The Head of ICT at Rwanda Development Board (RDB), Patrick Nyirishema, has said that the establishment of a Carnegie Mellon University campus in Rwanda is a big boost to the development of ICT in the country.

In an interview with The New Times, he said that the introduction of the campus that will focus on ICT courses is a very exciting development.

"The particular engagement we have with the university is focused on ICT although it is a fully fledged institution with many other disciplines back in the USA,” he said.

Carnegie Mellon, a top US varsity, will establish and operate an academic programme in Kigali, initially offering a Master of Science in ICT programme, starting from next year.

With a history of excellence in higher education and as a global leader in technological innovation, Carnegie Mellon is the first U.S research institution offering degrees in Africa with an in-country presence.

Nyirishima pointed out that the whole vision is to bring in a world class type of a university to fast track the process of scaling up the standard of ICT education in the country.

"It will help us in achieving the vision President Paul Kagame has set of making Rwanda an ICT hub in the region,” he said.

He asserted that the institution will bring in a very high level of expertise in some of the priority areas within the ICT sector which will contribute towards making Rwanda an investment destination for big international companies.

While the new Carnegie Mellon Rwanda programme is open to students worldwide, the programme will primarily target students from the East African Community with preference given to Rwandan citizens.

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