Students have been urged to embrace national values as they transition from high school to university education.

Alphonse Bakusi, the director of mentoring, mobilisation, and volunteerism unit at the National Itorero Commission, made the call while addressing new students at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) over the weekend during the opening of the orientation week at the university campus in Kicukiro.

The event was part of the National Itorero Week for new university students, which ends on Friday.

Bakusi urged the freshers not to neglect their national values as they strive to gain knowledge, adding that embracing traditional values should be part of their journey.

He observed that such values would be necessary in promoting competition in a globalised economy. "After having the knowledge, one needs to be identified with values to ensure competitiveness in the modern world,” he told the students who will be taking various undergraduate, master’s and PhD programmes at the university.

Dr Anthony Luvanda, the JKUAT-Kigali campus director, cautioned students to be watchful over the choices made when joining institutions of higher learning.

"The onus is on the students to identify an institution with high quality and accredited courses. You should not just rely on adverts,” Luvanda said.

Luvanda also warned students about laziness in higher institutions, saying the university is a place to search for knowledge and not to wait to be spoon-fed.

This academic year, 320 fresh students will be joining the university up from about 250 last year. The total students’ body of the Kigali campus is over 1,000.

Christine Mutesi, the head of Pure and Applied Sciences of Department at JKUAT, called on students to be active during the orientation programmes and throughout their stay at the university.

NIC is charged with a duty of working with different institutions to accelerate infusion of values in individuals mainly students.