President Kagame visits Boston

President Paul Kagame yesterday began a two-day visit to Boston, US with a visit at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). The President started his visit with a tour of the Atmospheric Chemistry Lab at the Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, before holding a roundtable discussion with MIT faculty members in the fields of energy, management and development. Opening the conversation, MIT President Rafael Reif expressed solidarity with Rwanda during the current 20th commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. The discussion centered on ongoing and future opportunities for partnerships between MIT and Rwanda, including increasing the number of Rwandan students attending MIT, according to a statement from the Office of the President. Currently, the main joint projects with Rwanda include the Rwanda-MIT Climate Observatory Project and the iLab-Africa Project. The Rwanda-MIT Climate Observatory Project aims to collect high frequency atmospheric observation that will contribute to meteorological forecasting, monitor climatic conditions and collect data on gases emitted. Starting with one Rwandan student, Jimmy Gasore, already pursuing his doctoral degree in the field and more students operating the technology in Rwanda, the partnership will also focus on building scientific, engineering and educational capacity, according to the statement. “The project will also provide data that will enable Rwanda to measure its emission and better fulfil its commitment to environmentally sustainable development,” it added. The partnership with iLab Africa project provides students at University of Rwanda’s College of Science and Technology (former KIST) and College of Arts and Humanities (former NUR) the opportunity to perform real engineering and science experiment via the internet. Later in the day, President Kagame was scheduled to give a lecture at Tufts University, titled “20th Anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi: What did the world learn from Rwanda’s tragedy and recovery journey?”

National

President Kagame visits Boston