Higher institutions of learning have a big role to play in Africa’s economic growth, a point emphasised last week, by the Minister of Education, Daphrose Gahakwa, as she officially closed a three-day Africa Regional Higher Education Summit at Kigali Serena Hotel.

In her opening remarks, the Minister commended the participants for the discussions which were aiming at developing the educational quality of higher institutions of learning in Africa. She paid tribute to USAID for organising such a successful event.

The summit which commenced on October 22 was a follow up to the Global Higher Education Summit, that took place in Washington DC last April.

It brought together representatives of African and American Universities, Philanthropic Organizations, and corporate executives.

The goal of the summit was to link universities, Philanthropic organisations and businesses in order to help build partnerships to improve higher education in Africa.

In this summit also, the participants generated new ideas on capacity building and development in Africa. Topics discussed in this meeting included; health and higher education;  Information Communications Technology (ICT) and higher education.

Also present at the closing ceremony was the Minister in charge of ICT in the President’s office Romain Murenzi. In his remarks, he thanked USAID for organising the summit which will lead to developing the domestic African market and levels of ICT.

Franklin Moore, the Assistant Administrator of the USAID Bureau for Africa, told The New Times that the summit helped the higher institutions to understand the problems in their particular areas introducing faculties which could help solve them.

"This summit is going to help us develop education, research and enhance our capacity building through internships and bringing of expatriates to come and teach in Africa,”  Said Desire Ndushabandi, the Rector of Kigali Health Institute (KHI).

Professor Abdou Salam Sall, the vice-Chancellor of Anta Diop University in Dakar Senegal, said that this summit was going to deepen the relationship between African and American Universities.

The summit attracted participants from 30 African Countries.

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