Coventry University Vice-Chancellor meets President Kagame to discuss education and research opportunities
Coventry University could be training the next generation of aviation and health workers in Rwanda after a successful meeting with the country’s President and key government senior officials.
Vice-Chancellor Professor John Latham CBE visited the East African country as the university seeks to develop closer ties with key organisations across the region following the opening of its Africa Hub in the capital, Kigali.
The Vice-Chancellor and Professor Silas Lwakabamba, the university group’s Regional Managing Director, discussed areas of collaboration with His Excellency President Paul Kagame and representatives of Rwanda’s Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, the Rwandan Development Board and RwandAir.
Health, entrepreneurship, education and research, manufacturing, aviation, food and water security were all discussed as sectors in which Coventry University would explore opportunities to work with organisations in Rwanda.
Ties between Coventry University and Rwanda have strengthened since the establishment of the university group’s Africa Hub in Kigali in 2021.
Professor Latham said: “We are thrilled to be developing links with more and more organisations in Rwanda. It demonstrates the strong relationships Coventry University is building across the world.
“We work with a number higher education institutions, businesses and industry bodies worldwide and the shared knowledge gained from this approach is of great benefit to students.”
Professor Silas Lwakabamba, Regional Managing Director at Coventry University’s Africa Hub, added: “Through Coventry University’s Africa Hub we are in a fantastic position to share our expertise with organisations in Sub-Saharan Africa, helping to support their global aspirations.
“We are at the start of a journey that we hope will see Coventry University work with more respected organisations in the region.
“Our discussions this week were very positive and constructive, and we hope to be in a position to formally announce these collaborations in the near future.”
Zephanie Niyonkuru, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Rwanda Development Board said: “With a wealth of experience in teaching and learning, research and enterprise development that Coventry University possesses, Rwanda Development Board (RDB) is delighted to foster collaborations with the newly established African Hub, based in Kigali to train the next generation of professionals and entrepreneurs in aviation, healthcare, among other key sectors of our economy.”
Coventry University Group has achieved success as a recruiter of international students in the UK and has been growing its reputation as a provider of high-quality education and research on a global scale, with hubs in Africa, Dubai, Singapore and Brussels.
To find out more about Coventry University’s Africa Hub visit https://www.coventry.ac.uk/the-university/about-coventry-university/global-presence/global-hub/africa-hub/
About Coventry University
Coventry University is a global, modern university with a mission of Creating Better Futures. We were founded by entrepreneurs and industrialists in 1843 as the Coventry School of Design and we continue to have strong links with the public and private sector, providing job-ready graduates with the skills and creative thinking to improve their communities.
With a proud tradition of innovative teaching and learning, Coventry University has world-class campus facilities, the UK’s first standalone 5G network and a digital community of learning. Our students are part of a global network that has 50,000 learners studying Coventry University degrees in more than 40 different countries and partnerships with 150 higher education providers worldwide.
We have greatly increased our research capacity and ability with a focus on impactful research, delivered for and with partners, to address real-world challenges and support business and communities to develop and grow.
Over two centuries, we have flourished in Coventry and Coventry University Group now also delivers access to our range of high-quality services and partnerships through bases in London, Scarborough, Belgium, Poland, Egypt, Dubai, Singapore and Africa.
In recent years, we have won many awards and vastly improved our rankings in the league tables that matter to students – but what matters to us is delivering transformational change for our students, partners and communities around the world.
