Kenyatta University (KU) has become the first university in the country and in the East African Region to offer a fully-fledged specialized postgraduate program, dedicated purely to building capacity for treatment of substance use disorders. This is in recognition of the challenge posed by Alcohol and drug abuse in Kenya and the region, and in line with KU’s philosophy of sensitivity and responsiveness to societal needs and the right of every person to knowledge.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Addiction Treatment Science is the result of a partnership between KU (Department of Psychology) and Colombo Plan – Drug Advisory Plan (DAP), with funding support from INL of the US State Department. The program aims at building capacity of service providers working or interested in working in fields with clients with drug use problems.

The Course is an intensive one year program comprising of course work, mini project and an elaborate practicum internship in a drug treatment related field. It targets those with a first degree and working in the fields of Primary health care e.g. Doctors, Nurses, Clinical officers, Pharmacists; Mental health care specialists e.g. Psychiatrists, Psychologists, Counselors, Social workers and allied fields; Drug treatment centers’ workforce, and any person interested in working in the field of Substance Use Disorders treatment.

Graduates of the program will have an increased capacity to effectively treat clients with Substance Use Disorders (SUD), based on the latest knowledge, skills and competences from an evidence based perspective, anchored on a globally recognized curriculum .In addition, they will become eligible to undertake the International Certification of Addiction Professionals (ICAP) examinations for SUD treatment professionals recognized at both local and global level.

The Program which was launched in May 2019 has become a pacesetter and a model for the African region, attracting interest from the African Union (AU), the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction (ICUDDR).The university hopes to partner with the national and county governments, as well as relevant organizations to build capacity of their staff to address the drug abuse challenge affecting the country.

The Program is offered by the Department of Psychology through different modes including; Full-time, Part time evening, Continuing Education Program (CEP) and Digital and Virtual mode (DSVOL). Applications are ongoing. For more information visit:

http://www.ku.ac.ke/schools/humanities/index.php/departments/psychology/97-psychology-department/522-post-graduate-diploma-in-addiction-treatment-science OR send an email to: [email protected] or Tel: 0208703522.

To apply click on http://ku.ac.ke/index.php/ku/item/1729-online-application

1) What is the International Consortium of Universities for Drug Demand Reduction - what we refer to as ICUDDR?

We are an organization/consortium of universities with a focus on addictions studies.

Vision: ICUDDR envisions a world where people with or at risk for substance use disorders and related conditions have access to science-informed prevention, treatment, and recovery support services.

Mission:To build and support a global network of colleges and universities to improve professional competencies in the prevention, treatment and applied research of SUDs and related conditions, increase access to quality.

ICUDDR will provide:

• Support to expand and improve university and college-based education and research
• Networking and collaborative opportunities
• Advocacy for improved quality and access to services
• Up-to-date science from the field

Our 4 Principal Goals:

• Goal 1. Education: Increase the number of Colleges and Universities with addiction studies degrees and/or programs.
• Goal 2. Research: Increase applied research and publication in addiction prevention and treatment.
• Goal 3. Advocacy: More countries will support college and university-level addiction studies programs and a well-trained and certified workforce.
• Goal 4: Our organization will be recognized as an expert organization for college and university-based addictions studies programs and center for the latest scientific information on addictions.

2) How many members do we have and from what areas of the world?

As of August, 2022 there are 317 member Universities across the globe. 81 come are in Africa from 20 countries. 81 come from the Asia-Pacific region from 19 countries, 37 from Europe from 20 countries. 66 from Latin America and the Caribbean for 17 Countries. 6 from the Middle East from 3 countries and 46 from the United States and Canada.

3) What are the membership benefits for joining ICUDDR?

• Access to up-to-date science-based curricula in addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery
• Implementation support in new program development via mentoring from experienced educators
• Curricula development and research partnering opportunities
• Quarterly Newsletter with current research briefings and activity updates
• Training opportunities and presentations by internationally esteemed researchers and educators
• Networking with peers within your region and across the globe

Bonus Information

How does your college or university join this esteemed group?

Please go to the membership page and complete the online form. The best part is at the present time membership is free just requiring a commitment to work on establishing or improving an addiction studies program at your institution of higher education.

Who are the team members at the ICUDDR Office:

• Kevin P. Mulvey, PhD Exec Director
• Cary Hopkins Eyles, CAP, MA Dep Dir
• Carly Searcy, MIS, PMP, Project Manager
• Dianna Fusco Motel, MPA, Business Manager
• Olivia Woodrow, BA, Social Media Officer

For many faculty the school year is about to begin. And whether you are teaching one class or five, online or in person, new students or post graduates, it is critical to engage students. Some may think it is most important to learn new technology or techniques to stay relevant and those can certainly be helpful tools. You can use new programs or practices – it is important to keep learning and to be current. However, if you don’t do one thing, I believe you won’t engage your students. The key is relationship building.

While you may not get to know all of your students in a large lecture class personally, you can still create a relationship in which they know you are there to support their learning and to help if things go wrong in their lives. Here are 3 things to build relationships and engage your students:

1. Authenticity: Be yourself. Do some appropriate self-disclosure even if it is something simple like how you ended up teaching this class or why you went to school for what you did. You may be surprised how many students will be drawn to your story and ask you questions about what they should study.
2. Humor: Making people laugh and being amused yourself breaks down barriers in a healthy way. Much like being authentic, this shows you are a person like them. We don’t want to be too serious and add to the stress our students frequently carry.
3. Connection: Authenticity and humor are likely to lead to some level of connection with students. Even if you don’t talk to the guy who sits in the back row every day, if he chuckles at your joke or is engaged in something you shared about your path to ending up in this classroom, there is connection.

These three things will engage students and engaged students are more likely to pay attention, to try to do well in your course, and to tell you if they are struggling. For additional information on this topic from ICUDDR, see the following resources:

• Supporting University Students During COVID-19
• Improving Student Engagement (Audio)
• Improving Student Engagement (Blog)