It was 4:20 in the evening when the esteemed guests from the neighbouring Catholic university arrived on the 23rd of November. Led by the deputy vice chancellor of academic affairs and research, Professor Kaku Sagary Nokoe, the group of deans and registrars was warmly received in the ceremonial waqf room of the Mahad al-Zahra building by the Masʾūl al-ʿām (headmaster) of Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah Nairobi and various heads of departments and members of faculty.
The guests were given a tour of the newly inaugurated campus and certain fundamentals of design philosophy and cultural heritage were brought to their attention.
Among the buildings they toured were:
- Mahad al-Zahra
- Sāhat (central courtyard)
- Library
- Academics
- Al-Īwān al-Burhani
- Al-Masjid al-Zahra
- Al-Mawāʾid al-Badriya
Whilst walking the corridors and appreciating the modern architecture of the campus infused with age-old heritage, the dean of Biology was quick to remark ‘I feel as though I am no longer in Kenya.’
At the end of the tour, the guests were given a short presentation on the details of the curriculum studied at Aljamea after which the deputy vice-chancellor expressed his gratitude and shared his hope for a long enduring and mutually beneficial relationship between the universities.
He emphasised that the two universities, and in a broader context, the two religions of Islam and Christianity have a lot in common. The most striking resemblance being that both strive, in their educational pursuits, to understand the magnificence of the Creator and to use that knowledge for the betterment of mankind.
