Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (Kist) has embarked on a campaign to bridge capacity gap in creative design, a field that remains ignored in the education system. 

This year, the institute will graduate 20 pioneers in the creative design field and these are expected to work on projects oriented into multi-media, interior design and graphics among others. 

The Kist Faculty of Architecture and Environmental Design has organised a public awareness campaign exhibition where various projects undertaken by students in the creative design field are being showcased. 

The exhibition aims at raising awareness on the role of art and design in the country’s growth, while also exposing the artists to the job market. 

Emma Mugenzi, a final year student of Communication Design and also one of the exhibitors, developed a booklet, an animated video and a web site, all aimed at enhancing reading, especially for children in nursery schools. 

"If nursery teachers adopted teaching tools like the ones I developed, the pupils will be more interested and attracted to reading,” Mugenzi said. 

Commendable

Also at the exhibition was Olivier Shyaka, a second year student. His are products out of recycled materials such as cloth, wood and paper, among others. 

He proudly said: "We are taking with us to the market, talent and knowledge. Most of the people doing this job have the talent but not the professionalism.” 

Speaking to this paper on Tuesday at the exhibition hall, Jerôme Gasana, the director-general of Workforce Development Authority, urged students not to just stop dump their projects after passing their examination but rather develop, implement and sustain them. 

"I am impressed by these projects. Like research, if more innovations and art-related activities are implemented, the sky is the limit for the country,” Gasana said. 

Arthur Joash, the head of the Department of Creative Design, said: "There is a skills gap in this field and government has been spending a lot of money hiring designers from abroad. It is good that our policymakers realised the need to locally train these designers to fill the gap.” 

He suggests that the Ministry of Education should incorporate art in the school curricula at a lower level, since it is part of crucial requirements for science studies.