The Vice Chancellor's Blog
At its core, the VC blog aims to inspire, empower and create a ripple effect of impact within Strathmore University and beyond. By offering a platform for the Vice Chancellor to share his insights and engage with students and staff, the blog will highlight different initiatives carried out to foster sustainability.
Blog Posts
In the quiet halls of monasteries and convents across the globe, religious sisters have long devoted themselves to the service of the marginalized, becoming pillars of compassion and caretakers of human dignity. Their dedication to the sick, the poor, and the downtrodden has spanned centuries, but as the world around them shifts, so too must their approaches to social development. A new era calls for innovative thinking, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurial spirit — a journey that the Sisters Blended Value Project (SBVP) empowers Catholic sisters to embrace.
Dr. Vincent Ogutu expanded on the theme of innovation, sharing insights into the mindset required to create. “Necessity is the mother of invention,” he reminded the audience, “but the key is to trick the mind into thinking something is necessary for it to create.” Dr. Ogutu then shared a nugget of wisdom with the attendees, a chapter from The Innovation Algorithm, a resource that explores psychological and motivational strategies for sparking creativity.
We are struggling. Yes, we are. Struggling to internally agree, confess, pick up and get into strategic action from our busy career and busy work schedules. The struggle of our career development and balancing that with our desired investment. Do we agree we need to advance in our careers and get our investments working for us? Yes, we do need that growth.
Speaking during the event, the Vice Chancellor of Strathmore University, Dr. Vincent Ogutu asserted that he self-identifies as a teacher not a lecturer. Dr. Ogutu began his career as a teacher at Strathmore High School and throughout his career progression in academia, he never lost his focus on his calling which is to teach and develop students.
“Hearing you speak about realizing our potential of becoming high flyers and having a tremendous impact left me wondering whether my dreams are valid. Is it okay that what I want most in life is a happy marriage and a beautiful family? Would I be a let-down and a failure if I chose to be a homemaker instead of joining the rat race and competing with others?”
In the realm of communication and rhetoric, inspiration often strikes unexpectedly. For Namachanja Ashley, a proud alumna of Strathmore University and now a seasoned communication professional at Edelman, that spark ignited during a memorable afternoon in Oval Building’s Zumaridi room.
At the core of who we are is a simple yet powerful belief: we are here to serve. This isn’t just a duty; it’s our true calling. A calling that enables us to make a meaningful difference in the lives we touch.
In the face of current global challenges, everyone’s responsibility towards ensuring sustainability in all facets of life has never been more critical. Last year’s theme highlighted the importance of caring for both people and the planet; this commitment remains ever so urgent.
When the University Secretary division spent a few hours within the homes of a number of Mukuru Kwa Njenga residents, an informal settlement in Nairobi that is home to over 100,000 people, each person went home with a different perspective.
Even the most skilled experts can’t control where the rain will fall, never mind that acid rain is deleterious to crops, wreaking havoc on food supply. As a result, crops are increasingly grown under cover to protect them from the weather, a trend that is likely to get more robust …
Richard Louv who authored “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder” reports on the role of nature in child development – building confidence, improving the mood, boosting creativity and reducing chances of depression later in life.
Our Mission
To provide all-round quality education in an atmosphere of freedom and responsibility, excellence in teaching, research and scholarship, ethical and social development and service to society.
Our Vision
To be a leading entrepreneurial university, positively impacting society by doing excellent work.
About the Vice Chancellor
Dr. Vincent Ogutu is the Vice-Chancellor of Strathmore University. He self-identifies as a teacher and is a Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour, Leadership, Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation. He is passionate about inspiring students at all levels to realise their potential for personal growth and social impact. He has given a TEDx talk at IESE Business School, Barcelona urging people to commit to the cause that “has their name written on it.” He also uses television and social media as a platform to challenge people in the areas of leadership, entrepreneurship, creativity, talent development, and social impact.
Prior to his vice-chancellor role at the University, Dr. Ogutu was the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Planning & Development), where he was charged with oversight of the University’s strategy, fundraising, alumni relations, development projects and community outreach.
Read More
He has also been the Vice Dean for Executive Talent Development at Strathmore University Business School, and the Director of the regional academies in Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania. He was the Founding Director of the MBA for Executives Programme at SBS and led the Programme in its first three years. Before working at SBS, he was the Deputy Principal of Strathmore School where he fell in love with the teaching vocation and discovered how much of a difference it can make in people’s lives.
Dr. Ogutu has a Ph.D in Organisational Management from Rutgers University, an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of London and a BA in Economics from the University of Nairobi. He undertook his doctoral studies full time in the United States on a Fulbright Scholarship. His research is on the Psychology of meaningful work and meaningful lives. He uses this knowledge to help organisations create meaningful work environments, and to help individuals to discover their path in life. He also uses it to uplift demographics that usually find their lives to be devoid of purpose (like prisoners and terminally ill patients).
While in the US, Dr. Vincent also focused on social entrepreneurship and innovation. He was one of seven moonshot pioneers chosen to present his tech idea on teleportation simulation at Google in New York in a Google NJ Solve for X competition. An accidental by-product of that Google adventure was the creation of his own step-by-step system for innovation that allows ordinary people to think outside the box and innovate. He dubbed it “The Innovation Algorithm”. He has been invited to teach it in Kenya, Uganda, the US, Germany and Uruguay. Dr. Ogutu led Deloitte USA’s cybersecurity team on a discussion of the psychological elements of security breaches. He was part of LaunchNJ, a team of professionals creating an ecosystem of entrepreneurs in NJ similar to the Silicon Valley dynamic.
He is now a champion of the Kenyan entrepreneurial ecosystem and has given keynote speeches at incubators and accelerators like iBizAfrica, the Nairobi Garage, Transformational Business Network and Amani Institute. He has given design-thinking workshops for organisations and networks of innovators like Strathmore Energy and Resource Center and Mirazi. He has also been a judge at entrepreneurial competitions organised by the Somo Project, and also the Women in Tech program of Standard Chartered Bank and iBizAfrica.
He currently sits on the boards of Strathmore University Foundation, B Lab East Africa (certifying companies for their social impact), Nafisika Trust (teaching entrepreneurial skills to prisoners), and is an advisor to several start-ups in Kenya and the US.
Dr. Vincent is passionate about getting businesses and individuals to use creativity and social innovation as a force for good.
Contact Dr. Ogutu: vc@strathmore.edu