Renowned educationist and linguist, Professor Geoffrey Rugege, has passed away, The New Times has learned. According to a family source, Rugege died on the morning of Tuesday, December 2, following an illness. He was widely recognised for his extensive contribution to the education sector, having served in several key leadership roles including Vice Chair and Deputy Legal Representative of the Kigali Collaborative Research Centre, as well as Vice Chancellor of the African Leadership University (ALU) Rwanda. He also served on the Board of Governors of University of Rwanda, the Advisory Council of Riviera High School, and was a member of the Rwanda Academy of Language and Culture. ALSO READ: Geoffrey Rugege installed as new president of Rotary Club Kigali Virunga A retired professor of linguistics, Rugege taught for 28 years in the United States, including at Grambling State University and Fayetteville State University. In Rwanda, he served as the Executive Director of the National Council for Higher Education (HEC). He was also in community service, where in July 2022, the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga inducted him as its 23rd president for the 2022–2023 year. ALSO READ: Function of debt financing in business Rugege held a Bachelor’s degree from Makerere University, and Master’s and PhD degrees from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His academic work focused on lexicography, and he contributed to various projects including an online dictionary of African languages. He authored and edited several publications, including a Kinyarwanda–English Dictionary.
