The Higher Education Council (HEC) has called for a review of Rwanda’s education law to better align it with emerging developments in artificial intelligence (AI), online learning, and the growing internationalisation of higher education.

The appeal was made on Tuesday, June 9, when HEC officials appeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Education, Technology, Culture, Sports and Youth to assess the implementation of the 2021 law governing the organisation of education.

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Edward Kadozi, Director General of HEC, said the higher education landscape has evolved significantly, creating the need for legal frameworks that reflect current realities.

"There is a need for internationalisation due to the increasing attraction of international students and collaboration with universities abroad,” he said.

Kadozi noted that the current law does not adequately address emerging technologies and new learning models.

"When the law was enacted, technologies such as artificial intelligence and large-scale online learning had not developed to the level they have reached today,” he said.

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He stressed that education laws should remain responsive to changes in the sector.

"The law should not remain static but evolve with changing realities,” Kadozi said.

He also pointed to changing learning needs, including growing demand for blended and fully online programmes, saying the legal framework should adapt accordingly.

HEC has already encouraged universities to introduce online courses, with several institutions exploring virtual delivery of selected programmes.

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Implementation tools and gaps

Officials said several instruments are already guiding implementation of the law, including ministerial orders on education standards and qualification recognition, the Higher Education Sector Strategic Plan 2025–2030, and guidelines on virtual learning, artificial intelligence, distance education, and recognition of foreign qualifications.

Theoneste Ndikubwimana, Head of the General Higher Education Quality Standards Department at HEC, said implementation challenges persist despite the existence of these frameworks.

"In some cases, students were unable to graduate after institutions were found not to meet accreditation requirements despite having admitted them,” he said.

He identified several gaps affecting implementation of the law, including the lack of clear mechanisms for operationalising ministerial orders, the absence of a body responsible for overseeing the Rwanda Qualifications Framework (RQF), and the non-operational status of the HEC Board of Directors.

Private university accreditation

Theodore Dusabimana, Head of the Polytechnics Quality Standards Department at HEC, said Article 11 of Law No. 010/2021 outlines the procedures for establishing and operating private higher learning institutions.

He said HEC assesses compliance with legal, quality, and governance requirements before approving institutions to operate.

"Before a private higher learning institution is authorised to begin operations, we assess governance structures, academic programmes, staffing, infrastructure, financial capacity, and learning resources,” he said.

Only institutions that meet the requirements set out in the 2021 education law and relevant ministerial orders are granted accreditation.