UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 1 JULY - 7 JULY 2017 By Dan Muchai Right: A south Korean dance concludes prior to the South Korean Ambassador to Kenya delivering a public lecture on Wednesday, July 5, at the auditorium. Above: South Korean Ambassador H.E. Kwon Young-Dae delivers a public lecture on Wednesday, July 5, at the auditorium on “The Korean Culture and the Current State of the Korean Peninsula”. Dr. Edith Amuhaya (Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry) in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has appointed a co-principal researcher in the South Africa – Canada – Kenya project, which is part of the South Africa–Canada Research Chairs Trilateral Partnership Initiative (SARChI). The initiative is part of the broader South Africa–Canada Research Chairs Initiative which is jointly funded by Canada’s International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF). The South Africa–Canada Research Chairs Initiative is made up of the South Africa–Canada Research Chairs Trilateral Partnership Initiative and the South Africa–Canada Research Chairs Mobility Initiative, and will seeks to invest in the development of research in sub-Saharan Africa through the establishment of tri-lateral partnerships involving researchers from Canada, South Africa, and another sub-Saharan African country, which in this case is Kenya. Each project will receive funding of upto CA $ 1 million over a period of up to 5 years. Dr. Amuhaya’s other co-principal researchers are Prof. Tebello Nyokong (Rhodes University) and Prof. Juan Scaiano (University of Ottawa), and together they will conduct joint research into the use of nanotechnology to develop materials that can provide solutions for current environmental issues, such as water and soil decontamination, as well as the design of new systems to reduce the cost of current methods of purification. Both Professors Nyokong and Scaiano are among the world’s top researchers in chemistry, with Prof. Nyokong having been awarded the South African Chemical Institute Gold Medal in 2013, while Prof. Scaiano was named an officer of the Order of Canada in 2005 and received the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Gerhard Herzberg Gold Medal for Science and Engineering in 2008. Dr. Amuhaya joined the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences at the beginning of Spring 2017 from the Technical University of Kenya, and holds a Ph.D. degree in Synthetic Organic Chemistry from Louisiana State University in the United States. She also, previously taught at Maseno University (Kenya), and did her post-doctoral fellowship at Rhodes University (South Africa). Both IDRC and NRF are interested in supporting projects that build on existing research capabilities, links, and common research interests in all three countries. Recent research indicates that Africa is still lagging behind in research – in 2013, Africa only accounted for 1.3% of global research and development and only 2.3% of world researchers! These initiatives are therefore part of a growing effort by African higher education institutions to increase regional integration and decrease external dependencies. According to the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza, USIU-Africa is expected to benefit from this trilateral partnership initiative since the university’s research productivity, which directly affects “global competition for talented students, top faculty, scarce resources, and reputational capital” is bound to increase. He believes research conducted at African universities will produce the relevant knowledge and skilled labor capacity that Africa’s key institutions need to succeed. Through Cultivate Africa’s Future (CultiAF), IDRC previously funded an 18-month grant for undertaking a project entitled, “Expanding Business Opportunities for Youth in the Fish and Poultry sectors in Kenya” implemented by a consortium of partners led by USIU-Africa’s Global Agribusiness Management Center (GAME). South Africa’s National Research Foundation is a South African government-mandated research and science development agency, which funds research, the development of high-end human capacity and critical research infrastructure to promote knowledge production across all disciplinary fields. Chemistry professor to receive large research grant to study nanotechnology Photo Credit: Dan Muchai
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UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 1 JULY - 7 JULY 2017
By Dan Muchai
Right: A south Korean dance concludes prior to the South Korean Ambassador to Kenya delivering a public lecture on Wednesday, July 5, at the auditorium.
Above: South Korean Ambassador H.E. Kwon Young-Dae delivers a public lecture on Wednesday, July 5, at the auditorium on “The Korean Culture and the Current State of the Korean Peninsula”.
Dr. Edith Amuhaya (Assistant Professor of Organic Chemistry)
in the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has
appointed a co-principal researcher in the South Africa –
Canada – Kenya project, which is part of the South
Africa–Canada Research Chairs Trilateral Partnership
Initiative (SARChI).
The initiative is part of the broader South Africa–Canada
Research Chairs Initiative which is jointly funded by Canada’s
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and
South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF).
