A total of 30 medical doctors and 48 Master of Science in Global Health Delivery (MGHD) candidates received their degrees during the ceremony held at the university’s Butaro campus.
The graduation was presided over by Prime Minister Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva and attended by First Lady Jeannette Kagame, alongside senior government officials, development partners, faculty, students, and alumni.
In his address, Prime Minister Nsengiyumva reminded graduates that they are entering the workforce at a time of mounting pressure on health systems in Rwanda and across the world. He pointed to emerging diseases, workforce shortages, and financing constraints as challenges that are no longer abstract, but demand practical, locally grounded solutions.
“Responding effectively to these challenges requires more than clinical expertise,” the Prime Minister said. “It calls for a deep understanding of policy, management, data, and implementation, as well as the ability to translate plans into real results. Your training has prepared you for this responsibility.”
He emphasized that UGHE graduates are expected to serve not only as practitioners, but also as leaders capable of strengthening institutions, improving service delivery, and supporting sound decision-making across the health sector. He reaffirmed Rwanda’s commitment to human capital development, noting that Africa’s progress depends on strong and resilient systems supported by a skilled and accountable workforce.
“That is why Rwanda, together with its partners, continues to invest in the expansion of medical education at all levels and remains firmly committed to world-class institutions such as the University of Global Health Equity,” he said.
The ceremony was also marked by a deeply reflective address from First Lady Jeannette Kagame, who was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by UGHE in recognition of her exceptional leadership and contributions to education, health, and equity in Rwanda, across Africa, and beyond.
Receiving the honour, Mrs. Kagame described the moment as both emotional and deeply meaningful. “It is with mixed emotions that I receive this great gift, an honour and a tribute to a true friend of Rwanda,” she said, referring to the late Dr. Paul Farmer, UGHE’s founding chancellor.
“To be honoured in this way is a gift for which I can only find a few words, yet to be watched from heaven by a dear friend as we celebrate those who have sought to honour his legacy through their own excellence means that I must try. What a milestone.”
She reflected on how, for many years, solutions to health challenges were often perceived as something that had to come from outside the continent. “Today we affirm a different truth,” she said. “Pain, disease, and avoidable death are not our destiny, and neither are we bound to wait for answers to arrive from afar.”
Addressing the graduates directly, the First Lady challenged them to see themselves as agents of transformation.
“Your greatness is a revolution in the making,” she said. “Congratulations for choosing to lay your brick in the resilience of our systems. May your contribution to global health and to the lives you will save and improve bear witness to every worth of late night of study, every moment of doubt, and every final push of determination.”
UGHE Chancellor Dr. Jim Yong Kim highlighted the uniqueness of the university’s journey, describing it as the product of an extraordinary partnership between the Government of Rwanda and global partners. “This could not have happened in the vast majority of countries that I have been in,” he said, underscoring Rwanda’s leadership and long-term vision in building sustainable health systems.
Founded in 2015 with the support of Partners In Health (PIH), UGHE inaugurated its permanent Butaro campus on January 25, 2019, in a ceremony led by President Paul Kagame and the late Dr. Paul Farmer. Today, the university offers six university-level programs in partnership with Harvard University, sharing both curriculum design and faculty.
In recognition of its growing academic reputation, Times Higher Education in 2024 ranked UGHE fourth among 129 leading universities in Sub-Saharan Africa. The institution attracts a diverse student body from Rwanda and beyond, including learners from the United States, Canada, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Lesotho, and Uganda.
Since its inception, UGHE has graduated 330 master’s degree holders, with 444 students currently enrolled. Beyond degree programs, the university’s Kigali campus offers third-level courses in Global Health Delivery and has played a broader role in national development.
Additionally, over 128,000 people have benefited from entrepreneurship training linked to UGHE initiatives, while 1,260 individuals have gained employment through projects associated with the Butaro campus. Since 2016, 670 leaders from 56 African countries have also received specialized training at the university.
UGHE is expected to play a critical role in helping Rwanda achieve a healthcare workforce density of four medical professionals per 1,000 people. Currently, the country has approximately one doctor per 1,000 residents.
National plans anticipate the enrollment of 8,378 new medical students annually, with an estimated 32,973 graduates by 2028. These will include 1,686 general practitioners, 185 dentists, 832 medical specialists, 15,770 nurses, 5,209 midwives, and 8,394 other health professionals supporting doctors.
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