University of Ljubljana and University of Rwanda sign cooperation agreement

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The Rector of the University of Ljubljana, Prof. Dr Gregor Majdič, and the Rector of the University of Rwanda, Dr Kayihura Muganga Didas, signed a cooperation agreement between the two institutions in Kigali on Thursday, 16 January 2025. The agreement aims to strengthen collaboration in teaching and research, fostering academic exchange and joint initiatives between the universities.
The Rector of the University of Ljubljana, Prof. Dr Gregor Majdič, who also met with Rwanda’s Minister of Education, Joseph Nsengimana, during his visit, emphasised the importance of academic collaboration at the signing of the agreement: “Africa is the continent of the future for various reasons, and it will develop rapidly in the years and decades to come. Strengthening higher education and research capacities, which are currently very limited in sub-Saharan Africa, will be key to this development. The European Union and European universities can play a crucial role by working with African countries and their universities to build academic capacities. This collaboration would not only benefit African countries and their people but also help address global challenges such as migration, demographic shifts, the widening gap between the global South and North, and climate change, which is already severely impacting parts of Africa. The University of Ljubljana is already engaged in several initiatives with African universities, including centres of excellence within The Guild and ARUA (African Research Universities Alliance). Moreover, we are actively advocating within the European Union for greater support of such partnerships.”
The agreement was signed during a three-day visit by a delegation from the University of Ljubljana to Rwanda. The delegation included deans and vice-deans of several faculties: the Biotechnical Faculty, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, Faculty of Computer and Information Science, Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Public Administration, and the Veterinary Faculty. In addition to joint and bilateral meetings, the visit featured public lectures by leading experts from the University of Ljubljana. Prof. Dr Andreja Žgajnar Gotvajn, Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, delivered a lecture on micropollutants in wastewater, while Prof. Dr Miha Moškon, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Computer and Information Science for Research, talked about the application of artificial intelligence and modelling across a variety of fields.
The University of Rwanda is the only public university in the country, which has a population of just over 14 million, though being only slightly larger than Slovenia in size. Established in 2013 through the merger of several independent Rwandan educational institutions, the university covers all scientific fields and operates across multiple campuses nationwide. Despite Rwanda’s significantly larger population – about seven times that of Slovenia’s – the total annual number of higher education graduates (from both the University of Rwanda and several private universities) is comparable to Slovenia's. This highlights the urgent need to expand higher education capacities in Rwanda to support its growing academic and professional demands.