Discussions span internships, applied research, packaging design competitions, and co-creation with the University Innovation Pod.
On 2 March 2026, representatives from the Advancement Office, the College of Business and Management Sciences (COBAMS), and the University Innovation Pod (UNIPOD) visited Psalms Food Industries to discuss a prospective partnership in manufacturing, research, innovation, and skills development.
Psalms — home to brands Sumz, Afrikan Harvest, and Krunchables — distributes across Kenya, Rwanda, the DRC, South Sudan, and Tanzania. CEO Dr. Denis Ngabirano described the company as “a snacks innovation house, with all our products developed in-house,” supported by internal microbiology and chemistry laboratories.
Student-centred learning
Collaboration may include internships, graduate trainee pathways, and exposure across environmental sciences, engineering, finance, marketing, quality control, and international business. Ideas discussed include a Fine Art and Industrial Design packaging competition whose winning designs could be commercially adopted.
Research and commercialisation
Both institutions expressed interest in joint applied research in process optimisation, manufacturing analytics, sustainable production, and energy solutions — linking UNIPOD to Psalms’ planned incubation hub for scaling student and staff innovations.
Chief Advancement Officer Mr Awel Uwihanganye proposed structured programming between the University innovation hub and Psalms’ incubation hub to support commercialisation of research outcomes.
Dr. Jude Mugarura, Head of Marketing and Management at COBAMS, proposed internships, staff exchanges, guest lectures, and tailored short courses — embedding the partnership within academic programming for market-relevant graduates.
