Over 200 Sudanese will be arriving in Rwanda soon to continue with their medical studies following an uprising in their country. The students will be enrolled at the University of Rwanda (UR) - School of Medicine and Health Sciences. They are from the University of Medical Sciences and Technology (UMST) of Khartoum, Sudan.
The group has been stranded and unable to complete their studies owing to the current security crisis in the country.
The development was confirmed on Tuesday, August 1 by the UR Vice Chancellor Didace Kayihura Muganga, while appearing before the national broadcaster.
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The ongoing civil war in Sudan has caused colleges to close down, denying students an opportunity to continue with their regular study schedule.
According to Kayihura, the majority of the students were in their final year, which requires practical training, particularly in the fields of general medicine and dentistry.
"We have been in talks even before the current crisis, but now the rebels took over the University of Sciences and Technology and transformed it into military barracks, the classes were put to a halt leaving students scattered, and given the priority we have always taken, when the management approached us we decided to find a way of accommodating them,” he said.
The college’s current capacity is likely unable to accommodate all students from the affected University, but Kayihura said, "We agreed to have those who are doing general medicine, especially in their clinical trainings, and part of them into the dentistry department. For those in general medicine, they will doing their clinical rotation while those in dentistry will be doing their clinical training.”
The Vice-Chancellor pointed out that the students will be trained until peace returns to Sudan, assuring students that the management and lecturers will cooperate in providing them with proper training throughout the time that they will be studying at the facility.
"We are also in talks to sign an agreement that would see both students and staff exchange programs initiated between both institutions. The University and Sudan in general are advanced in Medicine studies and that provides an opportunity for us as a University.”
"Today, we are extending a hand of relief due to the instability and the crisis in the country but even once peace is restored we are looking at collaborating in a sustainable manner.”
Of the 200 students, 133 are Sudanese, and others are from Nigeria, France, Canada, USA, India, Jordan and Ireland, according to information shared with The New Times.
This is not the first time Rwanda is offering to war-stricken students.
When the Taliban took control in August 2021, a group of girls studying at the School of Leadership Afghanistan, or SOLA, an all-girls boarding school in the capital, Kabul, had to flee the country, not only for their right to education but to save their lives.
As they sought refuge, Rwanda opened her arms wide, where they have been staying in the country and are continuing to study.
Back home, the Taliban has closed girls' schools beyond 6th grade and, just recently, barred women from universities.