The South Africa–Canada Research Chairs Initiative is made
up of the South Africa–Canada Research Chairs Trilateral
Partnership Initiative and the South Africa–Canada Research
Chairs Mobility Initiative, and will seeks to invest in the
development of research in sub-Saharan Africa through the
establishment of tri-lateral partnerships involving
researchers from Canada, South Africa, and another
sub-Saharan African country, which in this case is Kenya. Each
project will receive funding of upto CA $ 1 million over a
period of up to 5 years.
Dr. Amuhaya’s other co-principal researchers are Prof. Tebello
Nyokong (Rhodes University) and Prof. Juan Scaiano
(University of Ottawa), and together they will conduct joint
research into the use of nanotechnology to develop
materials that can provide solutions for current
environmental issues, such as water and soil
decontamination, as well as the design of new systems to
reduce the cost of current methods of puri�cation.
Both Professors Nyokong and Scaiano are among the world’s
top researchers in chemistry, with Prof. Nyokong having been
awarded the South African Chemical Institute Gold Medal in
2013, while Prof. Scaiano was named an o�cer of the Order of
Canada in 2005 and received the Natural Sciences and
Engineering Research Council of Canada Gerhard Herzberg
Gold Medal for Science and Engineering in 2008.
Dr. Amuhaya joined the School of Pharmacy and Health
Sciences at the beginning of Spring 2017 from the Technical
University of Kenya, and holds a Ph.D. degree in Synthetic
Organic Chemistry from Louisiana State University in the
United States. She also, previously taught at Maseno University
(Kenya), and did her post-doctoral fellowship at Rhodes
University (South Africa).
Both IDRC and NRF are interested in supporting projects that
build on existing research capabilities, links, and common
research interests in all three countries. Recent research
indicates that Africa is still lagging behind in research – in
2013, Africa only accounted for 1.3% of global research and
development and only 2.3% of world researchers! These
initiatives are therefore part of a growing e�ort by African
higher education institutions to increase regional integration
and decrease external dependencies.
According to the Vice Chancellor Prof. Paul Zeleza, USIU-Africa
is expected to bene�t from this trilateral partnership initiative
since the university’s research productivity, which directly
a�ects “global competition for talented students, top faculty,
scarce resources, and reputational capital” is bound to
increase. He believes research conducted at African
universities will produce the relevant knowledge and skilled
labor capacity that Africa’s key institutions need to succeed.
Through Cultivate Africa’s Future (CultiAF), IDRC previously
funded an 18-month grant for undertaking a project entitled,
“Expanding Business Opportunities for Youth in the Fish and
Poultry sectors in Kenya” implemented by a consortium of
partners led by USIU-Africa’s Global Agribusiness
Management Center (GAME).
South Africa’s National Research Foundation is a South
African government-mandated research and science
development agency, which funds research, the
development of high-end human capacity and critical
research infrastructure to promote knowledge production
across all disciplinary �elds.
Chemistry professor to receive large research grant to study nanotechnology
Photo Credit: Dan Muchai
Photo Courtesy of Karen Nguru/Salome Asena
Photo Courtesy of Karen Nguru/Salome Asena
By Dan Muchai
14 members of the Chandaria School of Business Global Executive MBA program were part of the Summer 2017 Global Study Tour to South Korea where they were hosted by partner School - Solbridge International School of Business - to a round of classroom instruction, visits to industrial giants and the Kenyan embassy in Seoul.
During the one week trip exposed students to Asian economic models and practices, strategic innovation management and the ever-changing economics of human behavior and are brought face to face with the Asian perspectives and current realities in business management.
This year's tour included a group visit to Electrical Technology Research Institute (ETRI), Tea Academy and Hanbok, the KIA Motors manufacturing plant and the Samsung D'lights - a global exhibition space that showcases the latest product lineup by Samsung Electronics.
The global study tour is part of the GEMBA program curriculum and is an opportunity for the participants seeking a world class education to interact with global brands, activate their minds and motivate them to improve their roles as leaders in their various �elds when they go back to their organizations.
MBA students visit South Korea during study tourBy Jackline Chirchir
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 1 JULY - 7 JULY 2017
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Global Executive MBA students pose for a group photo with John E. Endicott Vice Chancellor of the Solbridge International School of Business and President of Woosong University during the students global study tour of South Korea on June 20, 2017. Photo Credit: Solbridge International School of Business.
