Daystar University

Coordinates: 1°26′32″S 37°02′53″E / 1.442193°S 37.047952°E / -1.442193; 37.047952

Daystar is a Christian liberal arts university in Nairobi, Kenya.

Daystar's original campus is close to Nairobi city centre, but here is no room to expand at that location. Therefore, in the last decade a new campus has been built at Athi River, some 40 km to the south-east of the city, on the Mombasa Road. This development has been largely as a result of the hard work of the former Vice Chancellor, Prof. Stephen Talitwala. The current acting Vice Chancellor is Rev. Prof. James Kombo.

The university continues to produce graduates who are serving in various capacities in Africa.

About Daystar

The University was founded in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, by S.E Motsoko-Pheko, a political refugee from South Africa and Dr. Donald Smith & Mrs. Faye Smith, an American missionary couple.

The name ‘Daystar’ is derived from the Bible (2nd Peter 1:19) which is used to describe Jesus Christ. With this in mind, every member of Daystar University is encouraged to emulate Jesus Christ in behaviour, lifestyle and speech.

Daystar Vision

Daystar University’s Vision is to be a distinguished, Christ-Centered, African Institution of Higher learning for the Transformation of Church and Society.

Daystar Mission

Daystar University’s mission is to develop Managers, Professionals and Scholars to be effective Christian Servant-Leaders through the integration of Christian Faith and Holistic learning for the transformation of Church and Society.

Facilities

The University combines impressive modern facilities and a dynamic approach to teaching and research. Daystar University strives for excellence in its teaching and research methods. The University is well known for quality in teaching. Training is personalized and by highly qualified faculty.

Diploma courses, pre-university and daytime undergraduate programs are offered at the Athi River Campus situated on the edge of the Athi plains on the slopes of the Lukenya Hills, about 40 kilometres from downtown Nairobi. Evening undergraduate and postgraduate programs are offered at Nairobi Campus. The Campus also offers daytime pre-university and Association of Business Executives (ABE) programs.

Built on 300 acres (1.2 km²) of land, the University’s Athi River campus is 38 kilometres from Nairobi and is home to about 1,500 students both local and international.

Daystar Programmes

The university offers a host of programs at its Nairobi, Athi River and Mombasa campuses. These run the whole gamut from Undergraduate degree programmes, pre-university, short-term diploma and bridging courses, to Postgraduate programmes in various disciplines. It also carries out collaborative programmes with regional and international institutions and universities.

Academic Linkages

Daystar maintains linkages for academic interaction and exchange with other institutions as Nottingham University in the UK, Kosin University in South Korea, Potchefstroom University in South Africa, Maastricht University in the Netherlands, The Chalmer’s Centre for Entrepreneurship Studies in USA, the Christian Alliance for Business Schools, also in the USA, and Makerere University, Uganda. Other institutions that Daystar has collaborative programs with include, Alliance for International Christian Business Education (AICB) & Graduate Mobilization Program (GMP) - Africa, Compassion International Africa & Food for the hungry program.

Leader in Information Technology Training

Appreciating that the use of computers in business, industry and service organizations has completely changed the way we work and live, Daystar too has embraced the use of technology through learning. The Computer Services department gives user services to offices and computer laboratories. Over 150 computers are available for student use, giving a ratio of 10 students to one computer. Internet access is available on both campuses.

State-of-the-Art Communication Facilities

Here is exciting news for students aspiring to take Communication at Daystar. The Communication department operates a radio station (Shine FM 103.1), sound, video and television studios as well as a student newspaper, Involvement, so as to provide hands-on experience. These studios and newspaper are run by students.

Library and Resource Centre Services Daystar University has libraries in both its campuses. The University endeavours to excel in providing timely access to relevant information in a variety of media to meet the research, teaching and learning needs of Daystar University.

The University’s two libraries have a rich collection of books, local and international journals and magazines. The non-book collection includes CD databases, videos, DVDs and a host of electronic resources and online databases available through INASP databases.

Scholarships Daystar University offers a number of academic scholarships. The largest scholarship program is the Work Study program set up by the university and to which it contributes a portion of the tuition fees income every year. In return, students are required to work 10 hours a week. The university also offers the Best Student Award, an exclusive award given to the best student on entry in any given year. The recipient is expected to maintain high grades throughout their study.

Variety of Extra-Curriculum Activities Our numerous outreach evangelistic teams, choirs, drama, dance and singing groups make up for any free time outside the class room. Besides, the Students Association organizes fun and learning activities such as dinners, culture week, trips and retreats. A host of clubs and activities are in place which involve academic, social and spiritual activities.

Rich Cross-Cultural Mix Daystar offers a rich cross-cultural experience. With 19 Nationalities represented at Daystar, there is a lot to learn from the diverse cultures. Currently we have students drawn from United States of America, Asia, a host of West and South African countries as well as many students from neighboring East African countries.

Student Government The Daystar University Students Association (DUSA) looks after the affairs of the students and represents them in the administration. There are two chapters for the Athi River and Nairobi campuses. The 2006/2007 Student President is Halqano Haro Huqa, Athi chair and deputised by Daniel ole Kanchori of Nairobi.

Sports and Recreation Daystar coordinates sports and games throughout the academic year. Existing sports and recreation activities include team sports, individual sports, board games and other outdoor activities. Daystar teams compete in the Kenya Universities Sports Association (KUSA), the Nairobi Fellowship of theological Colleges (NFTC), Nairobi Basketball Association and in other organized institutional sports.

Alumni Association

Upon graduation, graduates automatically become members of Daystar University Alumni Association (DUAA), which is solely run by the alumni through an executive committee elected annually. Through Daylink, a recently launched job placement centre, the graduates place their CVs with the centre, thus creating a link between the employers and Daystar graduates. DUAA has various initiatives among them the Somesha (Kiswahili for Educate) Scholarship Fund that aims at mobilizing resources for students who are unable to pay their fees. One way of doing this is through fund-raising dinners lined up for the year.

Daystar University Parents Association (DUPA)

Daystar is the only local university with a parents association. The Association exists to work with the administration to facilitate understanding and cooperation amongst students and the university and also to promote and facilitate socio-economic development of the university.

Leadership The mission of Daystar University is steered by a group of 50 African Christian leaders with a vision for leadership training for the African continent. These comprise the University Company, which is headed by Mr. James Mageria and the University Council, headed by the Chancellor, Dr. Florence Muli-Musiime. The Vice-Chancellor, Rev. Prof. James Kombo oversees the day to day running of the university.

External links

• Official Web Site
• The DayStar Website
• Colleges and Universities in Kenya
• DUAA Web Site