MERU UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

DIRECTORATE OF RESEARCH INNOVATION COMMERCIALIZATION AND EXTENSION

REPORT ON DR. IOANNIS TSIPOURIDIS VISIT

DATE: TUESDAY, 1^ST TO FRIDAY 4^TH AUGUST 2023

TIME: 9.00 A.M – 1.00 P.M.

VENUE: INNOVATION CENTRE BOARDROOM

 

Theme: ‘Collaboration Opportunities on Climate Change Research’

 

INTRODUCTION

Day I: Tuesday, 01/08/2023

This report outlines the three-day visit of Dr. Ioannis Tsipouridis, a renowned renewable energy consultant engineer from Greece, to Meru University of Science and Technology. He has also been working with Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) where he has been undertaking some research works on Renewable Energy for the past year. This visit aimed to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange between Dr. Tsipouridis and the university’s researchers, with a particular focus on climate change research and renewable energy projects.

Dr. Tsipouridis arrived at Meru University on 1^st August 2023 and was warmly welcomed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC, AFP) and other university staff including the director RICE, director ODEL, coordinators of commercialization and research. The DVC expressed her appreciation for Dr. Tsipouridis’ research work on climate change and highlighted the importance of collaboration in addressing global environmental challenges.

Remarks from DVC, AFP

• The main objective of the Visiting Professor is to help the MUST Researchers on facilitation of flow of funding through Euro horizon.
• Climate change is one of the most popular and significant area of research
• The second significant research project is Solar Energy.
• MUST expectations is to grab the collaboration/Partnership and funding opportunities for internal researchers undertaking projects related to climate change.

Dr. Ioannis Tsipouridis was taken around to see some of the university projects. He had the opportunity to observe these projects firsthand and engage with the project teams;

1. E-PIVOT project – Romanus Odhiambo and Prof. Peter Masinde

• E- PIVOT means Enhancing Partnerships through Industry-led Vocational Training and education.
• It involves partnership between MUST, Netherlands and some Vocational Training Institutes in Kenya.

• The project involves horticulture and water
• Solar Energy is used to pump water

 

2. Sanitation Project – Dr. Joy Riungu

• The project is about waste management
• It involves use of Black Soldier Fly (BSF) technology to turn waste into animal feeds

 

3. E-Waste Management project – Dr. Stephen Karanja and Dr. Amos Omamo

• The project involves collecting all electronic waste items

 

4. Cement project – Dr. Joseph Mwiti Marangu

• The project involves production of affordable cement using cheap raw materials – {Some farm waste and clay soil)

 

5. Hospital Laboratory – Dr. Dorothy Kagendo

• Diagnostic and Research laboratories they use advanced lab machines and equipment

 

Day 2: Wednesday, 02/08/2023 – Attracted attendance of 14 people

On the second day, some of the university Researchers undertaking projects on climate change and related areas got an opportunity to discuss their areas of research with Dr. Ioannis Tsipouridis. These discussions aimed to explore potential areas of collaboration. The Researchers expressed their expectations as follows;

• To enhance the relationship with different research funding agencies such as Euro Horizon research funding.
• To break protocols of getting European funding.
• To embrace multi-disciplinary research opportunities.
• To create ways of attracting research funding.
• To have an interactive discussion for sharing different research ideas.

During the open forum, the Researchers shared their different areas of research;

1. Dr. Amos Omamo

• Area of training – Information Technology
• Area of research – E-Waste Management
• E-waste Management project is a European project. The Meru University of Science and Technology was incorporated as a partner in terms of training.
• The E-waste management project has up scaled into the development of E-Waste Collection Centre in Meru University of Science and Technology. It is anticipated that the center will be a Regional E-waste Collection Centre.
• E-Waste Management involves collection, separation and recycling of the electronic15455551 waste,
• The project is funded by the NRF Pamoja.
• Plans are underway to come up with the Material science lab.

2. Dr. Joy Riungu – Director, Sanitation Research Centre(SRI)

• Are of Research – Waste Management
• The project deals with resource recovery
• It embraces food security
• It supports Greenhouse initiatives
• It helps in upscaling on controlling and managing the waste.

3. Prof. Eric Muchiri

• Area of training – Infectious diseases

4. Dr. Joseph Mwiti

• Area of research – Using locally available materials to produce affordable cement.
• It involves using less polluting materials and thus reduction of C0₂
• The project involves alternative way of producing cement using biogas and biomass.

