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Rwanda by Jolly Mazimhaka and G.F. Daniel Introduction
Rwanda is a country with an estimated population of 7.65 million. Located in central Africa, it has an area of 24,948 square km. Since gaining independence from Belgium in 1961, Rwanda’s history has been marked by internal strife, reaching its worst point in the 1990-94 civil war, which culminated in the horrendous tragedy of the 1994 genocide that claimed the lives of an estimated 1 million people.History of Higher Education
The Catholic Church was the first institution to undertake formal education in Rwanda in 1914. It was not until 1963 that the state established the National University of Rwanda (NUR). Since that time, the combined efforts of church, state, and the private sector have yielded 11 more institutions of higher education.Six of the 12 higher education institutions were started by the government; four were started by religious foundations; two institutions were started by secular establishments.
Student Enrollment
From an initial enrolment of 49 students in 1963-64, NUR achieved an enrollment of 921 in 1980-81 and rose to 1,572 in 1985-86 and currently stands at 4,550. The rest of the institutions, enrolled 4,970 students collectively in 1999-2000. The total student population in all 12 institutions is barely 10,000, only one-fourth of whom are females.
Source: Survey of Higher Education Institutions reported in the Higher Education Sub-Sector Policy for Rwanda proposed by the Committee on Higher Education, June 2000. Faculty
Staff in all higher education institutions include 74 PhDs at NUR, and less than half of that number in the other institutions--barely 100 altogether. The majority of institutions lean heavily on visiting staff. Out of a combined staff of 1,149, 585 are permanent and 564 are part-time (see Table 1). Salaries range $200 (85,000 Frw) for an assistant lecturer to $350 (140,000 Frw) for a professor. There are allowances for transport, utilities, and housing.Rwanda has no national association of faculty; nor has concern for a more involved role for faculty been widely expressed. In the absence of an enabling salary plus other attractive incentives, and considering that there are still undercurrents of instability in the area, brain drain or vacation of posts by well-qualified Rwandan nationals is the more likely trend.
Funding and Resources
Funding for the education sector is 15% of the national budget, of which 9.5% is allotted to higher education. 55% of those funds go to student upkeep such as accommodation, food, transport, health, and pocket money.Governance and Administration
The governing council for NUR is chaired by the minister of education. Key appointments, including rector and vice-rector (for the newer institutions,) are made by the government.Research
Established in 1979-80, the faculty of agronomy at NUR once had a research station near the campus at Mamba. Other stations at Gihindamuyaga and Rwasave provided faculty with opportunities for updating their work and to receive advanced degrees. Complementing work at NUR, the Higher Institute of Agriculture and Livestock (ISAE) and the Scientific and Technological Research Institute (IRST) once ran credible research programs, some for the training of farm managers.Gender
Twenty-five percent of the student population is female. To enable females to take full advantage of higher education, the committee on higher education recommends automatic access, residence, and scholarships for females in any discipline, provided they qualify for admission and maintain acceptable grades.Note: For detailed account on the state of higher education in Rwanda, please consult: Jolly Mazimhaka and G.F. Daniel, African Higher Education: An International Reference Handbook (Damtew Teferra and Philip. G. Altbach, eds., Indiana University Press, 2003), pp. 500-511.
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