Dr. Stanley Makhosi Bhebhe
Welcome Note from the Vice-Chancellor
Bienvenue à l’Université Afrique Nazaréenne ! Welcome to Africa Nazarene University! Karibuni Nyumbani! Bem-vindo à Universidade Nazareno da África
Wherever you are, whether you are a visitor physically on our campus or online, a new student, a transfer student from another university or a returning student, welcome to Africa Nazarene University (ANU). We are honored to be your choice for the pursuit of your academic aspirations, and you couldn’t have chosen a better place to pursue your academic career.
Africa Nazarene University (ANU) opened its doors to the first cohort of students twenty-six years ago. It was a historic moment that had been years in the making, born out of the unwavering faith and vision of our founding mothers and fathers who envisioned a university that would make a unique and distinct contribution to education in Kenya and across the African continent. Theirs was a vision for a university that would extol the values of competency, character, and community, and based on these values, they envisioned a university that would provide a wholistic education to equip graduates with excellent skills, and competences grounded on Christian values and delivered through an interdisciplinary and integrative Christian Liberal Arts curricula.
As you embark on your university education today, many things have changed since those historic moments, and the higher education landscape has also undergone significant transformation and still continues to evolve as it needs to in order to effectively grapple with the complexities of a rapidly changing world. And lest we forget, we have just gone through a vicious and unprecedented period of uncertainty and severe disruptions to higher education, caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. There are two lessons that we take from all this.
The first lesson that we take forward, is a renewed commitment to our Vision of being the University of choice for those individuals seeking a university that has a focus on Christ-centered academic excellence, and research all geared at delivering a transformative educational experience.
The need to be distinctly unique has never been greater than now. In this regard, Africa Nazarene University re-affirms its unique positioning as a Christian Liberal Arts University, singularly committed to delivering a holistic, interdisciplinary education that integrates the Sciences, Humanities and Social Sciences, within a distinctly Christian world view. We believe a Christian Liberal Arts Education focus gives us a threefold distinction.
First, a Christian Liberal Arts Education is learner centered. We believe that this learner centered nature of a Liberal Arts Education is the perfect response to the loud calls for “a relevant” education which produces competent graduates who are fully prepared for employability. According to David Kearns of Xerox, “The only education that prepares us for change is a liberal arts education. In periods of change, narrow specialization condemns us to inflexibility–precisely what we do not need. We need the flexible intellectual tools to be problem solvers, to be able to continue learning over time” (2002) and a Liberal Arts education is best oriented to meet this objective.
Second, a Liberal Arts Education is inter-disciplinary and integrative in its approach, which makes it a wholistic education. Liberal Arts Education, according to the American Association of
Colleges and Universities (AAC&U), “is an approach to college learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity, and change across a broad range of issues of their time. This approach emphasizes broad knowledge of the wider world (e.g., science, culture, and society as well as in-depth achievement in a specific field of interest. It helps students develop a sense of social responsibility; strong intellectual and practical skills that span all major fields of study, such as communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills; and the demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills in real-world settings”.
Thirdly, a Christian Liberal Arts Education, gives ANU a unique and distinctive orientation because it is an educational approach that is built on the integration of faith and learning and has as its ultimate outcome as the transformation of the learner into an agent of social transformation.
In these times of severe stress, let me assure you that you have chosen the right University to receive a cutting-edge education within an environment that is designed around supporting your success as you transition to higher education and beyond. Even as we welcome you to both our physical and Virtual Online learning platforms, we do so with the confidence of knowing that the journey we have travelled over the last 29 years, to achieve and maintain quality teaching and learning has been carefully planned and orchestrated over several years to ensure that the values, character, and strengths that are associated with the ANU education brand are fully embedded in all our learning modes. Whether you are registered for physical contact or online
learning, you will find the same balanced integration of disciplinary knowledge, fourth industrial revolution workplace skills and Christian values to enhance your job readiness and employability
when you graduate from ANU.
ANU is a place where you will have an opportunity for both a culturally and educationally unique experience. Whether online or on physical contact learning on campus, you will experience being part of a culturally diverse community made up of students from about a third of the African continent in addition to students from the US, India, Canada, and the UK etc. as well as exposure to a Global faculty from the network of Higher Education institutions under the Global Church of
the Nazarene to which we belong.
An even more exciting experience when you study at ANU, is the opportunity to spend a Semester studying abroad at one of our sister institutions in the US at the same cost of what it costs you to study for a semester here at an ANU. You can’t beat this.
Lastly, as we welcome you, I would like to encourage you to take advantage of the support services that are available to you through our Student Affairs division, your department and School, ANU Online, the Registrar’s office and the Career Services office.
Welcome on-board Africa Nazarene University where we believe “what begins here transforms the world” “Ce qui commence ici transforme le monde”
Stanley Bhebhe, Ph. D
Vice Chancellor
