THE UOK INSIDER IN THIS ISSUE Giving back to the community UOK Impressive growth A place to labor for the future Beyond the classroom Dreamers’ page University of Kigali - UOK @UniOfKigali The University Of Kigali Internal Newsletter The University of Kigali Internal News letter UMUGANDA: “GETTING THE ENERGY OUT OF UNIVERSITY TO THE COMMUNITY” moving grasses as lecture encouraged is to provide annual well as re-arranging local community health insurance rocks to expand the members to have a subscription fees to local road. culture of saving a 50 poor community After the commu- portion of their in- members who had nity service, the come, however been identified by Guild Council’s small it might be, their neighbors as president, Mr. with an intension of the people who MUNYANEZA investing the raised could not afford to Denis, briefed local sum in the future. pay for their annual people on the agenda The last group of health insurances . of the UoK alumni students talked to In his speech , Maî- visit, and he invited community residents tre David Rugaza different groups of on being legally the Dean of Students students to lecture bound citizens, ad- at University of Ki- the local residents on vised them in basic gali told locals that Vice-President of the Guild Council different topics justice -related is- it will always be the Sylvie (left),with UOk student s which were included sues and gave them culture of the univer- in the daily agenda direction on which sity to work together the community, in as subjects of inter- governmental and with its community For the November support of the uni- est and of great im- non-governmental and provide support session of the versity’s staff, more portance for the bodies they should whenever possible. monthly community than 60 students and community. Lec- consult whenever service tradition UoK staff arrived at tures were given in 3 they have justice re- publicly known as the umuganda site successive series. lated issues. “umuganda ,” UoK situated in Amasan- The first group of The last activity students joined resi- gano village students lectured the done by the students dents of Amasan- Welcomed by par- people on the im- gano village , in ents, local youth and portance of using KABUYE the other members Information Com- cell,JABANA sector of the community munication and in GASABO district who gave them tools Technology (ICT) in for the work of dig- such as hoes and their daily ging a water canal, machetes, students lives .They were fol- clearing and expand- joined local resi- lowed by another ing a local road. dents in the day’s group of students As an initiative of organized work. The who discussed the the Guild Council to work done was role of investment create ways for stu- mostly clearing a big and saving in pro- dents to give back to water path to prevent moting family eco- soil erosion and re- nomic growth. This The Dean of Students (1st from right) together with Claudine a student (first from left) giving heath insurance of 50 residents to Mrs. Jacqueline (the cell admistrator,2nd from left). LEADERS OUT WELCOME TO A NEVER-BEFORE-SEEN GRADUATION CEREMONY As the day of graduation approaches, you can see how beautiful this day will be just by looking at the smiling faces of the graduating third -years after their project defenses. the university staff, too, can’t hide their joy and sense of achievement as the Uni- versity of Kigali prepares to show for the first time what it is to be a center of excellence by holding its first graduation since its foundation in 2013.While it may seem surprising for the university to have qualified it’s graduates within 2 years of operation, the university’s Vice -Chancellor of Academics Dr Bosire clears the concern by reminding the public that the university’S innovative education pro- grams caused many to quit their respective institu- tions of higher education in search of new opportu- nities to flourish .this resulted in the university starting not only with freshmen but also with stu- dents who enrolled in their second level and will receive their degrees on the 15th of December. CELEBRATING AN IMPRESSIVE GROWTH he University of Kigali contin- As explained by the university’s Vice campus in Northern Province, in the T ues to record a high rate of en- Chancellor Prof DR KAAYA SIRA- city of mu sanze reflects the desire to rollment each and every intake. So JE, this radical growth depends on bring high quality education closer to far, this September intake alone rec- the innovative educational programs Rwandans. “Giving excellent educa- orded 850 students both freshmen which are a unique product of the tion is one thing and making it af- and transfers, who count for 20 per- institution, dedication to high quality fordable to everyone who needs it is cent of the