Category: Education

PITTSBURGH—Join Carnegie Mellon in Rwanda (CMU-R) as it celebrates its second graduation of technology innovators in Kigali, Rwanda. The 21 men and women of the Class of 2015 will receive master’s degrees in Information Technology (IT) on 22 June 2015. The ceremony will take place at the Serena Hotel in Kigali, Rwanda at 3p.m sharp.

Carnegie Mellon University in Africa is fostering the commercialization of information and communication technology the world’s fastest growing economic region. More than 70% of the Class of 2015 has secured employment while other students may join fellow alum in creating startup ventures.

Distinguished guests at the graduation will include the Honorable Professor Lwakabamba, Rwandan Minister of Education; Dr. Bruce Krogh, Director of Carnegie Mellon in Rwanda; Dean James Garrett, Dean of Carnegie Mellon College of Engineering; Dr. Jared L Cohon, President Emeritus of Carnegie Mellon University.

The graduation underscores Carnegie Mellon University and the Government of Rwanda’s commitment to educating engineers and entrepreneurs who are striving to make an economic impact in Africa. All of our alumni from the Class of 2014 now have technical careers in East Africa and continue to play a part in ushering the region’s economic and social growth into the future.

Motivated to elevate global intellectual and economic vitality, Carnegie Mellon University became the first U.S. university to offer a master’s degree program taught by full-time faculty resident in Africa.

“Being present in Africa is the only way to understand technology needs on the continent,” says Bruce Krogh, the director of CMU in Rwanda. “Creating a long-term education programme is critical, because it gives students time to analyze problems and develop solutions in the context in which they occur.”

Carnegie Mellon students in Rwanda receive a world-class education enriched by the institution’s history and tradition of excellence that began in the United States in 1900. Rigorous coursework, practicums and internships provide students with the critical skills valued by industry throughout Africa. In addition, our curriculum includes courses on a wide range of business topics and soft skills giving our graduates the confidence to launch their own ventures.

To ensure that Carnegie Mellon University’s research and curriculum in Rwanda remain relevant to Africa, the faculty and students engage with local companies and multinational corporations on a continual basis. Companies that have recruited Carnegie Mellon University students for internships in East Africa include General Electric, IBM, Microsoft and VISA.

At CMU, African students remain steeped in the region’s rapidly evolving technical and business networks. Beyond the advantage of staying local in terms of professional development, studies in Rwanda enhance our students learning experience. Our top students are funded to study for a semester in Pittsburgh and our alumni highlight the communal study experience in Kigali as a major advantage for their learning, as compared with studies in the USA.

In Africa, Carnegie Mellon University offers two graduate degree programmes: the M.S. in Information Technology, and the M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Faculty research areas include energy systems and IT for healthcare and business.

This Thursday June 18,2015,Tumba College of Technology held a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Workshop for strengthening and updating the curriculum of the college, TCT has been offering courses leading to a national advanced diploma in three departments namely Alternative Energy (AE), Electronics and Telecommunication (ET), and Information Technology (IT), TCT curriculum which is labor market and industry needs based, was developed in collaboration with the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) composed of experts from local and International industries, academics, JICA experts and other countries who also contributed a lot to its development.

Eng. Pascal GATABAZI Speaking to the participants during the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Workshop held at TCT Campus, Rulindo District, Northern Province.

The principal started by narrating the objective of this workshop as sharing of information and experience with industry experts and stakeholders about the current technology trends, labor market and industry need which will enrich the TCT academic programs. Tumba College of Technology is confident that its programs whose coverage lasts for two years, support the country’s vision 2020 objectives achievement process and is committed to keep the pace high not only contribution to the achievement of vision 2020 objectives but also EDPRS 2 as well as National Employment Program (NEP) objectives. It is also proud of the fact that its program are internationally benchmarked and meet national and International demands.

The Participants listening to one of the TCT instructor in the department of Alternative Energy (AE) the department that directly deals with the green environment issues through nurturing young technicians skilled in alternative and renewable energy.

Here are some of the participants at the stand of Electronics and Telecommunication department that addresses the issues concerning the demand of high-level technicians who can handle Telecommunication related issues, repair and maintenance of electronic devices.

Participants at the Stand of Information Technology department that trains skilled technicians who can handle issues to do with network administration, software development, programming and maintenance of computers amongst others.

During his closing remarks the Principal Tumba College of Technology, Eng. Pascal GATABAZI appreciated the inputs from the participants of Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Workshop, he said that the captured information from the participants is very crucial for the college to renew its curriculum and promised the participants that all the gathered inputs will be made of a good use, and he finally promised good cooperation with the Industry experts and Stakeholders.

