Prof. Etienne Ntagwirumugara, a senatorial candidate in the forthcoming polls, has pledged to promote ICT in public universities and other institutions of higher learning.

Ntagwirumugara is among the five contestants vying to represent public institutions of higher learning in the race to the Senate.

In an interview with The New Times, Ntagwirumugara, a computer engineering lecturer at Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), said that lack of adequate access to internet in institutions of higher learning inspired him to run for the seat.

"If elected, I will lobby for the use of broadband connectivity in all public universities, which will provide a reliable internet,” he said.

This, the don said, would in turn enable lecturers to access digital libraries and link them with other academics from the region and beyond.

Ntagwirumugara, who is also the Coordinator of Rwanda Education and Research Network, said that he would also promote gender balance in public universities and other institutions of higher learning in the country.

He further pointed out that he would encourage girls to join vocational schools and pursue science courses like ICT, saying that this would enable them to compete with boys in terms of job opportunities after completing studies.

Ntagwirumugara, 43, a father of three, holds a PhD in Electronics, specialising in Telecommunication which he obtained in 2007 from University of Valenciennes in France.

He has worked as the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at KIST in 2009, and in 2008, was the Director of Centre for Innovation and Technology Transfer (CITT) and was also headed of the Department of Electrical and Electronics engineering at KIST.

Ends