FOSTER Project partners attended a five-day capacity-building workshop on Open Science, hosted at Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, Netherlands from June 16–20, 2025.

[June 27, 2025] The FOSTER Project partners attended a five-day capacity-building workshop on Open Science, held at Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, Netherlands from June 16–20, 2025.

The Partners present included Daystar University, Kenya, Garissa University, Kenya, St. Paul's University, Kenya, Eastern and Southern African Management Institute (ESAMI), Tanzania, University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and University of Zaragoza, Spain.

This event, part of the FOSTER Project, brings together academic institutions from across Europe and Africa to explore digital innovation in Science.

As the Project Manager in the FOSTER project, Daystar University is legally and financially responsible for administering the project grant. Daystar University was represented by 5 delegates: Prof. Samuel Muriithi (Ag. DVC-ARSA), Dr. Martin Munyao (ODEL Deputy Director), Mr. Solomon Mwangi Mburu (ICT Manager), Dr. Philemon Yugi (M&E Expert), and Ms. Grace Mbogo-Liyai (Research & Protocol Officer). Their participation highlights Daystar’s commitment to advancing open, inclusive, and collaborative research practices.

This international engagement is expected to yield significant benefits for Daystar University. It will enhance the university’s visibility in global academic networks, strengthen its capacity in grant management and collaborative research, and inform the development of institutional policies and infrastructure for Open Science. The knowledge and networks gained will directly support Daystar’s mission to be a center of excellence in research and innovation, while also positioning the university as a key player in shaping the future of open and inclusive science in Africa.

The collective expertise and shared commitment to advancing Open Science will undoubtedly enrich the successful implementation of the project for Daystar University, Kenya and Tanzania. To learn more about the FOSTER Project and its vision for transforming science through digital innovation, visit the official website: https://fosteropenscience.org

Each delegate will be contributing to a thematic area within the FOSTER project through their respective University Working Groups (UWG), established to support institutional transformation in Open Science (OS).

Prof. Samuel Muriithi, representing the University Working Group on Open Science Awareness & Capacity Building (UWG-2), will focus on integrating Open Science into Daystar’s formal and informal curricula and advancing public engagement models. As the Ag. DVC Academic, Research and Student Affairs, Prof. Muriithi will also provide strategic guidance on how implementation will be supported and sustained through university management structures.

Dr. Martin Munyao, serving as an Open Science expert and Deputy Director of the Directorate ODeL, is part of both the University Working Group on Open Science Infrastructure Development (UWG-1) and the University Working Group on Project Management (UWG-4). He will contribute to strategies for project visibility and dissemination, directly supporting Daystar’s strategic goal of becoming a hub for impactful research communication and is an integral contributor to the implementation of OS.

Mr. Mwangi Mburu, also in Open Science Infrastructure Development (UWG-1), will gather insights on digital platforms and infrastructure planning, essential for building Daystar’s technical capacity for Open Science.

Dr. Philemon Yugi, a member of both UWG-2 and the University Working Group on Open Science Policy Development (UWG-3), will explore policy frameworks and reward systems that can inform the university’s Open Access and Data Management strategies. As a community development professional, he will also guide how Daystar can enhance community engagement and raise awareness on the role of citizen science.

Finally, Ms. Grace Mbogo-Liyai, the FOSTER project coordinator, is responsible for the management, coordination and monitoring the project activities with regard to timetable, assessing achievement of the planned endpoints and coordination of appropriate records of activities.

FOSTER:

Full Title: “Fostering Digital Transformation of Science in Kenya and Tanzania”.

FOSTER is a three-year Project Co-funded by the 'European Union through the ERASMUS + programme' under the Capacity Building for Higher Education (CBHE) Action.