Harvard students impressed by country’s vision, recovery

KIGALI - A delegation of 27 students from the Harvard Business School, who are in the country on a two-week study tour, have said that Rwanda’s reconstruction journey has offered impressive practical experience on how a country can successfully recover from the most horrendous experience. The team, led by Prof. Gary Schwartz, arrived in the country on January 2 and has been undertaking the Harvard Business School Immersion Experience Programme, which involves short-term, team-based consulting projects with local entrepreneurs, non-profit, and public sector organizations. Speaking after meeting President Paul Kagame, at Village Urugwiro, yesterday, Schwartz said that the students discussed a wide range of topics with the President, including issues related to the projects they have been engaged in. “The major purpose of the students’ visit was to come and work with six organizations in Rwanda. They were divided into consulting teams and worked on issues related to finance, supply chain raw materials, acquisition and marketing,” Schwartz said. “The most striking thing is how far the country seems to have come since the Genocide…while the President acknowledged that Rwanda is not yet done with its journey, the amount of progress is amazing and impressive”. Schwartz added that the group was also impressed by the vision of the country. “The other thing about Rwanda is the extent at which there seems to be a very clear vision of where the country wants to go, both socially and economically,” he said. “Rwanda has a strategy of better linkage between the financial sector and various kinds of initiatives that the government has decided to prioritize”. Mingshu Zhao, one of the students, noted that he was impressed by how the Rwandan people are very enthusiastic about their country and improving their lives, considering the dark past they had gone through. During their stay, the students, worked with various business oriented organizations including; Post-Harvest Handling & Storage Project, Nyungwe Nziza Project, Akazi Kanoze Project, Intego Africa, Karisimbi Business Partners and Rwanda Small Holder Specialty Coffee Company. Ends

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Harvard students impressed by country’s vision, recovery