Irfan Haji​

Interim Vice Provost Research, Office of Research and Graduate Studies

Irfan Haji is a qualified professional with nearly 35 years of experience in higher education and international banking. Holding credentials in chartered accountancy, fraud examination, and risk management, he currently serves as the Director of Risk Management. In June 2022, Irfan took over the role of Interim Vice Provost Research until February 2023, adding to his expansive portfolio the responsibility for the administration of the Office of Research and Graduate Studies and the oversight of compliance.

He joined AKU in 2016 as the Interim Chief Internal Auditor, introducing the global enterprise Risk Management and the Safe Disclosure programme. With an aim to establish an effective risk management framework, Irfan’s key achievements at AKU include improving the control environment by working across the institution, creating awareness, delivering training programmes, and providing technical assistance and support. He has recently been involved in the implementation of the Electronic Health Records project in Kenya.

In his capacity as the Interim Vice Provost Research, he oversees the comprehensive functions carried out by the Office of Research and Graduate Studies, including the dissemination of grant and funding opportunities, administration and facilitation of extramural and intramural research grants, development of and compliance with relevant policies and procedures, and the reportage of the overall impact through various channels. These functions support and advance AKU’s commitment towards being recognized as a research-led university with international credibility.

Prior to joining AKU, Irfan worked in internal audit, finance, and compliance, at top tier financial institutions in the UK​.