepped up their co-operation on nuclear technology as the East African nation struggles to quench its thirst for power.