University agribusiness project features at donor meetingUSIU-Africa was invited to make a presentation on “Expanding
Business Opportunities for the Youth in the Fish and Poultry
Sectors” during a meeting of the Board of Governors of the
International Development Research Centre (IDRC) during a
meeting at the International Center for Insect Physiology and
Ecology (ICIPE), on Wednesday, July 5.
The presentation involved USIU-Africa’s Global Agribusiness
Management Center (GAME)'s living lab model, which sought
to pilot a method of turning agribusiness from a livelihood into
a commercial venture. The research was aimed at gauging the
entrepreneurial capacity of the youth, to assess the
characteristics of entrepreneurial youth as well as to examine
what combination of support services work best for creating
successful youth businesses, with a view of providing clear
evidence on what works for supporting youth in creating
ventures.
The 18-month model involved recruiting youth with
innovative ideas, who then developed a venture concept. 30
proposals were selected for intensive entrepreneurship
training from which 39 business plans were developed and
vetted by industry experts through a dragon’s den business
plan presentation. Finally, 20 most feasible plans were selected
for further business counselling in order to launch their
ventures.
Results show that those who only received training , had a 78%
chance of launching a successful businesses, while the those
who went through a combination of activities had a 93%
chance of launching enterprises.
As for those who did not get any support services, they had
a 57% chance of launching enterprises, those have worked
for more than 4 years, have a college/undergraduate
certi�cate and are permanently employed, have stronger
entrepreneurial characteristics.
As to the question on whether all youth have what it takes to
be entrepreneurs, results reveal that women showed great
resilience in developing their ventures compared to men.
Speci�cally, only 33% of men proceeded to launch their
ventures, while 67% of the female participants proceeded to
launch.
Ms. Karen Musikoyo Nguru makes a presentation on the expanding business opportunities for the youth in the fish and poultry sectors to members of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Board of Governors during a meeting at the International Center for Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), on Wednesday, July 5.
Photo Courtesy of Solbridge International School of Business
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 1 JULY - 7 JULY 2017
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Photo: Diana Meso
The Alumni Association Annual and Special General Meeting was held on 1st July 2017 at the USIU-Africa Library Bookshop. The meeting was attended by alumni cutting across di�erent graduation years and programs. The meeting resolved and met the compliance requirements of the Registrar of Societies as well as the strategic governance pillar de�ned by the sitting executive in 2015.
The meeting started with a con�rmation of quorum, and was then followed by the approval and adoption of previous minutes. The Chairperson’s report was then given by the 2015 AGM elected Chairperson, Ms. Dorothy Sagwe, highlighting the key achievements of her team for the last two years. Some of the year’s key highlights have been the �ling of return of books with the Registrar of Societies from 1995 to date, monthly meetings between the Association and the USIU-Africa Management Board, constant engagement with di�erent interest groups within the association (such as the February 2017 Tech Women Conference themed, “She believed she could; so she did STEM”).
All 73 individuals who had served the association in the Executive Committee and Board of Trustees since 1995 were also recognized when their names and year of service were read out to members. This was to formally recognize their diligence and dedication to the Association and the university during their respective terms.
The Treasurer - Mr. George Rutto (IBA ’04) - presented his report, following which the members adopted the Association’s Financial statements for the �nancial years 014/2015 and 2015/2016, presented by the auditors.
Alumni Association Executive Committeere-elected during AGMBy Beatrice Munyiva
The current Alumni Association o�cials were re-elected as follows: Dorothy Sagwe (Chairperson – IBA ‘98), Ian Mukuria (Vice Chairperson- IBA ‘99), Kalekye Mumo (Chairperson, Public Relations Committee – IR ‘00), Charles Mwakio (Chairperson, Membership Committee – IBA ‘12), George Rutto (Treasurer – IBA ‘04), Hassan Bashir (Chairperson,
Alumni Executive Network – IBA ’96; MBA ‘00) and Dr. Jacob Ogolla (Member – MOD ’07; DBA ‘16)
The new team pledged to ensure a comprehensive member bene�ts program is rolled out as well as an alumni scholarship fund.
