The University of Kigali (UoK) hosted two distinguished visiting professors from the University of Fort Hare (UFH), South Africa; Prof. Willy Chinyamurindi and Prof. Juliet Townes for a four-day academic exchange focused on staff mobility, capacity building, and strengthening institutional collaboration between the two universities. The visit, spanned from 17th to 20th November 2025, and formed part of the strategic partnership aimed at advancing academic excellence, research productivity, and regional integration in higher education.
The exchange programme which is part of a Memorandum of Understanding between University of Kigali and University of Fort Hare brings together UoK’s senior leadership, faculty, administrative staff, and students for a series of high-level engagements, guest lectures, workshops, and collaborative planning sessions.
The delegation was received by the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. George Kimathi, who reaffirmed UoK’s commitment to impactful partnerships within Africa.
Prof. Adeola Ogechi, The DVCA presented an overview of academic programmes, highlighting growth areas for collaboration. The UFH professors delivered introductory remarks emphasizing the value of South-South cooperation in higher education.
A major highlight was the Research Expererince sessions on Grant writing and Publishing. The Visiting Professors outlined opportunities for joint research, innovation ecosystems, commercialization pathways, and capacity-building initiatives.
The morning also featured sessions on Centre for Modern Languages led by Prof. Wasajja Kiwanuka. The day concluded with a high-level roundtable discussion, where UoK and UFH leadership explored collaborative opportunities in curriculum development, research, digital innovation, and internationalization.
Dr. Ronald Kwena, the Associate DVC Research, Innovation & Enterprise Division and a key coordinator of the exchange, commended the UFH team for their commitment and expertise. He noted that the partnership between UoK and UFH reflects “a shared vision to empower Africa through collaborative research, knowledge exchange, and academic excellence.” Dr Kwena added that the Collaboration already led to the joint hosting of the International Conference on Green and Sustainable Development 2025 in Kigali (https://www.newtimes.co.rw/article/25089/news/featured/featured-experts-gather-for-icgsd-2025-to-drive-green-innovation-sustainability) and subsequently ICGSD 2026 (https://uok.ac.rw/international-conference/)
The visit reinforced UoK’s ambition to become a regional centre of excellence in strategic management, HR development, leadership research, and innovation. It also laid the groundwork for long-term collaboration in:
- Joint research publications
- Curriculum co-development
- Staff and student exchange
- Co-hosted conferences and workshops
- Shared innovation and entrepreneurship programmes
As UoK continues to expand its global partnerships, the University of Fort Hare exchange stands out as a significant step toward advancing high-quality scholarship and strengthening Africa-focused academic networks.
