Rwanda is set to open a fashion design and merchandising school in Kigali before the end of 2025.

State Minister for Education, Claudette Irere, signed a letter of intent with Kent State University on January 22 during her visit to Ohio, United States, aiming for the partnership to establish the school.

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The collaboration marks a significant step in Rwanda’s vision of building a knowledge-based economy.

According to the Ministry of Education (MINEDUC), the school will provide young Rwandans with global expertise and industry-relevant skills, positioning them to competing at international fashion markets.

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The ministry said bringing the fashion school to life aligns with the government’s strategy to enhance education, research, and capacity-building through global partnerships besides investing in the creative economy which fosters job creation, innovation, and economic diversification.

Affordability of the school

During her visit, Minister Irere secured a tuition agreement with Kent State University, significantly reducing costs for Rwandan students.

Under the Preferred Partner Tuition Rate, she said, Rwandan students—both those on government scholarships and private students nominated by the Ministry of Education—will benefit from a 97 per cent reduction in the Non-Ohio Resident Surcharge (out-of-state surcharge).

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According to MINEDUC, the standard Non-Ohio Resident tuition for undergraduate students is $11,451.70 (approximately Rwf16 million) per semester, while Rwandan students will now pay $6,674.55 (approximately Rwf9.4 million) per semester.

"For graduate students, the standard Non-Ohio Resident tuition is $9,976.86 (approximately Rwf14 million) per semester, while Rwandan students will now pay $5,491.74 (approximately Rwf7.7 million) per semester,” an official at MINEDUC said.

Students interested in venturing into the fashion industry will have to attend a four-year degree program at the school aimed at strengthening Rwanda’s creative industry.

Industry players upbeat

Establishing a fashion school is long overdue, according to Franco Kabano, one of the longest-serving players in the industry.

"We have been requesting for a fashion school for a long time and I think it is good news that the government is going to establish one through existing partnerships. I think it is coming in the right time,” Kabano said.

Kabano said that a number of Rwandan designers have missed out on opportunities to work with global fashion brands "because they don’t have academic documents supporting their expertise in fashion. We hope that, by setting up the fashion school, so many opportunities are coming back to their tables for grabs.”

"No matter how talented our designers may do, they are still called amateurs, and that really hurt because they didn’t have an opportunity to study fashion. We hope this school will help the country produce so many professionals in the fashion industry and this will get the Rwandan fashion sector booming,” he added.

The new fashion school is part of the existing partnership between Kent State University and the government of Rwanda which will launch two degree programs in various fields, with students studying in Rwanda and the USA.