Members of the Alumni Association who are USIU-Africa’s
sta� members had an opportunity to meet with the Vice
Chancellor in a event dubbed A�nity Evening held on June
30 at the Freida Brown Student Center Cafeteria. This was an
opportunity for the alumni sta� to interact with the Vice
Chancellor in an informal setting as well as a chance to
recount their experiences from the time they joined
USIU-Africa as students to how they started working with
USIU-Africa and what they love about the university.
During their speeches, those present underlined their
commitment to the overall mission of the university and
were proud to be associated with the institution.
The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Paul Zeleza, and the Director of
University Advancement, Mr. James Ogolla, expressed their
appreciation of the alumni sta� members and encouraged
them to uphold the high level of diligence and commitment
that they have portrayed in the di�erent roles that they hold
within the university. They also applauded the alumni for
being proof that USIU-Africa indeed o�ers quality education.
In his message, the Vice Chancellor shared the key steps that
the university is taking to remain a market leader
highlighting the introduction of seven new programs,
improvement of services within the university, enhancement
f the research capacity in the institution and diversifying the
University staff attend alumni affinity eveningBy Beatrice Munyiva
revenue streams of the university. He emphasized that lumni
are the torchbearers for the institution and hence they
should always endeavor to be great ambassadors of their
alma mater and protect its brand.
The A�nity Evening which was launched in March 2017 will
e a monthly event where the Vice Chancellor will meet and
interact with members of various interest groups within the
Alumni Association.
Some of the members of staff and faculty who attended the affinity event organized by the Office of Alumni Affairs on Friday, June 30 in the Freida Brown Student Center Cafeteria.
Members of the newly re-elected Alumni Association Executive Committee pose with members of Alumni Association following the Annual General Meeting held on campus on Saturday, July 1, 2017.
Photo Credit: O�ce of Alumni A�airs
By Antonio Longangi
File/Photo Credit:Dan MuchaiLeft: A student enters a tent where counseling services were being offered.
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 1 JULY - 7 JULY 2017
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The Counseling Center at USIU-Africa will be hosting the
Voluntary Counseling & Testing (VCT) Week from
Monday to Friday 10-14 July 2017 on campus.
Under the slogan “My Health, My Wealth” the Summer
VCT week 2017 will feature activities voluntary HIV
testing and Counseling, sensitization and screening for
breast and cervical cancer, Sexually-transmitted
illnesses screening and treatment, and contraceptive
counseling.
Tents will be strategically placed around campus and
members of the community can freely visit the assigned
counselors for any of the available services at no charge.
To improve engagement of students, the VCT week will
also be marked by a talent hunt competition involving
students competing for an opportunity to be awarded
best singer, dancer, poet, emcee and overall performer
of the week. The competitions will be kick-off with a
karaoke event scheduled for 11 July at the campus
cafeteria, with category winners receiving their awards
during the Campus Choice Awards ceremony on
Thursday,13 July.
The week concludes on Friday, 14 July at 5 pm.
Counseling Center to host bi-annual VCT Week
The Student Research Fair workshop Ideation and Discovery Workshop in progress on Friday, July 7 in the Innovation and Incubation Center’s Research Room.
ICT Systems Manager Mr. Ernest Andugo is the newly-elected Chairman of the Sta� Council, elected during a special Sta� Council meeting on Friday, June 16. The special council meeting and Mr. Andugo’s subsequent election follows the resignation of the immediate former Chairman Mr. David Ayora.
Student Research Fair Update: Ideation and Discovery Workshop (7 July, 2017)The Student Research Fair series continued this week
with a workshop on ideation and discovery. This was the
second session in a series of �ve workshops leading up to
the Student Research Fair on July 26-27.
The participants were introduced to the research and
design thinking concepts, process and applications, and
to the design thinking mindset. The methodology brings
together different principles and specialties in the
research and design process that are used in the
conceptualization and creation of new knowledge.
This approach to solving problems is a useful approach to
tackling complex problems that are ill-de�ned or not
known by understanding the human needs. This is
followed by and creating innovative approaches in
brainstorming sessions and adapting a hands on
approach to the prototyping and testing of ideas. Skills
gained from the workshop will be used as they further
develop their ideas during the duration of the fair.
Next week, participants move into the discovery phase
where they are expected to produce a clearly de�ned
problem statement, an important part of the design
process as it helps in identifying workable solutions.