university’s residents. The education and high standards set for another thing”,said Afrika, and “our total number of residents has grown the University’s teaching staff which goal is to combine both of these pa- from 650 students since the universi- all together explain why many people rameters to increase the literacy level ty started its operations in October, have been continuously deciding to in Rwanda and impact the economic 2013 to 4,000 under-graduate stu- join the University of Kigali. growth of the country via creation of dents at the current time. Fully chart- quality and productive labor.” When asked to describe this growth, ed by the government of Rwanda, the University’s Director of Market- Currently, the university offers 12 early this year the University of Kiga- ing, Miss Gabriella Afrika, described undergraduate programs and 13 post- li was granted rights to start 13 post- it as a growth toward the beneficiar- graduate programs, and it has three graduate programs that are currently ies of the high quality education pro- intake periods each year : January being pursued by nearly 300 post- intake, May intake and September vided by the university. She pointed graduate students. intake. out that the opening of the satelite UOK :LABOR FOR THE FUTURE was the desire to get a business would want to take professional where I would spend my three W hen I decided to join the degree that would differentiate courses as another way of qualify- years of university LABORING University of Kigali, it wasn’t me from others in the labor mar- ing themselves more and ensuring FOR THE FUTURE. easy .I had thought much about ket .While surfing, I found that their career prospects. After read- It didn’t take so long; I applied applying to other domestic uni- most of the universities offering ing this, I started to pray to God and was admitted and started my versities, to make a final choice, I business courses in Rwanda had that I would be admitted to the life at campus in September of first tried to really make sense of my favorite major (FINANCE), University of Kigali .Combining 2014.From that moment the uni- what a better institution of higher but The University of Kigali was the mission of the university and versity became my family .I start- education would look like to me! the only school giving scholar- the opportunities it reserves for ed meeting new people, welcom- I examined some details about the ships for excellent students who students, I noticed it was the place ing staff and most importantly, a other Rwandan universities and sense of duty of everyone on found they were all similar. Same campus impressed me the most. study schedules, same ways of Every time I walked into an of- teaching, same…just same every- fice, I was welcome and never thing. It was only when I started ceased to feel home. I am proud surfing the internet for infor- to be a member of this diversified mation about this university that I community, with teachers from felt there was still a chance of all corners of the world: Uganda, finding a fun place to be while Cameroun, Rwanda, USA and designing my future at the same other places. I will not forget my time. first class at campus. It was about In the beginning, I was a little communication skills which was suspicious about applying to the being thought by a lady from Cal- University of Kigali. While I ifornia who sometimes used to wanted something different, a tell us about American culture place where I could get a better and also liked discussing other education and have new experi- global issues .From then on, I ences I was afraid the university I have been meeting a lot of inspir- wanted to join would do things ing leaders, teachers and students just the way other colleges in with distinguished backgrounds. Rwanda do them. However as I Sitting comfortably in my class- read more about the mission and room writing this article, one objectives of this university I real- thing I can say I am very sure of ized it had designed everything is that I have found the right des- better and different from every- tination for my growth. one else. I had many motives in- LONG LIVE UNIVERSITY fluencing the choice of an institu- Shema: Undergraduate student at university of Kigali. OF KIGALI –A BETTER tion of higher education. the first PLACE TO LABOR FOR THE Welcome to our new WELOCME TO OUR NEW WEBSITE website Visit: www.uok.ac.rw/v3/ http:www.uok.ac.rw/v3/ INTERVIEWING YOUNG LEADERS AN INTERVIEW WITH EMMANUEL NSABIMANA ON CREATING A MULTI-SKILLED GENERATION AND HEALING THE WOUNDS OF OUR SHOCKING HISTORY Emmanuel is a student at the University Of Kigali in Bachelor of Law, he is also a documentarist and co-directed a well- known documentary , KOMORA: to heal which won a special jury Remy award in World festival in Houston Texas.