Speaker Mukabalisa speaks at Swedish university

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Donatille Mukabalisa and her parliamentary delegation addressed faculty and researchers at the Law Faculty of the University of Uppsala, Sweden’s oldest institution of higher learning, on Monday.

Tuesday, November 15, 2016
The Director of the Nordic Africa Institute, Ms. Iina Soiri guides Speaker Mukabalisa and her delegation through northern Europe's largest collection of books on Africa.

The Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Donatille Mukabalisa and her parliamentary delegation addressed faculty and researchers at the Law Faculty of the University of Uppsala, Sweden’s oldest institution of higher learning, on Monday.

The Speaker’s lecture was focused on the role of justice in the reconciliation process in Rwanda. She highlighted home grown solutions such as traditional courts (Gacaca) and Abunzi (mediators).

Mukabalisa also commended the University for taking in Rwandan PhD scholars as part of the Sweden-University of Rwanda cooperation.

"We can’t talk about development without education,” said Mukabalisa. "Your programme is helping our country in the process of economic development,” she added.

Speaker Mukabalisa speaking with Professor Daniel Stattin, head of the University of Rwanda--Uppsala University PhD program.

The Speaker and her delegation are in Sweden at the invitation of the Swedish parliament. Earlier in the day, they met with the leadership of the Nordic Africa Institute—one of Europe’s leading institutions in Europe dedicated to research on Africa.

There are 68 Rwandan PhD scholars currently pursuing studies at various Swedish Universities as part of the Sweden-University of Rwanda cooperation programme. The programme is the largest bilateral cooperation agreement at the University of Rwanda.

Founded in 1477, Uppsala University is located some 60km north of Stockholm.