As we celebrate our eighth
birthday and position ourselves to be a specialist science and technology
university the Management Committee has been engaged in discussions about how
the University should develop and grow to 2020. We would now like to seek your
views on the outcome from these discussions.
Your views will then be taken into account in deciding on the final 2020
Strategic Vision, which will be agreed in March of this year.
As a University there are
certain things we have to do – teaching our students, carrying out research and
consultancy and engaging in outreach to the community and business. In the
period to 2020, we need to strengthen these core activities, and develop others
so that we play a full role in contributing to the Government of Rwanda’s 2020
Vision, Poverty Reduction Strategy and Science and Technology Policy and
supporting Rwanda in the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.
The University, due in large
part to the commitment and enthusiasm of staff and the support we have received
from the Government of Rwanda and the international community, has made good
progress in its first eight years becoming recognised as a leading African University
and in particular being recognised for its work in outreach to the community
and the development of applicable technological solutions. We have a modern
campus, which we are seeking to further develop, and a vision for the total
development of our campus.
However,
we must strengthen the core by improving the quality of the student learning
experience and, ensuring we provide all our students with strong employability
and entrepreneurial skills and producing effective graduates. We need to ensure
that our provision is relevant and highly responsive to the demands and
expectations of our students, other purchasers of our services and the needs of
Rwanda. We must ensure that we develop our work so that it contributes to the
priorities of the Government of Rwanda. We need to build our research and
knowledge transfer base and increase our income from teaching, research and
knowledge transfer. Further investment in on campus staff development is also
needed for administrative and support staff as well as academic staff and we
need to ensure that we continue to provide opportunities for Rwandans to
develop the skills and competencies to play their full role in the delivery of
the University’s work. .
We want to be ambitious and aim, by 2020, to have developed an
outstanding reputation for our positioning in higher education in Africa. The
KIST Management Committee is recommending that we achieve this by positioning
ourselves thus, by 2020:
“To be an internationally renowned, regionally- engaged African University delivering programmes of academic learning to the highest international standards, engaged in world class fundamental, strategic and applied research and providing services to the community and business whilst remaining true to our commitment to be responsive to the needs of Rwanda”.
In adopting this positioning
we would take a leading role in meeting the needs of Rwanda and the Great Lakes
Region for a highly skilled science and technology workforce, develop new ways
of partnering with key groups and institutions in the region. We would become
recognised as a world-class specialist science and technology university
explicitly working to contribute to the achievement of the strategic priorities
of the Government of Rwanda.
If we adopt this positioning by 2020 KIST will be recognised as a leading African university with a flexible strategy able to adapt and accommodate change and recognised for making a major contribution to Rwandan society and economy. One way of thinking about this is to suggest what we might look like in 2020. We will have an unrivalled reputation as a specialist Science and Technology University in Africa. There will be high demand for our programmes with a considerable increase in continuing professional development and short courses. We will be widely recognised for the quality and standards of our teaching and learning opportunities and environment. All our undergraduate students will be bilingual in French and English, have taken courses in transferable skills including entrepreneurship and development studies, undertaken accredited work experience and engaged in a community placement. Our graduates will be highly sought by employers and many will use their entrepreneurial skills to develop their own business, in some cases supported by our Business Technology Incubation Facility. We will have built strong partnerships with private, public and voluntary sector organisations in the region and have become recognised as the leading University for research and knowledge transfer specifically designed to support social and economic development. Over a quarter of our income will come from non-government sources – from private students, research and consultancy. Employers will be involved in the design, delivery and assessment of all our programmes Our Business Technology Park will have grown into a major centre of high technology business in the region.
Given all that we have achieved in our first eight years the Management Committee is certain that with the support, creativity, strength and drive of our staff, working in close collaboration with the Government of Rwanda and all our other development partners, we can achieve this strategic vision.
Consultation Question
What comments would you
wish to offer on the recommended 2020 vision?