A New Chapter in Scholarly Publishing: My Journey to CUEA Press

By Ruben Orifwa, Assistant Editor, CUEA Press

Joining The Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) as an Assistant Editor at CUEA Press, Lang’ata Campus, feels like a natural continuation of work I have come to value deeply: helping ideas become clearer, stronger and ready for readers.

My interest in editing stemmed from my love of reading, which later blossomed into a career in language and communication. I pursued a Bachelor of Arts (English and Communication) at Laikipia University, where I developed a strong appreciation for the relationship between language, ideas and effective communication. Over time, that interest grew into a professional commitment to editing and academic publishing.

Before joining CUEA, I had the opportunity to work closely with authors, reviewers and editorial teams from different fields in scholarly publishing. My progressive experience, from editorial assistant and editorial manager to general manager at a reputable scholarly publishing house, has given me an in-depth understanding of the editorial process. I have managed and steered growth in more than thirty scholarly journals by improving quality, streamlining publication workflows, leading successful indexing in major indexing bodies (AJOL and DOAJ), strengthening the peer review process, and formulating policies that guide the entire publication process.

I have also managed multiple book projects, edited theses/dissertations, and been involved in peer reviewer training. These experiences have given me a practical understanding of what it takes to move scholarly work from submission to publication. What I enjoy most about editing is the thinking that happens behind the scenes. A manuscript may begin as a good idea, but careful editorial work can help that idea become more coherent, precise and accessible without taking away the author's voice. That balance between improving a piece of work and preserving what makes it uniquely the author's is one of the aspects of publishing that I find most rewarding.

I am particularly interested in how scholarly publishing is evolving; digital platforms, open access, new forms of research dissemination and artificial intelligence. These are changing how knowledge is produced, edited and encountered. I believe editors have an important role in navigating these changes while protecting the principles that make scholarly publishing valuable: accuracy, clarity, integrity, and respect for intellectual work.

My move to CUEA Press, therefore, comes at an exciting point in my professional development. I am joining an academic publishing environment where scholarship is at the heart of the work, with CUEA’s quality policy and commitment to quality scientific research, innovation, and cutting-edge work that addresses contemporary challenges and advances knowledge.

I look forward to working with academics and authors whose research solves problems within the University and beyond. Most of all, I am grateful for the welcome I have received since joining CUEA. Starting a new role always comes with something to learn, but it also comes with the opportunity to bring one's own experience and perspective to a new community.