Thirty-five Rwandan students graduated with Master’s degrees from Oklahoma Christian University in Kigali on Saturday, May 24. Among them were graduates in Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Project Management and Master of Science in Engineering. John Osborne, a professor and Director of International Programs at Oklahoma Christian University, encouraged graduates to apply their education towards making a positive impact in their communities. “Our goal is to educate, mentor, and inspire learners, not only to make a living but to serve and uplift your communities,” Osborne said. He noted that the university’s partnership with Rwanda dates back to 2006, when the Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program was launched. This initiative, created by President Paul Kagame and Oklahoma Christian’s former president Mike O’Neal, originally offered scholarships to 10 Rwandan undergraduates each year to study in the United States in fields like engineering and business. “As successful as that programme was, we wanted to serve more Rwandans. In 2012, we expanded to include graduate students studying right here in Kigali. Since then, the partnership has grown and flourished.” Osborne explained a recent collaboration with I&M Bank to develop funding mechanisms that will help more Rwandan students access higher education. “This was a first-of-its-kind programme in Rwanda,” he said. “Among the graduates was the university’s only Master of Science in Engineering student for the year, showing the programme’s expanding reach beyond business studies. Oklahoma Christian University plans to launch a U.S-accredited undergraduate degree in Business Leadership and Technology in Rwanda next year, aiming to prepare students for the global marketplace,” Osborne explained. In 2026, the university will mark 20 years of partnership with Rwanda, with a special celebration planned in Kigali. Anitha Ingabe, a leader in digital transformation and an alumna of Oklahoma Christian University, shared her journey to inspire the new graduates. “Ten years ago, I was sitting where you are now. Graduating with an MBA in 2015 felt like the start of a bright future, but I was yet see how everything would unfold.” Ingabe recalled an internship she had while a student, where she helped put courses online, a project that later became the foundation of the university’s MBA programme in Rwanda. “I was putting courses online as a student worker because I needed money, but I had no idea then that those courses would become the MBA programme you’re taking today,” she said. After working in technology for two years, Ingabe returned to Rwanda and was hired to oversee the university’s operations locally. “That role awakened a passion in me to use my tech skills to improve education,” she said. Over the past seven years, Ingabe has seen how education at Oklahoma Christian University has transformed students’ lives. “I remember meeting students working late into the night on assignments. You made it through. Now I ask you: What will you do with this degree? Will it just be absorbed by life, or will you use it to create real value? This degree is a bridge to greater things,” she said. Jeff Simmons, the Dean of the College of Business at Oklahoma Christian University, acknowledged the graduates’ dedication and achievement. “These students have studied hard over the past year or more, often alongside classmates from around the world. The MBA programme in Rwanda has produced more than 600 alumni, many of whom have gone on to make a difference in their communities,” Simmons said. Our Rwandan students are among the best we have. In fact, some of today’s graduates have outperformed many of their peers worldwide on a business knowledge assessment. We are very proud of their achievements, he added. During the ceremony, five top graduates were inducted into Delta Mu Delta, an international honour society that recognises excellence in business education.
