The U.S embassy in Kigali and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Monday, November 23 launched the University Partnerships and Exchange (UPEX) Rwanda Program, an initiative that aims to enhance collaboration in higher learning education between the two countries. The deal is an innovative fellowship that will among others provide mid-career administrators in local Universities with a year of enrichment and practical training on university advancement and international partnerships. Commenting about the development, U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda Peter H. Vrooman noted; “We are proud to support efforts to expand the connections between colleges and universities in Rwanda and the United States.” “We see this as an important investment in education, helping to position American and Rwandan institutions to take full advantage of all of the opportunities that come with international partnerships in higher education,” he added. The initiative also supports higher education links that expose African students, faculty and administrators to the diversity and innovation on American campuses. Josh Davies, associate vice chancellor for global affairs at the institution explained that the move is also expected to boost international partnership capacity between Rwanda and the U.S. “The University of Nebraska is thrilled to partner with the U.S. Embassy in Kigali and Rwandan universities on this exciting initiative,” “The UPEX-Rwanda program is particularly innovative as we leverage our strengths in virtual exchange to engage with new institutional partners and help develop their international partnership capacity.” Beginning January, the year-long fellowship will be conducted virtually by the University’s Office of Global Strategies. Each month, the cohort will participate in workshops led by content experts in international partnership management from across the United States and Rwanda. According to the agenda, key concepts that will be covered in the program include the internationalization of higher education, strategic partnership management, grant writing and project implementation. At the conclusion of the program, the cohort will also present an international partnership proposal and organize a symposium on university partnership The University of Nebraska has in the past partnered with different African countries including Rwanda in various projects. At least more than 200 Rwandan students have secured full scholarships through the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR), a programme through which selected students to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in Integrated Science. The institution has also previously hosted multiple leadership institutes for the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders across the continent among others.
