{"id":2000112955,"date":"2026-05-24T12:15:22","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T10:15:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000112955"},"modified":"2026-05-24T15:25:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T13:25:23","slug":"kagame-hails-20-year-rwanda-oklahoma-christian-university-partnership-at-grand-gala","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/kagame-hails-20-year-rwanda-oklahoma-christian-university-partnership-at-grand-gala\/","title":{"rendered":"Kagame hails 20-year Rwanda-Oklahoma Christian University partnership at grand gala"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The event, held at the Kigali Convention Centre, highlighted the impact of a collaboration that has helped hundreds of Rwandan students access higher education opportunities and leadership training over the past 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his remarks, President Kagame welcomed the university\u2019s leadership, faculty and staff, thanking them for their continued support to Rwanda\u2019s education sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTo the alumni community present tonight, keep representing us well,\u201d Kagame said. \u201cIf you ever need anything, do not shy away from asking. We are here for you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also urged graduates to support future generations through mentorship, saying Rwanda\u2019s growing global network should serve as \u201ca national platform for opportunity creation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President paid tribute to Dr. Mike E. O\u2019Neal, who served as the fifth president of Oklahoma Christian University from 2002 to 2012, and his wife, Nancy O\u2019Neal, describing them as instrumental figures in the partnership\u2019s foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI first met Mike and Nancy when they visited Rwanda with Richard Lawson and his wife back in 2004,\u201d Kagame said. \u201cNo one could have imagined that a discussion about Rwanda\u2019s education ambitions would culminate in the long-standing and meaningful relationship we have today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The partnership began yielding results in 2006 when the first 10 Rwandan students travelled to study at Oklahoma Christian University through the Presidential Scholars Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The initiative has since produced more than 700 alumni who now serve in strategic leadership positions, including senior government officials and private sector executives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that the success of the Presidential Scholars Program has also inspired other universities to extend scholarship opportunities to privately funded Rwandan students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kagame expressed confidence in the future of the collaboration, citing ongoing initiatives such as an MBA program and preparations for a new study-abroad initiative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne of the most important legacies of this partnership is that Rwanda is now home to several world-class institutions,\u201d he said. \u201cThis aligns perfectly with our country\u2019s vision of becoming a regional hub for innovation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Head of State emphasised the importance of investing in Africa\u2019s young people through quality education and practical skills development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe often talk about Africa having an abundance of talent, but the conversation cannot end there,\u201d Kagame said. \u201cIt is important to follow this with action and equip our young people with the knowledge and skills to compete with the rest of the world.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that such investments are essential for building sustainable economic growth and reaffirmed Rwanda\u2019s commitment to strengthening ties with the university.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTwenty years is a special milestone. Let\u2019s keep working together to write the next chapter of our journey,\u201d Kagame said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the gala, John deSteiguer, Oklahoma Christian University Chancellor, said the partnership has evolved significantly since the launch of the Presidential Scholars Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeginning with the Presidential Scholars, our partnership has grown to include the establishment of the OC Learning Centre in Kigali, the expansion of online graduate and undergraduate programs, partnerships with organisations, institutions, and national leaders, and most importantly, students whose lives have been transformed through education, values, and community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DeSteiguer revealed that enrollment in Oklahoma Christian programs offered in Rwanda increased by more than 60 percent this year alone, describing the growth as a reflection of Rwanda\u2019s investment in education and leadership development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat 60 percent is not just a statistic,\u201d he said. \u201cThat represents individuals, leaders, professionals, and future changemakers who are investing in their education, but they\u2019re also investing in the future of their country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said the partnership matters because education transforms lives and strengthens institutions, while relationships built on trust can help shape the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DeSteiguer also announced plans for the launch of three new academic programs in Rwanda, pending approval from the Rwanda Higher Education Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The proposed programs include a Bachelor of Science in Business Leadership Technology, a Master of Science in Systems Engineering, and a Master of Science in Project Management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new programs, he said, are designed to align with Rwanda\u2019s growth, innovation, and workforce development priorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
President Paul Kagame on Saturday evening joined the leadership of Oklahoma Christian University, alongside more than 350 alumni and stakeholders, for a gala dinner celebrating two decades of partnership between the university and Rwanda.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
President Kagame urged graduates to support future generations through mentorship, saying Rwanda\u2019s growing global network should serve as \u201ca national platform for opportunity creation.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The event, held at the Kigali Convention Centre, highlighted the impact of a collaboration that has helped hundreds of Rwandan students access higher education opportunities and leadership training over the past 20 years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The event highlighted the impact of a collaboration that has helped hundreds of Rwandan students access higher education opportunities and leadership training over the past 20 years.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Speaking at the gala, John deSteiguer, Oklahoma Christian University Chancellor, said the partnership has evolved significantly since the launch of the Presidential Scholars Program.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Paul Kagame on Saturday evening joined the leadership of Oklahoma Christian University, alongside more than 350 alumni and stakeholders, for a gala dinner celebrating two decades of partnership between the university and Rwanda.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000112956,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000112955","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000112956,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MixCollage-24-May-2026-12-06-PM-793.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":600,"height":400,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MixCollage-24-May-2026-12-06-PM-793.jpg","width":150,"height":100},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MixCollage-24-May-2026-12-06-PM-793.jpg","width":300,"height":200},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MixCollage-24-May-2026-12-06-PM-793.jpg","width":600,"height":400},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MixCollage-24-May-2026-12-06-PM-793.jpg","width":600,"height":400},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/MixCollage-24-May-2026-12-06-PM-793.jpg","width":600,"height":400}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000112955","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000112955"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000112955\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000112962,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000112955\/revisions\/2000112962"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000112956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000112955"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000112955"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000112955"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000112955"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000112955"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}