Sixty Rwandan students have been awarded prestigious Türkiye Scholarships this year, with 15 of them pursuing master’s degrees in fields such as medicine, pharmacy, agriculture, engineering, and the arts.
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Turkish Ambassador to Rwanda Aslan Alper Yüksel announced, on Sunday, August 23, that the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB) has tripled the number of scholarships granted to Rwandan students over the past two years, especially following the meeting between President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and President Paul Kagame on January 23, in Ankara.
"This significant increase reflects Türkiye’s commitment to supporting the Rwandan government’s capacity-building efforts and strengthening the rapidly growing bilateral ties across various sectors,” he stated.
Ambassador Yüksel expressed his satisfaction with the rising number of applications, facilitated by the Higher Education Council (HEC) of Rwanda.
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He also noted growing awareness among young Rwandans about opportunities in Türkiye.
"These students will not only contribute to Rwanda’s socio-economic development but also serve as a bridge of friendship between our two nations in the future,” he added.
Selection process and criteria
According to the Embassy, the Türkiye Scholarships apply the same academic criteria for all international applicants. For undergraduate candidates, a minimum academic achievement of 70% is required, 75% for graduate candidates, and 90% for those in health sciences such as medicine, dentistry, and pharmacy.
Age limits also apply: under 21 years for undergrad applicants, under 30 for master’s degrees, under 35 for PhD, and under 50 for research scholarships.
The evaluation process includes preliminary assessment, expert evaluation, tests, interviews, and a final review. Strong performance during interviews with the academic selection team is considered crucial.
In Rwanda, the most recent selection exercise was conducted between April 21–25, at the Gikondo Campus of the University of Rwanda.
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Support beyond graduation
The Türkiye Scholarships also extend support beyond academics. Some programs include compulsory internships facilitated by universities, while YTB organizes additional internship and expertise programs for international students.
Graduates are encouraged to join alumni networks, which provide job placement support and regularly post opportunities. Alumni associations are also supported by Türkiye Bursları to strengthen professional and social ties.
On the long-term role of scholarship alumni, the Embassy emphasised their contribution to both Rwanda’s development and bilateral relations.
"Rwandan alumni act as cultural ambassadors of Türkiye in Rwanda and help strengthen ties,” an official at the Embassy told The New Times. "In addition to their contribution to the development of Rwanda, they contribute to socio-economic interaction between the two countries in many fields, including trade, commerce, academia, and diplomacy.”