A new vice-chancellor for the University of Rwanda

The University of Rwanda, the largest and only public university in the country, has a new vice-chancellor. Professor Alexandre Lyambabaje, an academic and politician, was appointed by the government on 2 February and become the third vice-chancellor in the recent history of the institution.

Lyambabaje, the first Rwandan, takes over from Professor Philip Cotton, whose five-year tenure ended in mid-October 2020.

The deputy vice-chancellor for strategic planning and administration, Dr Papias Musafiri Malimba, has been acting since then.

According to Dr Valentine Uwamariya, the minister of education, Lyambabaje understands the context of the University of Rwanda and has the academic and research qualities to take the university to the next level.

“Lyambabaje has credentials and proven leadership capabilities in strategic planning, financial management and resource mobilisation,” said Uwamariya.

“He also understands the challenges facing the university and, from his experience, he can set up strategies to overcome these challenges,” she added.

Until recently, Lyambabaje was the executive secretary of the Inter-University Council for East Africa, a regional structure that brings together all private and public universities in East Africa to enhance collaboration and work towards common goals.

The 61-year-old holds a BSc in mathematics from the National University of Rwanda, which merged with six other public universities in 2013 to form the current University of Rwanda.

He completed his PhD in mathematics at the University of Rennes in France.

Earlier in his public service career, Lyambabaje served as the permanent secretary in the ministry of education.

He later carried out research at the University of Rwanda and offered courses at the Institute of Applied Sciences (INES Ruhengeri), based in the Musanze district of Rwanda’s Northern Province.

His political career includes a stint as the minister of commerce, tourism industry, investments promotion and cooperatives between 2000 and 2003.

Pursuing targets in STEM

According to Ignatius Kabagambe, the University of Rwanda’s head of corporate communications, the appointment brings to an end the search for a new leader that has been going on for six months.

“The newly appointed vice-chancellor has a history with the former National University of Rwanda, and that can only be helpful,” he said.

“He has rich experience in public service and a long history in Rwanda’s academic affairs. The university community is happy to welcome him. He will find teams ready to offer him full support.”

With Lyambabaje’s background in mathematics, the new vice-chancellor is set to take on key priorities.

For students, this will include addressing the issue of delayed laptop delivery that affects their studies.

Upon admission, government-sponsored students should get laptops from the Higher Education Council and the Development Bank of Rwanda as a loan.

“It is good news that we have got a new leader for the University of Rwanda, but the issue of delayed laptops [non-delivery] is serious,” said Jean Marie Hitimana, a first-year student from the university’s college of business and economics in Kigali.

The university also faces challenges in research and teaching.

For instance, the new vice-chancellor joins the University of Rwanda at a time when it has set a target to increase its intake of government-sponsored students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM-related courses, to 90% over the next eight years.

According to statistics, 49,477 students have graduated from the university since its establishment in 2013, with 53% in non-STEM programmes and 47% in STEM.

Of the total, 36% were women and 64% men.

As the new vice-chancellor gets ready to assume office, the government’s closure of universities in Kigali, including the University of Rwanda’s head office and campuses, was extended for the next three weeks.

The closure has been enforced since January, following an increase in COVID-19 infections in the country.

This news report was updated on 28 February 2021.