New partnership to enhance research at NUR

HUYE – A new partnership seeking to improve research training has been launched at the National University of Rwanda (NUR). The partnership dubbed the Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA), was launched on Thursday by Professor Martin O’Hara, the University’s vice Rector in charge of academics. CARTA brings together 10 academic and four research institutions from various African countries. The initiative is intended to foster the development of vibrant and viable research hubs at African universities through the provision of a collaborative doctoral training programmes in public and population health. Speaking at the launch, Professor O’Hara said that the development will reduce on the practice of sending members of academic staff abroad for training. “We are still sending far too many of our colleagues away to other countries for training; it is time that this kind of activity came home. I think the CARTA consortium is a very well thought through strategy to help achieve that goal,” said O’Hara. O’Hara said that through CARTA, the NUR will consolidate its various postgraduate provisions. The University has over 20 Master’s and Postgraduate programmes and is in the early stages of offering its own PhD programmes. The CARTA launch was organised in collaboration with the African Population and Health Research Centre (APHRC) which is based in Kenya. According to the centre’s Executive Director, Dr Alex Ezeh, the future development of Africa rests with Africans and universities can play a critical role in that process. “This is an opportunity that the foundation is trying to invest in, we are putting money there for Africans to come, define and drive a research agenda that can address specific development challenges that Africa is facing,” he said. Also speaking at the launch was Dr Agnes Tibanyurwa, the assistant representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). She added that the UN has capacity development and evidence based policy making capabilities as a basic strategy. Ends