Scotland-based St Andrews University has offered unlimited doctorate (PhD) scholarships in International Studies to Rwandans interested in the course.

The initiative was announced by Dr Hazel Cameron, a professor at St Andrews University, after the delegation that included post-graduate students from St Andrews University was received by President Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro in Kigali, yesterday.

"We have signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Rwanda to offer scholarships to unlimited number of nationals to acquire their PhD in international studies at St Andrews University. Under this arrangement, we will be offering teaching support and remote supervision to the students,” Dr Cameron, who also doubles as the Director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the Scotish varsity, said.

The Minister for Education, Prof. Silas Lwakabamba, said the PhD programme will contribute highly to improving the standards of University of Rwanda.

"With this new arrangement we will be able to increase the number of PhD holders at University of Rwanda from the current 19 per cent to our target of 60 per cent,” he said.

In a related development, Dr Cameron said the delegation of students she is leading had wrong information about Rwanda prior to their visit and that the visit had been an eye-opener of the realities in the country.

"We have interacted with taxi drivers, tailors, gone to Kimironko market and interacted with traders and their perception about Rwanda has completely changed. People are living a good life, they are making money and have very strong trust in their leadership,” she said.

Jorgen Mork, a student of International Security Studies at St Andrews University, said he was impressed with Rwanda’s security reforms, while Annika Alsdorf, who is pursuing Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies, said for any developing economy business plays a key role in achieving developmental goals.

Alsdorf is doing her thesis on German investments in Rwanda and will be focusing on Mobisol operations in the country.

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