Global research collaborations on climate change, transportation, health and poverty were the focus of a UC Davis and the State of California delegation to Kenya that included Estella Atekwana, dean of the College of Letters and Science.
The University of Nairobi hosted Atekwana as part of an 11-member delegation led by UC Davis Chancellor Gary May on November 10.
“The greatest challenges we face are global in nature and require collaborations from across multiple perspectives and disciplines to address them,” said Atekwana. “Our research across the College of Letters and Science adds to the breadth and depth of excellence at UC Davis that contributes solutions.”
The meeting advanced the California-Kenya Climate and Trade Partnership, which was signed in September 2025 by Kenyan President William Ruto and California Governor Gavin Newsom with UC Davis serving as secretariat. The partnership focuses on agriculture, clean energy and health innovation.
UC Davis was appointed Secretariat for the partnership, and the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies’ Global South Center for Clean Transportation will coordinate collaboration.
“This partnership positions UC Davis at the forefront of global climate and transportation innovation,” said UC Davis Chancellor Gary May. “By connecting our research strengths with Kenya’s emerging clean-tech sector, we can accelerate solutions that benefit both our regions and the planet.”
Advancing the California–Kenya climate and trade partnership
Discussions during the November visit focused on expanding collaborations in key areas where UC Davis is a leader. These include agriculture and food security, clean transportation and energy, nursing education and health, environmental sciences, and artificial intelligence and education.
Atekwana said there are a number of potential areas of collaboration between the College of Letters and Science and the University of Nairobi. Links in poverty, equality and policy research can connect faculty across the social sciences in the College of Letters and Science with University of Nairobi faculty in the arts, social sciences and business.
The UC Davis Global Migration Center might contribute research that informs Kenya’s influx of migrants from neighboring countries in the midst of violent conflict. She also sees the potential for partnerships with the Center for Mind and Brain.
“California and Kenya are both on the front lines of the climate crisis — we know the hots are getting hotter and the dries are getting drier. We’re working together to cut pollution, build cleaner transportation and boost trade between our two economies,” said California governor Gavin Newsom in a statement announcing the partnership’s signing.
In addition to Atekwana and May, the group included
- Chancellor May’s spouse LeShelle May
- Simon Atkinson, Vice Chancellor for Research Professor
- Stephen Cavanagh, Dean of the Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing
- Ashley Stokes, Dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
- Joanna Regulska, Vice Provost and Dean of Global Affairs Professor
- Michael Lazzara, Associate Vice Provost for Global Affairs
- Alissa Kendall, Director of the Institute of Transportation Studies
- Aditya Ramji, Director of the Global South Centre for Clean Transportation
- Samuel Assefa, Director of the California Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation
Read the story in UC Davis News.
Read the University of Nairobi news release.
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