The Kigali Independent University (ULK) chancellor has cautioned students against any kind of divisionism. Addressing close to 800 students who enrolled in the school this academic year, Senator Rwigamba Balinda, warned them on the zero tolerance for any person who will bring the divisive ideology at the campus.

"Here we don’t tolerate any student who will promote any divisionism based on backgrounds like Francophone or Anglophone… we are all Rwandan and we shall not stand any kind of segregation,” Balinda cautioned the students at the event that took place at the university’s stadium.

Reiterating that ULK’s culture is based on the philosophy of integrity and excellence, Balinda advised the students to keep away from the genocide ideology, saying that academic knowledge is not enough without integrity.

He gave an example of the masterminds of the 1994 genocide against Tutsi, whom he said were also educated but lacked these principles.

"The proprietors of RTLM (a hate radio used in genocide) were professors and qualified people with PhD’s…this means that knowledge alone is not enough. You need to have the values that are enshrined in the ULK philosophy,” Balinda stressed.

During the function that was graced by all heads of faculty and departments, the new entrants were advised to embrace the government’s decision of adopting English as the language of instruction.

ULK with effect from the Academic Year 2009 adopted English as the only language of instruction subsequent to a resolution by government last year that ordered all government affiliated schools and institutions of higher learning to teach in english.

The country’s biggest private university, ULK has so far awarded 5,802 Bachelor’s Degrees. 

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