Emmanuel Turatsinze, the only survivor from his family that perished in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, emerged the best law student, as the University of Rwanda (UR) held its inaugural graduation ceremony yesterday.

Turatsinze, 24,  who lost both his parents and only sibling to the Interahamwe militia during  the Genocide, got a first class degree in Bachelor of Laws (LLB).

"It means a lot to me. I thank God because all my efforts have not been in vain,” Turatsinze told The New Times.

Yesterday, marked the first day of UR inaugural graduation ceremony, since the merger of seven public higher learning institutions into one University, in mid 2013.

The move to merge all public tertiary institutions into one entity was aimed at enhancing quality research, which would support the national development agenda.

Yesterday, 402 students from the College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS), and 809 students from College of Medicine Health Science graduated.

Turatsinze is among the 1,211 graduates who received their degrees on the first day of UR’s five-day long inaugural graduation ceremonies.  

"I was always motivated by the fact that I survived the Genocide. I believe there was a reason,” Turatsinze said.

Turatsinze, who is also a freelance journalist at Radio Salus, was all praises for the government which through the Fund for Support of Genocide Survivors (FARG), sponsored his education since primary school.

"I don’t want to rush for money, if I get the opportunity, I will go for Masters and PhD, before I think of what to do next,” he added.  

As the best graduate, Turatsinze stands a chance of being retained by the university as a teaching assistant.

 Today, 2,275 students from the College of Business and Economics are expected to graduate. The graduations, stretching up to Friday, will see a total of 10,018 graduates get bachelor’s degrees.

Prof. Phil Cotton, the Principal of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, said quality of education since the merger has since improved, adding that he "expects UR to become one of the best universities in Africa.”

However, he acknowledges that the first year since the merger of  all public tertiary institutions has been challenging.

"It’s been quite challenging and involved travelling long distances, attending several meetings, holding many video conferences, and harmonising programmes. Staff and students are so excited to be part of this new University,” Cotton said.

Cotton said he was proud of the new School of Dentistry.