5. Dr. Patrick Kubai

• Area of training – Health education and promotion
• Extraction of useful components of Miraa.
• Miraa is a plant that has been used for different reasons. It has both negative and positive effects. The negative effects. The negative effects of Miraa can be used as health intervention by treating obesity and thus preventing diabetes and heart diseases.

6. Dr. Julius Ratumo

• Area of training – Chemistry
• Area of research – Extraction of useful components of Miraa.
• The project deals with the identification of useful Miraa components that can be used in the management of Obesity which will ultimately prevent diabetes and heart diseases. Chewing Miraa suppresses hunger and thus one cannot be able to eat too much to gain a lot or excess of weight (obesity).
• Miraa farming provides a green coverage of a region.
• Miraa production provides a source of economic living for the farmers.
• There will be the first clinical trial on Guinea pigs to establish the effects of chewing miraa.
• There is need for more observations on the impact of Miraa.

7. Dr. Beatrice Owiti

• Area of training – Mass Communication
• Area of research – Food security
• Working on Value chain of an Avocado. The project is being done in two counties; Meru County and Nandi County – Working with three cooperatives in Meru County and one Cooperative in Nandi County.
• The project involves partnership of students from two countries; Kenya (MUST & Egerton) and Netherlands.

8. Prof. Charity Gichuki

• Area of training – VM
• Area of research – Chronic wound. It deals with very stubborn wounds especially diabetic huge wound.
• Another area of research is water. It involves tapping river water from the government reservoirs to build dams.
• Need for research funds for validating the projects.

9. Ms. Ruth Gibendi

• Area of training – Information Science
• Area of research – Block Chain Technology

Day 3: Thursday, 03/08/2023 – Public Lecture by Dr. Ioannis Tsipouridis

On the third day of Dr. Tsipouridis’ visit, he delivered a public lecture on climate change, sharing his expertise and insights with the university community. The lecture provided an opportunity for attendees to learn about the latest developments in climate change and mitigation strategies.

 Attracted attendance of 15 people

 The most global challenge is the climate change. Most countries experience e perfect climate crisis
 Some of the effects of climate include
i. Heat waves
ii. Fires
iii. Floods
iv. Drought
v. Sea level rise
vi. Increase of global temperature
vii. Higher Arctic temperatures

 Sources of climate change include;
i. Greenhouse effect
ii. CO2 gas emission’s
iii. High CO2 concentration
iv. High Earth temperature

 Air pollution is quite a problem to the human and animal habitats. 85% of the animals live in the forest. Approximately 6 million deaths are recorded per year due to air pollution.

 Plastics too are a problem to the natural environment which trigger climate change. 170 trillion plastics float in the oceans. Thus permanent solution is to stop the production of plastics.

 Controlling global warming is paramount [n any country. Those who are less protected suffer most from the climate change.

 The UN created a Scientific Assessment – Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and its recommendations and its recommendations are:
i. Clean Energy and Technology
ii. Rapid cuts to fossil fuel.

 

 Global warming of 3.20 is projected in 2100 if we do not take action.

 Sources of renewable energy include:
i. Hydroelectric power
ii. Wave power
iii. Tidal power
iv. Biomass power
v. Geothermal power
vi. Wind power
vii. Solar power

 Climate change crisis may result into increase of human and animal migration die to natural disasters.
Note: quick formula: Climate justice = Social justice

 Some of the remedies to climate change that will make people responsible for their actions towards the natural environment include:
i. Planting trees to increase the forest cover
ii. Creation of climate change movement
iii. Enhance Climate literacy
Need to look at ways of storing renewable energy.

 Need to come up with a curriculum fur climate change in the university in order to address all aspects regarding to climate

 E-waste management that deals with end of life of electronics can also have impact on the climate.

 

Day 4: Friday, 04/08/2023 – Excursion

 

As a gesture of appreciation and to showcase the natural beauty of the Meru region, Dr. Tsipouridis was taken on an excursion to Meru National Park. The excursion allowed him to witness firsthand the rich biodiversity and conservation efforts in the area. He was accompanied by Director RICE, Dr. Amos Omamo and director ODEL Ms. Mary Asunta. The visit to the national park provided a relaxing and enjoyable experience, further strengthening the bond between Dr. Tsipouridis and Meru University of Science and Technology.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS AND WAY FORWARD

The following recommendations were made;

• Need to organize a Research symposium with the agenda of ‘Climate Change’.
• There is need to develop new curriculum on Climate change
• The forum provided the potential collaboration opportunities.
• The forum provided the potential research funding opportunities.
• The forum provided the potential multi-disciplinary research opportunities.
• There is need to create Climate change club in the university