News

From 4th -6th , March 2025, The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the University of Alicante is hosting the 1st Multi-stakeholder Forum on implementing the ANSWER ( Advance Inclusion for Students with Disabilities in Higher Education in Rwanda) project at Kigali Conference and Exhibition Vllage (KCEV),Kigali. The forum was attended by a diverse group, incluging : Management staff from higher education institutions, higher education policymakers, academic and administrative staff, representatives from disabilitie-focused NGOs, students with and without disabilities and Heads of secondary schools.

This initiatative is dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities for students with disabilities within the country, thereby ensuring that all learners have equitable access to the necessary resources and support to excel in higher education. ANSWER Project is led by the University of Alicante (Spain) and includes a consortium of partners such as the University of Rwanda, INES-Ruhengeri, East African University Rwanda, the National council of persons with Disabilities, the Ministry of Education Rwanda, and UWEZO Youth Empowerment. The project is co-funded by the European Union.

In his welcome remarks, Mr. Emmanuel Butera, Education Coordinator from the Ministry of Education highlighted the importance of the Ministry’s commitment to creating, collaborating with policymakers to create and implement inclusive educational policies. He underlines the stakeholder engagement to promote collaboration among universities, government bodies, NGOs, and the private sector.

During the forum, all attendees were grouped into six groups to reflect on the report on status on inclusion at HE level in Rwanda-Recommendations. The assignement was to analyse every recommendation and how it can be implemented, the availability of financial resources, the duration and the emergency of the recommendation.

Mr. David Mugabo, Technical Advisor, MINEDUC while closing the event, he thanks the university of Alicante for partnering with the Ministry of Education to equip Rwandan Higher education stakeholders with the knowledge, skills, and technology needed to bridge the gap between policy and implementation in inclusion, accessibility, and disability.
The forum served as a significant platform to advance discussions and actions toward inclusive education for students with disabilities in Rwanda’s higher education system.

Jacqueline UMUPFASONI
Thursday, March 6, 2025