MMUST’s Dr. Rose Opiyo Named One of the Eight Scholars for the 2026/2027 University of St Andrews Global Fellowship Award

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) scholar Dr. Rose Atieno Opiyo has been named among eight distinguished scholars selected for the 2026/2027 University of St. Andrews Global Fellowship Award. The recognition places Dr. Opiyo among an international cohort of scholars and emerging academic leaders whose work has made significant contributions to original research and the advancement of knowledge in their respective fields. The prestigious fellowship will enable Dr. Opiyo to undertake an intensive research of up to 3 months at the University of St. Andrews- Scotland, provisionally scheduled for March-May 2027. The other seven fellows are drawn from the University of Bonn, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro, French National Centre for Scientific Research, University of Otago, Stellenbosch University and the National University of Singapore.

The University of St. Andrews Global Fellowship Scheme recognizes significant scholars and emerging leaders who have contributed to research that extends the frontiers of knowledge. Since its establishment in 2018, the scheme has awarded fellowships to more than 115 leading international researchers and practitioners. Dr. Rose Opiyo now joins this distinguished global community.

During the residency, she will be jointly hosted by two leading scholars in the University’s School of Psychology and Neuroscience, Prof. Malinda Carpenter, FRSE, Director of the St. Andrews Baby and Child (ABC) Lab, and Prof. Amanda Seed, whose research explores the evolutionary and developmental origins of reasoning and problem-solving. This will provide a valuable platform for research exchange, collaboration and the advancement of interdisciplinary scholarship.

Dr. Opiyo’s fellowship research will focus on four interconnected areas: nurturing care and child protection, positive parenting and family practices, play-based learning, and children’s digital media and screen exposure in East African contexts. Across these areas, her work will examine how early social learning including joint attention, imitation and cooperative communication is shaped by adversity, displacement, poverty and rapid technological change, contributing evidence from East Africa to the broader field of developmental science.

Dr. Rose Atieno Opiyo makes a presentation at a past event.

Commenting on this global award, Dr. Opiyo revealed that the fellowship will provide an opportunity for her to receive direct mentorship from internationally recognized developmental scientists, gain hands-on exposure to advanced research methodologies for studying infants and young children, and enable her to develop a joint research protocol that could inform a larger comparative research dataset. “As a Global Fellow, I will join an international network of scholars drawn from different academic and professional backgrounds whose expertise in cross-cultural social learning, joint attention, educational psychology, childhood adversity and infant research complements my  work,” stated Dr. Opiyo.

Dr. Opiyo will, in turn, contribute to the St. Andrews academic community through research seminars and workshops on child development, parenting and early intervention in East Africa, as well as developmental research in low-resource and cross-cultural settings. She will also participate in research sessions, colloquia and journal clubs, sharing her experience and perspectives on conducting research in under-researched cultural contexts.

We congratulate Dr. Rose Atieno Opiyo on this achievement and recognize her contribution to advancing research. Undoubtedly, this recognition is a significant achievement for MMUST, and exemplifies the University’s growing profile in international research and academic collaboration.

By Linet Owuor