President Paul Kagame has met with the leadership of the University of Rwanda (UR) to discuss the institution’s role in advancing higher education, research and innovation as key drivers of the country’s long-term development.
The meeting brought together President Kagame, University of Rwanda Governing Board Chairperson Dr. Pradeep K. Khosla and Vice Chairperson Ivan Murenzi.
According to Village Urugwiro, the discussions focused on the university’s strategic direction and efforts to strengthen the quality of teaching, research and innovation while producing graduates with the skills required to meet Rwanda’s evolving labour market needs and support national development.
The University of Rwanda was established in 1963 and underwent a major restructuring in September 2013, when the former National University of Rwanda and six other public higher learning institutions were merged into a single national university.
Before the merger, the former National University of Rwanda had produced 53,487 graduates since its establishment.
The University of Rwanda has continued to strengthen its academic reputation both regionally and internationally. In 2024, it was ranked among the top 10 universities in Sub-Saharan Africa by Times Higher Education, based on an assessment of 129 universities across 22 countries and their contribution to national development.
The institution has also earned continental recognition through the Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize, awarded by the Mastercard Foundation. UR was named among Africa’s five leading universities for its contribution to transforming higher education and received more than Rwf4 billion in funding.
The award recognised the university’s impact in the health sector, including training more than 26,000 healthcare professionals. It also secured a US$3 million grant to expand programmes aimed at creating greater educational and economic opportunities for young people across Africa.
The University of Rwanda currently comprises seven colleges and 13 schools, enrolling nearly 33,000 students, including more than 600 international students.