Kigali – June 9, 2015 The U.S. Embassy announced the kickoff of its fourth annual campaign to encourage a love of reading, at an event attended by U.S. Ambassador Erica J. Barks-Ruggles on June 8. The “Everybody Reads Rwanda” campaign, to be held from June 8-19, encourages as many people as possible to read and discuss the same the same book.

This year, the Embassy selected the young adult classic A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle as the campaign’s featured book. A Wrinkle in Time was recognized as 2nd on the top 100 list of children’s novels by the School Library Journal and won the 1963 Newbery Medal, the highest honor in children’s literature.

After distributing nearly 500 copies of the book to local secondary schools and teachers, Rwandan and American staff from the U.S. Embassy will lead discussions about the story throughout the month of June.

“The themes of this novel – love, courage, and the bonds of family – speak to people of every age and nationality. We are excited to introduce A Wrinkle in Time to a new generation of Rwandan readers, and to share ideas about these themes that unite us,” said Ambassador Barks-Ruggles.

Members of Mashirika Performing Arts & Media Company performed a short play inspired by the novel as part of the kick-off event festivities.

The Everybody Reads initiative began as a project to support the government of Rwanda’s efforts to build a culture of reading. The United States partners with the Rwanda on numerous education initiatives to improve literacy, integrate technology into classrooms, and give every child the chance to succeed. Over the last year, USAID has committed over $22 million to support basic education in Rwanda.

(Korea Bizwire) — South Korea Thursday committed millions of dollars to equip classrooms in three African countries with information technology.

Education Minister Hwang Woo-yea signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Irina Bokova, secretary-general of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), stating that South Korea would contribute US$6 million to UNESCO.

The donation will go toward training teachers in Rwanda, Mozambique and Zimbabwe on how to use information and communication technology in classrooms and running a pilot program of computer-based education.

“Many African ministers have requested help from South Korea,” Hwang said at the World Education Forum in Incheon. “South Korea will share its education knowledge with African countries and help them nurture education talent.”

About a quarter of primary school-aged children in sub-Saharan nations are not in school, according to UNESCO, with only 38 percent of adults being able to read and write.

But the percentage of Internet users has steadily risen to 11 percent in 2011.

Hwang also suggested that U.N. nations help rebuild schools that have been destroyed from the Nepal earthquake in April.

South Korea also signed an MOU with Vietnam, agreeing to hold an exchange program for teachers; invite Vietnamese science and technology students to South Korea; and support Korean language education at Vietnamese middle and high schools.

An MOU has also been sighed with the United Arab Emirates, in which South Korea pledged to send education experts to the Middle Eastern country and train its teachers.

African Ministers of Education and ICT today (Wednesday) issued an urgent appeal for African Governments to meet the continent’s demographic challenge by investing in African youth.

Africa is currently in the midst of a “youth bulge” and a majority of the continent’s population will soon be under the age of 25. Meeting at the annual eLearning Africa Ministerial Round Table at the African Union Headquarters in Addis Ababa, ministers and senior officials from 15 African countries said that, as the average age of Africa’s population is getting younger every year, the continent faces both a growing challenge and a significant opportunity.

The Ministerial Round Table, which was held under Chatham House Rules, discussed the theme of “Youth, Innovation and the Development of Talent.” It provided an opportunity for ministers, experts and business leaders to discuss how to use Africa’s increasingly young population to entrench long-term economic growth. The opening session of the Round Table, which was addressed by speakers, including Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Dr Debretson Gebremichael; Shiferaw Shigute, Minister of Education of Ethiopia; Mohamma Ouedraogo, Director of Human Resources, Science and Technology at the African Union and Guenter Nooke, the personal representative for Africa of German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, noted that Africa faces a significant skills gap.

“We have to invest in the future and the future is in the hands of our youth,” said one Minister. Investing in innovation and skills for young people will not only help to narrow the skills gap, but also to boost job creation and create “a breeding ground for the development of the private sector.”

If the right decisions are taken, according to one senior official, the continent’s demographics “could catapult Africa to become a global centre for manufacturing, ICT and service industries.”

The benefit will not, however, “happen by itself.” The fundamental question is, therefore, how Africa should invest in its youth.

“It is about more than just introducing ICT into the classroom,” said the official. “It requires a national strategy.” He said that every African country needed to focus on “mainstreaming ICT.”

Ministers identified several priority areas for investment, including science and technology; focusing on the quality of education, improving both teacher training and learner outcomes; equipping education systems, from primary level onwards, for ICT; bridging the digital divide and increasing connectivity; delivering good content; ensuring more focus on innovative approaches to eLearning, especially in rural areas; creating new links between schools, universities and industry, so that the education system provides the basic skills industry needs; and helping graduates to acquire the soft skills they need for the job market.

A senior government official also commented that ICT should play a significant role in strengthening democracy by encouraging young people to participate in decision-making. It was vital, he said, for Governments to help to facilitate open dialogue and to “lose their fear of transparency.”