In a significant move to foster research and innovation, the Technical University of Mombasa (TUM) and the Swahili Pot Hub Foundation held a formal ceremony on June 21, 2024, at the Administration Boardroom. The event's climax was the formal signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by the Vice Chancellor Prof Laila Abubakar and the founder and Executive Director of Swahili Pot Hub Mr Mahmoud Noor, marking the official start of their collaboration.

The ceremony was graced by distinguished guests, including Vice Chancellor Prof. Laila Abubakar, Mr. Mahmoud Noor, Chief Mentor from Swahili Pot Hub, Rukiya Jamal, Swahili Pot Partnerships Leader, and TUM’s Registrar of Partnerships Research and Innovation Prof Rahma Udu, among others.

The TUM Vice Chancellor Prof. Laila Abubakar, expressed her enthusiasm and anticipation for the positive impact the collaboration would bring to students and the broader community.

Mr Mahmoud Noor emphasized combining TUM's innovative capabilities with Swahili Pot Hub's resources, to empower students to become job creators in the Coastal region.

“The main objective of this partnership is to nurture and empower youth by creating an income stream and providing job opportunities in future,” Mahmoud said.

The collaboration also promises numerous benefits, including enhanced student engagement through tracer studies, support for student attachment concepts, and initiatives to reach out to marginalized youth.

The MoU between TUM and Swahili Pot Hub Foundation is poised to create a dynamic environment where academic innovation meets industrial application, contributing significantly to the development of Mombasa City and Kenya.