Korea builds US$ 5m ICT facility at NUR

SOUTHERN PROVINCE HUYE—Education Minister, Dr. Daphrose Gahakwa and the Korean Ambassador to Rwanda, resident in Tanzania, Kim Young Jun, last Friday laid the foundation stone at the construction site of a US$ 5m School of ICT at the National University of Rwanda (NUR). The construction will be funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). Speaking during the launch, Gahakwa hailed the cooperation between the two countries especially in the education and ICT sectors. She observed that the development of ICT is vital for Rwanda in achieving the Vision 2020. “This project is a contribution to the ICT industry development, ICT education and research capacity building in Rwanda,” she said. The Minister revealed that through KOICA, the Government of the Republic of Korea has promised continued support in the development of ICT training capacity at NUR by transferring Korea’s experience and knowledge through staff transfer, student exchange and the provision of on –site technical expertise. Gahakwa also disclosed that experts from the Korea University of Technology and Education sector will assist NUR in initiating and developing new undergraduate and graduate ICT degree programmes. Ambassador Kim Young Jun, noted that the school will strengthen the capacity of ICT education at the university.Noting that there is still limited knowledge of the benefits of ICT, he said “the digital divide widens the gap in development.” The Rector Prof. Silas Lwakabamba, pointed out that the construction of the school comes at an opportune time when the country is laying optic fibre networks nation-wide, and said that the university will take advantage of the resulting improved connectivity at the School. The ground breaking ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Rosemary Museminali. Recently the Governments of Rwanda and South Korea signed an agreement for the Promotion and Protection of Investors on both sides, in a bid to support investment in the two countries. The pact which contains legal and policy frameworks is a formal understanding between the two countries to promote and protect investors from either country while carrying out their investments. Museminali commended the South Korean Government for the contribution towards the construction of the ultra-modern ICT training centre expected to train professional ICT graduates at the National University. According to Museminali, S. Korea contributed $4m while the Government of Rwanda will contribute $1m. “This centre will help us to develop ICT in the country inline with Vision 2020; by churning out ICT professionals who will in turn pass on the skills to many other people.” She said that this will also help in reducing the digital divide that exists between Rwandans and developed countries. Ends