24 June 2025 | Story By: Tshepiso Kaibe | Picture: Naledi Nkosi
2 minutes read time.
The Vaal University of Technology (VUT) recently hosted a high-level delegation from Kenya’s National Intelligence and Research University (NIRU) for a strategic benchmarking visit focused on governance, innovation, and institutional collaboration.
NIRU, a young public university in Kenya specialising in intelligence related postgraduate programmes, has been operational for under five years. Its academic offerings include Strategic Intelligence, National Security, Strategic Communication, and Technological Innovation, disciplines tailored to meet Kenya’s growing need for national security, research, and innovation expertise.
The benchmarking exercise was part of NIRU’s efforts to align its institutional development with best practices from more established universities across the continent. The delegates engaged with several VUT departments, including Marketing and Communications, the Internationalisation Office, Alumni Relations, and other key units to understand how VUT manages its operations and stakeholder relations in a dynamic academic environment of over 21,000 students.
A highlight of the visit was a tour of the VUT Science and Technology Park in Sebokeng. Given NIRU’s strong focus on science and innovation, the park was seen as a valuable reference point for research-driven development and community engagement within a technology centred academic framework.
Welcoming the visitors, Dr Simphiwe Nelana, VUT’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation, Commercialisation and Internationalisation, emphasised the importance of such engagements in strengthening continental partnerships. He noted that VUT already enjoys a formal partnership with Kenya’s Maasai Mara University through an active Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and expressed hope that this exchange with NIRU would open additional pathways for collaboration.
The visit concluded with a shared commitment to exploring academic cooperation, joint research, and innovation focused projects. Both institutions affirmed the strategic
importance of deepening ties between African universities to foster regional expertise in intelligence, security studies, and innovation led development.