Doesn't it seem like the whole world goes back to school in September? It is a familiar and reassuring rhythm for most of us. All polished up for first day. The school bus jitters. End of summer. New friends to make. Old friends to see. That's how I feel about the start of our academic year here in Nairobi. A lot of the old familiar rhythms are there. After all I've done this school gig for most of my sixty plus years on the planet.
But there are some new things that make this school year stand out. This is the first year, for instance, that we start the school year as Africa International University. Yes, NEGST is still there but it has been joined by sister schools in professional studies and African realities respectively. All three make up AIU. This is also the first year of our new PhD in Intercultural studies. This is a joint effort between the missions department at NEGST and the Centre for World Christianity, which I direct. I beleive God will prepare key members of the emerging Christian leaders here in Africa through this programme, helping the African church get ready for its new global role. This year also we launch a new academic position, Research Professor of World Christianity. It is our honor that Professor Andrew Walls who has held similar positions in the past at Edinburgh, Princeton and Harvard will be our first occupant. So back to school again in 2011. But back to school for the first time, in so many ways.