In these sessions students will learn techniques for
gathering and synthesizing data into information that
can be used produce a problem framing statement.
The Fair will be the culmination of a series of research
workshops organized to equip participants with skills in
investigating research subjects, and presenting their
�ndings. The workshops will run from June 9 to July 13,
with the �rst workshop orienting participants, while
subsequent workshops will deal with Design and
Prototyping, Project Layout and Marketing, and
Fundraising & Grant-Writing. It is expected a maximum
of 15 projects will receive hands-on guidance from four
Chandaria School of Business faculty. The top three
projects will receive cash awards based on the level of
innovation, scienti�c thought and qualitative study is
evident in the project.
The Student Research Fair is expected to be an annual
project, underpinning student research mobilization
Student makes it to the top of sustainability challengeBy Dan MuchaiAmong Njiraini’s startup Eco-Create and Innovate (ECANDI) - an environmentally conscious and economically e�cient recycling
solutions startup that combines the aesthetics of recycled glass with the durability of the glass’s structure - has made it to the �nal
round of the ‘My Little Big Thing' Universities Sustainability Innovation Challenge - a sustainability competition targeted
university & polytechnic students across Kenya aimed at pushing for the development of alternative technologies that allow for
existing lifestyles and patterns of consumption and development to remain relatively unchanged while changing the
technologies of products and production to reduce their impact on climate. It has been organized by business consulting �rm MK
Africa in partnership with the Cambridge University Institute of Sustainability Leadership.
Mr. Njiraini began his entrepreneurial journey by experimenting with concrete-enhanced recycled waste as aggregates and
decorative elements, a process he found created products that had way more to o�er in addition to the aesthetic elements.
His �agship product is the ECANDI Eco-glass tops; a concrete-based glass surface customizable to client tastes and preferences
such as eco-glass tops applicable as kitchen counter-tops, work-stations for personal hygiene businesses, bathroom furniture or
domestic table-tops.
Together with the other six contestants, he will now be subjected to a public vote (www.mylittlebigthing.com), with the top three
being o�ered a place in the Sustainability Practitioners Program that is run by University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability
Leadership in Guateng, South Africa in August 2017. They will also visit other top companies in South Africa that have
sustainability at their core including P&G South Africa, South African Airways among others.
By Antonio Longangi
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 1 JULY - 7 JULY 2017
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The Student A�airs Council will be holding its annual Campus
Choice Awards on Thursday 13 July from 7 pm to 11 pm at the
auditorium, themed “The Royal Masquerade” . This �agship
event is held every Summer Semester, to bring together
students, members of faculty and sta� to recognize
distinguished members of the USIU-Africa community who
have exceled in various categories. Students are invited to
participate to nominate and vote for individuals and teams
that have inspired them on campus during the particular
academic year.
Celebrating excellence while raising funds to support
students in �nancial need are the main objective of this year’s
Campus Choice Awards. A record eighty one nominations
were received in Faculty, Sports, Social and Media categories.
The Faculty category, with �fteen nominees, will have a Male
Outstanding Lecturer, a Female Outstanding Lecturer and the
Best Course Advisor awarded at the ceremony.
The Sports category, with twenty four nominees, will feature
the Most Valuable Male Player, the Most Valuable Female
Player, an Outstanding Male Captain, an Outstanding Female
Captain, the Best Coach and �nally the Best Team.
The Social category, with eighteen nominees, will present the
Most Active Student, the Club Leader of the Year, the Most
Valuable Club of the Year, the Best Committee, the
Outstanding SAC member, and the Club of the Year.
Finally the Media category, with twenty four nominees, will
see awarded the Outstanding Male Radio Personality, the
Outstanding Female Radio Personality, the Best Male Video
blogger/YouTuber, the Best Femaleideo blogger/Youtuber,
the Best Male Blogger, the Best Female Blogger, and the Best
Photographer.
The various programs and schools were represented in the
process of nomination and voting, with the 2017 edition
recording the highest rate of engagement with a 45%
increase in votes comparing to previous years.
Top talent to be recognized at award ceremony
The second edition of the Creatives Week will be held from
Tuesday 11 July to Thursday 13 July behind the cafeteria.
