Coventry University Group, a globally renowned higher learning institution appointed, last week, Professor Silas Lwakabamba as the chair of its recently launched Africa hub based in Rwanda. The 74-year-old former minister sets his base back in the education space three years after he had retired from the field. In an exclusive interview with the New Times’ Edwin Ashimwe, the veteran academician sheds more light on what Rwandans can reap from the Coventry University Group, as well as his way back to the learning and teaching profession. Excerpts: To start with, congratulations on the accolade. But in brief, who is Prof Lwakabamba? I was born in Bukoba by the side of Lake Victoria, northwest of Tanzania in a nomadic family owning cattle. My father had died three months before I was born. Being the only boy in the family, my relatives insisted I shouldn’t go to school but look after the cattle. However, my mother thought otherwise and sent me to my uncle for me to go to school. Of course, this changed my life and I am ever grateful to my mother’s strong will. To cut the long story short, I completed my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Leeds in 1975. In 1997, I was asked by the Government of Rwanda to start the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in 1997, before I was appointed as rector for the National University of Rwanda, in 2006. I have also previously served as the Minister of Infrastructure and later Minister of Education. Thereafter I joined the private sector university institutions of University of Kibungo, followed by the proposed UNICAF University in Rwanda and now Coventry University from the UK. In total, I have been in the education space for 50 years. A few days ago, you were appointed to lead Coventry University Group’s new Africa Hub established in Rwanda. For someone that has, long been, familiar with the education system, what opportunities does this present to the local Universities? Through the Africa Hub, we’re bringing our wealth of experience in teaching and learning, student mobility, research and enterprise development, and building successful multi-disciplinary partnerships globally, to Africa. We are seeking to work with other academic institutions that are innovative, enterprising and entrepreneurial, who share our ambitious international agenda and the same desire to deliver excellence in education. Is there any proposed roadmap on how you are going to engage the higher learning institutions in the country? My professional life has been invested predominantly in the education sector across several countries in Africa, which has allowed me to develop the kind of connections and links necessary to drive collaborations with local partners to enhance academic delivery, policy, development, research, enterprise, and alumni opportunities within the region. Two weeks in this office, with operations slated to kick-off, what are some of your expectations from this institution? Consider the hub as Coventry University Group’s embassy in Africa; the first order of business is to build new relationships and strengthen established ones, with government bodies, research institutes, universities and private sector entities. We will actively promote access to the university group’s research, globalisation, enterprise and innovation work across the continent. Another of the hub’s objectives is to connect with our alumni, whom we offer access to an exclusive range of benefits, services, networking opportunities and discounts designed to help them make the most of life after university. How do you see this development benefiting other sectors besides the education scope? The Africa Hub is an effective vehicle for knowledge transfer to local partners and enterprises. We have done exceptionally well in knowledge exchange activities to drive the fusion of academia and industry. This involves transferring research results and skills to businesses, enabling new products, services, and processes to be developed. In Rwanda, the hub is an expression of the UK government’s targeted plan of action to increase trade and investment flows between the UK and Rwanda and will accelerate progress in human capital development. Talking about Rwanda, more recently higher learning institutions have not been generating sufficient income and in the end strive to operate just to survive. While this curtails the quality of education offered what should be done to curb this? Generating income is a consulting effort between the University leadership, staff and governing bodies. The University leader has to take a lead based on his/her know-how and experience, and he/she should involve the staff who also have the experience and know-how to generate ideas for income generation. The income can be generated internally or from outside the university. This may include providing training programs, consultancy services and paid research. Such activities have of course to be approved by the governing bodies. In short, the University leader should be able to act swiftly to the ever-changing higher education environment and should work hand in hand with all the staff and his/her governing bodies to be able to face the challenges of generating income for the institution. You have seen Rwanda’s education sector evolve over the years. What are some of the challenges holding it back, especially for the higher learning institutions? Challenges are many but the following are critical for higher education: Funding, quality of learning and teaching, quality of research, institutional contribution to the national economy, curriculum design/alignment to the labor market and student employability among others Departing words The Africa Hub responds to the growth opportunity we have identified on the continent. Africa has a growing population largely composed of young people and economies that are among the fastest-growing in the world. We are committed to helping provide the quality education that Africa needs and are creating a global reputation as one of the world’s leading education providers. Apart from being a leading recruiter of international students, increasingly, through over 70 partnerships and also directly on own campuses and branches outside the UK, we are delivering education internationally.
