The government has announced that it’s offering up to one hundred ICT scholarships to students from eleven regional countries. The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) scholarships offer is open to undergraduate students from eleven Eastern and Central African countries. The Minister for Science, Technology, Scientific Research and ICT in the President’s Office, Prof. Romain Murenzi, said yesterday that the scheme is open for best qualified foreign students to apply. “We are ready to receive applications from interested undergraduate students with ICT academic background from the Eastern and Central African countries,” he said. The students whose applications are successfully considered will study in Rwanda’s institutions that offer ICT courses. Asked about the budget allocated to the scheme, Murenzi said that it will be set based on the number of successful applicants to be taken up in Rwandan institutions. Apart from emphasising Rwanda’s image as an ICT hub, the scheme is meant to standardise the country’s ICT programme in the region. Prof. Murenzi explained: “The overall aim of this scheme is to build a strong information and communication technology programme in the country and beyond.” “Our ICT regional scholarship scheme will enable us to create a regional and international impressive name in the ICT enhancement,” he added. The development comes after last January’s unanimous decision at African Heads of State Summit in Ethiopia to enhance science and technology studies. Under the theme, ‘Science and Technology, with the goal of stimulating African development’, the African Heads of State announced numerous scholarship schemes to increase the number of scientists on the continent. Among the scholarships announced at the summit were Rwanda ICT Scholarships, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere African Union Scholarship Scheme, among others.Ends
