Roundup: New higher education project for refugees in Rwanda met with optimism

Congolese refugee students in Rwanda and officials have welcomed the free tertiary education program launched in the country to provide world class education as humanitarian response to the migrant crisis builds momentum.

The first program of its kind, linking refugees in camps with access to world-class university education through a blended-learning program was launched on Friday at Kiziba refugee camp in western Rwanda.

Rwanda's Minister of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs, Serafine Mukantabana alongside, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Kepler launched the new project.

The program is supported by the IKEA Foundation.

"On behalf of the Government of Rwanda, I commend this initiative by Kepler to provide a solution for the challenge of higher education for refugees," Minister Mukantabana said at the launch.

The program is part of efforts to keep higher education opportunities available, seen as crucial to producing skilled workers necessary in rebuilding countries after conflict.

Kepler University program for refugee students started with an initial intake of 25 refugees for 2015 intakes and a further 25 in the subsequent years 2016 and 2017.

It includes a 6-month bridge training prior to the start of studies concentrating on language and academic skills.

Students will be awarded a US accredited university degree from the Southern New Hampshire University.

One of the pioneer students Hyacinthe Kazege said despite the trying circumstances they still need learning.

"This will make a critical contribution to our lives. I wish the program would be expanded to benefit more refugee students," Kazege 23, said.

He came to Rwanda when he was 4 years.

Chris Hedrick, the Kepler's chief executive officer, said the program will help the refugees to improve academically but also help them to prepare for life out of the camp.

He noted that all refugee children should have the right to a quality education and be offered opportunity to access higher education when desired.

"We're proud to be invited to open a Kepler campus in the Kiziba Camp. Together with our partners we aim both to support these incredibly high potential students to improve academically, and also to develop a model that can be useful in refugee camps around the world."

Per Heggenes, CEO of the IKEA Foundation, a Netherlands based philanthropic group was also in the country for the launch.

"We believe that all refugee children should have the right to a quality education and ideally also the opportunity to access higher education when desired," said Heggenes.

UNHCR Rwanda Representative, Saber Azam urged refugee students to take advantage of the chance granted to them to turn their dreams into reality.

This is the first ever university to open program in a refugee camp worldwide, according to Azam.

"It is an occasion for you to exploit your potentials that have been inhibited by the situation you are living in. If you believe that you need to have a bright future, use this chance to shape it from now," he said.

Mukantabana reaffirmed her government's wish for refugees in the country to have access to all levels of formal education and vocational skills training.

Rwanda today hosts over 150,000 refugees, mostly from the Democratic Republic of Congo and more recently from Burundi, living in six refugee camps across the small east African country.

The primary and secondary schools in Kiziba Camp have demonstrated high quality of learning achievements throughout the past years, which is what led to the camp's selection for the first Kepler University Program for refugees, according to the UN refugee agency. Endit