President Paul Kagame on Tuesday appointed leaders for the University of Rwanda (UR), officially setting off the work of the newly established university.

A communiqué released by the Prime Minister’s Office announced that the Head of State appointed Dr Mike O’Neal, a seasoned former academic leader and former president of U.S.-based Oklahoma Christian University, to the post of Chancellor of the UR.

Other appointees in the university’s day-to-day management include veteran academics Emeritus Prof. James McWha, who was named Vice Chancellor, and Prof. Nelson Ijumba, who is the university’s Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Research Affairs.

Prudence Rubingisa was appointed UR’s Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of finance and administration.

Also appointed are leaders of six colleges that are affiliated to the UR which will incorporate specific similar study programmes in former public institutions of higher learning.

Appointed as Principals of the colleges include Dr. Papius Musafiri for the College of Business and Economics (to incorporate former School of Finance and Banking [SFB] and programmes in the same field based at other institutions), and Prof. George Njoroge for the College of Education (to incorporate the former Kigali Institute of Education [KIE] and programmes in the same field based at other institutions).

Dr. Laetitia Nyinawamwiza was named Principal for the College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Phillip Cotton for the College of Medicine and Health Sciences; Mrs. Usta Kayitesi for the College of Arts and Humanities, while Dr. Manasseh Mbonye was named Principal for the College of Science and Technology (apparently to incorporate the former Kigali Institute of Science and Technology [KIST] and programmes in the same field based at other institutions).

More details on this story will be in tomorrow’s issue of The New Times.