Partnerships

Notre Dame Nairobi is committed to building equitable partnerships with Africa by creating a sustained, long-term presence in Kenya.

By developing collaborations with institutions and organizations across sub-Saharan Africa, Notre Dame Nairobi supports the University’s mission to engage with important areas of research, such as public health, education, sustainability, and economics. These relationships create opportunities for faculty, students, and local partners to collaborate on transformative projects that benefit both Notre Dame and the region.

Key Partners in Africa

Strathmore University

Notre Dame’s partnership with Strathmore University, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), reflects the potential of academic collaboration. This university-wide agreement fosters joint research, faculty and student exchanges, and interdisciplinary initiatives. Together, the two institutions address challenges ranging from economic development, entrepreneurship and public health, strengthening academic ties and driving innovation in the region.

Brother André Medical Centre

Located in Dandora, Nairobi, Brother André Medical Centre exemplifies Notre Dame’s commitment to public health and compassionate care. Established with the guidance of Notre Dame faculty, including research by Prof. Vania Smith-Oka and Prof. Laura Miller Graff, the hospital provides high-quality maternal and general healthcare to underserved communities. This partnership highlights how Notre Dame combines research and service to address critical healthcare needs and improve lives.

Other Partnerships

• Catholic Relief Services
• Institute for Economic Affairs
• Stellenbosch University, South Africa
• Uganda Martyrs University
• Luigi Giussani Institute for higher education
• Kwame Nkurumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

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Notre Dame Collaborators

Notre Dame Nairobi works closely with departments on campus in South Bend, Indiana, USA to advance knowledge, collaborations with local partners in Africa, and to strengthen education systems, generate research, and build capacity among educators and policymakers.

The Eck Institute for Global Health and its affiliation with the Mpala Research Centre provide a foundation for research on public health challenges in the region. Notre Dame faculty working in Nairobi contribute to key research initiatives, tackling issues from infectious diseases to environmental sustainability areas such as global development, education, health and social justice. Partnerships with institutions like Strathmore University - formalized through an MOU- support university-wide collaboration, enabling joint research, faculty exchanges, and student engagement.

The Keough School of Global Affairs brings together multiple institutes, centers, and projects engaged in Africa, including:

• The Pulte Institute for Global Development, which leads initiatives such as Graduating from Learning Poverty (focused on expanding educational opportunities and reducing learning gaps) and Innovating Green Pathways to Prosperity (developing sustainable economic models that lift communities out of poverty while promoting environmental resilience).

• The Ford Program in Human Development Studies and Solidarity, part of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, which advances research, teaching, and service aimed at strengthening human dignity and well-being.

• The Notre Dame Poverty Initiative, which supports global research on poverty reduction and sustainable development, including projects in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Institute for Educational Initiatives (IEI), which works to improve opportunities for children and young people in sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on resilience, whole-child development, and education in crisis contexts.