Wibena Business Institute (WBI) has entered a partnership with the University of Lay Adventists of Kigali” (UNILAK) to establish an English language centre (Lab) which is expected to facilitate staff and students acquire advanced skills in English. The official launch of the lab took place on January 30, at UNILAK headquarters in Kigali. Speaking to The New Times, Wycliffe Odhiambo Aganda, the Founder and WBI Board Chairman said that, as one of the leading language centers in Rwanda, they started a six-month partnership with UNILAK to help them improve their English language skills. Aganda pointed out that the partnership has various elements including helping the university to set up the language laboratory, training language instructors as well as a demo teaching which will be used for their students as well as their staff among others. He added that Rwanda is being home to different people including the experts, and English is primarily needed. Commenting on their expected outcomes he said that they expect the instructors to use the system given effectively to enhance the delivery method to the students properly so that it will be user-friendly to them. Furthermore, he pointed out that apart from helping them to be able to articulate the language properly, they also expect the connection at the end of the project among others. Emmanuel Hakizimana, the deputy vice-chancellor in charge of academics and research at UNILAK, said that the lab will add additional skills and serve as an element to the usual English course based on the curriculum. In addition, he commended WBI for partnering with them through this journey which will be a game changer in the English language in general. Hakizimana further said that as an educational institution based on the background of the educational system the country majority of Rwandans grew up in Kinyarwanda and the French system until the time the system changed to English in 2009 and the lab will support those still struggling with the use of English. He said that so far the varsity has around 600 international students from 15 countries and some come from French-speaking countries. Furthermore, he said it will also be used in capacity building for the staff so that they can also increase their English use and proficiency saying that most of them have grown up in the French use system. Speaking on the timeline of the project he said that they are assuming that within six months the instructors will be well trained and will be able and ready to provide quality service. He however added that there will be an assessment to see if the agreement can be extended where it will be necessary. WBI, which was established in 2014, is a premier executive training, research, and consultancy established to provide high-quality executive management training, translation and interpretation services, digital and language literacy, and consultancy services to the Public, NGOs, and Private sectors in Rwanda. Twitter: @wbibusiness LinkedIn: Wibena Business institute Instagram: @wbibusiness Website: www.wbi.business
