Strathmore University reaffirmed its commitment to human-centered leadership and innovation during the 2025 Vice Chancellor’s Conference, held on May 9 under the theme “Scaling Personalised Attention in an Ever-Growing Organization.” The event challenged the assumption that growth must come at the cost of empathy and human connection.

Dr. Vincent Ogutu, Strathmore Vice Chancellor,  opened the conference by questioning traditional notions of bureaucracy. “I am a man on a mission to prove Max Weber wrong when it comes to bureaucracy,” he said, setting a reflective tone. Drawing from his personal experience at Strathmore School, he emphasized that it is possible to maintain personalized attention even as institutions grow. “How do we help people and make sure they leave with their heads held high? You must do it with hope… because you care,” he shared.

Mrs. Bernadette Musundi, Strathmore Chair of Council, reinforced this message, noting that academic excellence is closely tied to emotional well-being and connection. She explained that personalized attention goes beyond mentoring to include fostering a culture where everyone feels they belong. “To deliver academically, we need to understand our people,” she said. “It’s not just about one-on-one interactions, but about creating an environment of belonging.”

She stressed that sustaining this culture requires intentionality: “Scaling personalised attention requires more than goodwill. You have to be deliberate. Let it be part and parcel of what we do.” She concluded with a reminder of the lasting impact of compassion: “People may forget what we teach, but may not forget how we made them feel.”

Adding a spiritual and ethical perspective, Rev. Dr. Silvano Ochuodho, Strathmore’s Pro-Chancellor, emphasized that personalized attention starts in our closest relationships. “Charity begins at home,” he said. He described personalized attention as a mindset and a way of life, not just a leadership strategy. He challenged educators to align personal values with professional practice, saying, “We understand the concept in academia, but how many of us practice this in our personal lives?”

From a leadership standpoint, Joseph Choge, Chairman of the Board of Directors, The Institute of Customer Experience of Kenya (ICX), highlighted the importance of empathy in cultivating personalized attention. “As a leader, you can create enthusiasm by giving undivided attention,” he said. He advised leaders to balance emotion with reason, believing that poor performance often stems from stress and fear, not bad intentions. “Lead with the heart, but use your head to give it a sense of balance,” he said. “Lead with wisdom, courage, and compassion.”

Amid the deep reflections on leadership and personalized growth, the University also took time to celebrate two of its flagship academic programmes, Bachelor of Business Information Technology (BBIT) and Bachelor of Commerce (BCOM), which turned 20 this year. These programmes have stood the test of time, shaping industry leaders, policy influencers, and tech innovators across the region.

“Over the years, we have produced stellar people in Information Technology spread countrywide and regionally,” said Dr. Julius Butime, Dean, School of Computing and Engineering Sciences. “We will carry on the quality of the programme and even take it to greater heights.”

Reflecting on the journey of the School of Business (SBS), Dr. Caesar Mwangi, Dean, SBS, added, “Twenty years is a good point to reflect on. It has grown in leaps and bounds, from undergraduate programmes to PhDs to executive education. We are looking to give policy contributions across the globe. We are keen on interdisciplinary and joint research across the university and proud that we are a world-class business school spearheading Africa’s transformation.”

The celebration of these academic milestones offered a fitting complement to the day’s central message that growth and excellence are not mutually exclusive with empathy and personalized attention.

Article written by Sharifa Anguba