Organized by title holders of the 2016 Mr & Miss USIU-Africa
beauty pageant, the week consist of a series of events,
exhibitions and seminars featuring such genres as Visual
Arts, Performing Arts, Musical Creative, Innovation and
Entrepreneurship.
Students will be provided with a platform to express unique
ideas and showcase their work through exhibition booths,
stage and sounds, interactions with experts, among other
activities.
Winners in each of the myriad competitive activities with
these categories, will be awarded during the Campus Choice
Awards on Thursday, July 13.
The �rst edition held last year provided a great opportunity
for students to interact in a creative space and receive
Annual Creatives Week is backBy Antonio Longangi
valuable fresh knowledge from the panelists who led talks
during the various workshop . Dr. Wale Akinyemi, a
motivational speaker and writer; Laura Akunga, Founder and
CEO of Benchmark Kenya Limited; and the visual artist and
student at USIU-Africa Shari�a Ingosi were some of the
panelists that interacted with students during the �rst edition.
Chris Diaz (Bidco Africa Marketing Director), Naiboi (local
artist) and Adelle Onyango (USIU-Africa alumna and media
personality) are the prominent personalities expected to
interact with students during the workshops organized for the
Creatives Week.
Mr. Chris Diaz will have a free interaction with entrepreneurs
and innovators on Tuesday, 11 July, while Naiboi and Adelle
Onyango will spend time discussing creativity in general on
Wednesday, 12 July.
UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 1 JULY - 7 JULY 2017
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North Korea has vowed to develop a missile mounted with a
nuclear warhead that can strike the mainland US, saying the
program is necessary to counter US aggression. In a show of
force, the US sent the nuclear-powered USS Carl Vinson
aircraft carrier to waters o� the Korean peninsula, where it
joined the USS Michigan, a nuclear submarine that docked in
South Korea in late April. Tensions have escalated on the
Korean Peninsula as the North continues to defy UN
sanctions over its nuclear missile program.
North Korea’s only ally China has pushed for dialogue with
North Korea and the full implementation of UN sanctions
over Pyongyang's ballistic missile and nuclear tests, skirting
questions about Beijing's talks with the United States on
possible new measures. It comes a week after Pyongyang
said it launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile which
met all technical requirements and could now be
mass-produced, although US o�cials questioned the extent
of its progress.
Faced with the forces of isolationism and economic
nationalism, the United States must not shrink from its
leadership role in the international order. The U.S. has been a
major power in Asia for the past 70 years, a time of
unprecedented and dramatic economic expansion and
societal change that has transformed virtually every Asian
nation and thrust the region as a whole into a position of
global preeminence. Yet despite these advances, the
countries of Asia are contending with a number of complex
and potentially destabilizing international and internal
challenges—from territorial disputes and nuclear
proliferation, maritime piracy and human and drug
tra�cking, to corruption, rapid urbanization, environmental
pollution, income inequality and poverty, aging populations,
and natural disasters.
Over the past four years, territorial con�icts and boundary
disputes in the South China and East China seas have grown
increasingly acrimonious. On July 12, 2016, the Arbitral
Tribunal of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), under
provisions of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
(UNCLOS), issued a landmark ruling that Beijing’s claims
under its “nine-dash-line” map are unlawful, and
reprimanded China for the environmental damage it has
caused by constructing arti�cial islands in the South China
Sea. China has rejected the decision of the PCA, which has no
enforcement authority.
While the United States has not taken sides in the dispute, it
supports the rules-based, international order that the PCA
has armed. The United States must devise prudent policies to
uphold the international rule of law while preventing
territorial disputes from escalating into armed con�ict. It
must a�rm the principle of freedom of navigation and �ight,
FEATURE: Asia and the Korean Peninsula:The Future of the Rebalance of the U.S.By Dan Odaba
continue its naval Freedom-Of-Navigation Operations
(FONOPS), and encourage the participation of other
countries such as Australia and India. At the same time, Asian
nations will not welcome a policy of confrontation that forces
them to choose between the United States and China. The
United States should expand military dialogues with China,
and work to strengthen the mutual transparency of each
country’s naval and air operations. A strategic mix of
engagement and hedging, predicated on a rules-based
international order, will make for better U.S. policy towards
China than either confrontation or appeasement.
