Friday 16 September 2011
President Paul Kagame on Friday spoke at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, following a ceremony to officially launch a 10-year partnership which will see the establishment of CMU-Rwanda. The agreement comes after years of consultations between the Government and the University aimed at creating a regional ICT center of excellence.
Welcoming President Kagame to CMU, President Jared L. Cohon said that “Higher education is a key to success in the global economy. We are pleased to bring our expertise in the mounting international programs and our culture of innovation in Rwanda, to contribute to the country’s emergence as a regional technology hub”.
Speaking to an audience of about 1,000 students, faculty and guests, President Kagame said that the agreement between CMU and the Government of Rwanda, was the start of a mature relationship, in which much-needed skills and technological know-how will be transferred in a sustainable and meaningful manner to benefit Rwanda and the region.
“Despite decades of partnerships between developed and developing nations, the world remains largely imbalanced in terms of socioeconomic progress… the Carnegie Mellon Campus in Rwanda will offer our citizens and those from the wider region the opportunity to develop the skills for innovation and entrepreneurship which will take our nations forward.”
Rwanda’s Minister of Finance, Mr. John Rwangombwa signed the agreement with Mr. Mark Kamlet, Executive Vice President and Provost of CMU in the presence of President Kagame.
Carnegie Mellon will begin by offering interested applicants a “Master of Information Technology” program in Kigali, Rwanda. In addition CMU will collaborate with the Rwandan government to develop an innovation incubator, advanced practical training programs, executive education programs and a mobility research center.