Why we should focus on education tourism

Editor, RE:“Public varsities to get more autonomy under new law” (The New Times, January 2). The education sector is always crucial to any country. It is important, therefore, that the healthy growth of this sector is encouraged by the Government. The article has highlighted many interesting facts and features of the new law recently enacted governing institutions of higher learning. The New Times has also recently featured an article on how tourism helped Kenya in reducing the trade deficit. Rwanda, too, faces a huge trade deficit, with imports being far in excess of exports. Education tourism is one segment which can contribute towards reducing this trade deficit. However, as Prof. Rwigamba Balinda, founder and president of Kigali Independent University remarked, “too much bureaucracy is always bad for good delivery of education services”. The country offers international students a clean, safe and secure environment and it is important for the concerned authorities to encourage and facilitate foreign investors to establish institutions of higher learning. Bureaucracy, which is hampering the growth of education tourism, should be drastically reduced so that once an investor has established a facility which complies with the requirements of the Higher Education Council; necessary licensing procedures should be completed within a reasonable time frame. Thus, students not only from Rwanda but even from other EAC countries and beyond will make Rwanda a much sought after destination for higher learning. Clarence Fernandes

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Why we should focus on education tourism