In International Relations perspective, the US needs to
maintain a robust, sustained, and consistent American
presence in the Asia-Paci�c. The U.S. President and
administration should continue and expand the Obama
administration’s rebalance towards Asia. A precipitous
reduction of engagement in Asia would be detrimental to
the interests of most Asian countries as well as the United
States. Any diminution of U.S. credibility will push the Asian
states towards self-help in the security realm and trigger
massive destabilization of the regional order.
It must also continue to play a leading role in nontraditional
security. Broadly speaking, Asian nations have been slower
than the United States to address security challenges such as
climate change, disaster relief, terrorism, and food security.
Most Asian countries welcome American expertise in
humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and mitigating
the e�ects of climate change, and they want the United
States to continue to lead and to facilitate cooperation in
these nontraditional security areas.
Another important issue is the support of Asian regional
architecture and institutions. While bilateral relations are
important, multilateral mechanisms and diplomacy that
promote greater cohesion among Asian countries are
essential to America’s rebalancing policy. The United States
should support ASEAN cohesion, ASEAN centrality, and
ASEAN-based institutions. America should support the
mandate of the China-led AIIB, by joining or through
cooperation and constructive engagement, while partnering
with Japan and India to over more attractive terms for
high-quality infrastructure development in Asia. The
rati�cation of the Trans-Paci�c Partnership (TPP) is another
important factor. The United States must continue to uphold
a rules-based, liberal economic order in Asia. It should not
respond to a troubled global economy with narrowly
nationalist or protectionist Policies. Failure to ratify the TPP,
the bedrock of America’s future economic engagement in
the Asia-Paci�c, will make Asians question America’s staying
power in the region. Rethinking of the U.S. strategy on the
Korean peninsula is another key factor.
North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs are an ever more
imminent threat. In a matter of just a few years, the DPRK will
have the ability to attack U.S. territory with a nuclear-armed
ICBM. U.S. “strategic patience” has failed. After toughening
international sanctions, the United States must eventually
begin talks with North Korea to and a permanent solution on
the Korean peninsula. At the same time, the U.S. Government
must be prepared for sudden political instability in the DPRK,
and continue consultations with key stakeholders, including
South Korea and China.
The US also needs to pursue a balanced approach towards
China. As China continues to rise as an economic, political,
and military power, the US leadership must resist the
temptation of polarizing rhetoric or policies. Asian nations
value America’s economic and security presence, but they do
not want to be forced to choose between the world’s two
largest powers. A strategic mix of engagement and hedging
is a better U.S. policy towards China than either
confrontation or appeasement. By ratifying the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, it will go a long
way in ensuring the fairness and justice. Although the United
States follows UNCLOS as a matter of customary
international law, the failure of Congress to ratify UNCLOS
weakens the U.S. position on the South China Sea and on
international law more broadly. The U.S. should continue its
freedom-of-navigation operations and encourage other
countries such as Japan and Australia to undertake their own
FONOPS to make such activity more multilateral.
Finally, there is need to continue to project American “soft
power.” No country in the world can match the resonance of
American “soft power” in Asia. The United States can
strengthen liberal and modernizing forces in Asia by
exercising its unique in�uence in partnership with local
initiatives rather than imposing an agenda on the region and
interfering in the internal a�airs of states. Political
modernization owned by Asians themselves will enhance
America’s political standing and advance her foreign-policy
objectives over the long term. The U.S. should continue to
cultivate educational and cultural ties with Asia, support civil
society organizations and technological innovation, and
serve as a role model for good governance by building
capacity and sharing best practices.
Mr. Odaba is adjunct International Relations faculty at the School of Humanities & Social Sciences. He can be reached on [email protected]
Media mentionsCompiled by Jackline Chirchir
BasketballThe USIU-Africa women’s team avenged their �rst leg loss
against fellow students Kenyatta University Oryx by
stunning the latter 45-40, in the Kenya Basketball Federation
(KBF) Women’s Premier League match which took place at
Strathmore University on July 1. The men on the other hand
lost to Co-op Bank 62-71 and 45-53 to Slums Dunk academy
in the Kenya Basketball Federation (KBF) Men’s Premier
League and the NBA Men Division 3 league respectively.
July 3: The People Newspaper had a mention of USIU-Africa in an article titled “Nairobi side gains ground, support across county’s basketball fraternity”
