The School of Law, University of Rwanda, is considering revising its programmes to improve quality of learning. This was announced during the second interface workshop between the School of Law and stakeholders in the legal sector from various institutions such as Ministry of Justice, law firms, other higher learning institutions, private sector, and researchers, among others. The workshop explored ways to enhance law education in Rwanda, how to promote legal research and the dissemination of research findings. Dr Etienne Ruvebana, the dean of School of Law, said the school will revise its programme to improve quality. “According to feedback from different people in the legal sector, we have the required quality. But no matter how good you are performing, there is always room for improvement. Are all subjects needed? Are there subjects we need to add? We will have a review in collaboration with our stakeholders to strengthen where it is necessary and bridge some gaps,” he said. Ruvebana explained that it had been realised that some students have difficulty fitting in work because they have limited knowledge to implement theory. Our partners will help us to marry theory and practice, the dean said. Julien Kavaruganda, the president of Rwanda Bar Association, said law graduates need pract-ice to know what to do in the field which is different from what they read in books. “They are required to spend another year in the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) which issues diploma in legal practice. If the University of Rwanda reinforces quality, we can propose a law in parliament to change that, so that students can start to work as soon as they graduate,” he said. MP Agnes Mukazibera said there is need for specialisation of lawyers. “We need specialists in law who can deal with trending issues such as environment, technology, terrorism, among others,” Mukazibera said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
