Dr. Samuel Sindayigaya calls upon higher learning institutes to enhance educational business collaboration

On Thursday, 22^nd September 2022, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of Academics and Research at INES-Ruhengeri, Dr. Samuel Sindayigaya requested Lecturers from different Higher learning institutes to keep on working together in order to have well-skilled graduates. “ Let us all together explore available opportunities in education so that we have well-skilled graduates”, Dr. Samuel Sindayigaya.

Dr. