Education anchored in faith and strong moral values is key to building sustainable learning institutions, officials said on January 11, as International Covenant College (ICC) was officially inaugurated during a Thanksgiving service in Kicukiro District.

Established by Glory Bible Missions in Africa (GBMA), ICC seeks to provide quality higher education grounded in Christian values while aligning its programmes with Rwanda’s national development priorities.

The inauguration brought together school administrators, faculty, students, and parents, alongside education and development partners. Also in attendance was the Ambassador of the Republic of South Korea to Rwanda, Woo-Jin Jeong, and his delegation.

Located in Gahanga Sector, Karembure Cell, ICC is guided by principles of academic excellence, moral integrity, and service. The college has admitted its first cohort of 65 students, all on full tuition scholarships. Students will be responsible for other expenses like living expenses and insurance among others. School officials said applications remain open, with English proficiency as the primary admission requirement.

GBMA Legal Representative Deborah Kim Hayoung said education has been at the core of the organisation’s mission during its more than 10 years of operation in Rwanda, spanning early childhood to tertiary education.

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"We started with early childhood and pre-primary education, and it took time to reach this milestone of establishing a college,” Hayoung said.

"With the guidance of the Higher Education Council and support from local authorities, we were able to design programmes that respond to Rwanda’s specific needs.”

ICC currently offers Advanced Diploma (A1) programmes in Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Digital Media Technology (DMT). Hayoung said the programmes were deliberately selected to address national priorities, including child development and the growing role of technology in economic transformation.

She added that English proficiency was prioritised to support instruction by visiting professors from different parts of the world.

"While we are starting with A1 programmes, our vision is to expand to bachelor’s degrees,” she said, noting ICC leadership plans to engage in talks with the Higher Education Council and partners about expanding to a four-year degree in the future, especially in Early Childhood Development.

Ambassador Jeong congratulated ICC leadership on securing accreditation and successfully launching the institution, while thanking the Government of Rwanda for its support.

"This is like welcoming a newborn with great potential,” he said, adding that the college could make a meaningful contribution to Rwanda’s development journey.

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Speaking on the institution’s infrastructure, Dr Garry Friesen, Head Librarian at ABC (Oral Bible Reading Groups), said ICC is working to establish one of the largest academic libraries in the region.

"During a recent trip to the United States, we acquired a complete library collection,” Friesen said.

"An additional 100,000 books are expected to arrive by February, which will significantly strengthen students’ access to research resources.”

Representing the Director General of the Higher Education Council (HEC), Eng Theodore Dusabimana, Head of Polytechnics Quality Standards, described the inauguration as a milestone in Rwanda’s human capital development.

"This marks not only the launch of new academic programmes but also a meaningful investment in shaping Rwanda’s future workforce,” he said.

He noted that the Diploma in Digital Media Technology responds to a rapidly evolving global environment where digital communication and content creation increasingly influence governance, business, and public opinion.

"The programme will equip students with practical skills in content creation, graphic design, media production and digital storytelling, which are critical for employment, entrepreneurship and economic empowerment,” Dusabimana said.

On Early Childhood Development, he emphasised that investing in early learning is foundational to national progress.

"This programme will produce compassionate and skilled professionals who will nurture children holistically, support families and communities, and promote child protection and wellbeing,” he added.

Dusabimana urged ICC leadership to maintain high academic standards, promote research and innovation, adopt competency-based learning, and strengthen industry partnerships.

Students from the first intake welcomed the faith-based approach. Fionah Mukashyaka, enrolled in the Early Childhood Development programme, said she chose ICC because of its strong Christian foundation.

"I wanted an environment grounded in Scripture, but also one that offers quality education inspired by strong systems like South Korea’s,” she said, adding that the campus’s calm and green setting provides an ideal learning environment.

Annual tuition fees at ICC are set at Rwf630,000 for the Digital Media Technology programme and Rwf540,000 for Early Childhood Development.