The University of Rwanda (UR) has been recognised among five African higher education institutions honoured for their contribution to transforming education across the continent, receiving a $3 million award under the Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize.
The inaugural awards were presented on Monday by Imbuto Foundation in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, recognising universities that have expanded access to quality education, strengthened innovation and created opportunities for young people.
UR was awarded for its contribution to the health sector, particularly its role in training more than 26,000 health professionals who provide healthcare services in Rwanda and other parts of the region.
The university will receive $3 million to support programmes aimed at expanding opportunities for young people and strengthening higher education initiatives in Africa.
Other institutions recognised in the first edition of the AHEFT Prize include Addis Ababa University of Ethiopia, the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering of Burkina Faso, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology of Ghana, and Muni University of Uganda.
Mastercard Foundation President and CEO Sewit Ahderom said the awards are designed to build on progress made by African universities and position them as key drivers of sustainable development.
“Over the past 20 years, we have seen how higher education institutions in Africa have reimagined the role education can play. We are supporting African-led solutions and capacity building through a 10-year investment to enable universities across the continent to become engines of opportunity for millions of young people,” she said.
Dr John Nkengasong, Mastercard Foundation’s Chief Programmes Officer for Higher Education, said universities must go beyond providing academic knowledge by helping graduates access employment and economic opportunities.
“This is a moment to rethink the role higher education institutions play in developing human potential, not only as places for learning, but as pathways to jobs and opportunities,” he said.
The University of Rwanda, established through the merger of several public higher learning institutions, currently comprises seven colleges and 13 schools, with nearly 33,000 students, including more than 600 international students.
