The Minister of Education, Thursday, challenged Universities and other institutions of higher learning to step up and engage in research that will facilitate the development and implementation of policies in the country.

As Rwanda embarks on various initiatives designed for development and improvement in the lives of the people, there is an increased demand for research, an ingredient for policy making

Currently, policy research is mainly carried out by specialized government institutions, including the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR) and the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR).

Yet in recent years there has been an increase in the number of universities and they have produced quite a number of intellectuals. Nevertheless, there are hardly any companies that have integrated research units within their departments. This only demonstrates the existence of the gap in the areas of research within both private and government institutions. 

Universities need to engage more in research, if they are to play their role in helping public and private institutions to formulate appropriate and informed policies.

Government has demonstrated commitment to increase the capacity of higher learning institutions, mainly through technical support.The institutions should in turn maximize their potential, by taking lead in the research required for the development.

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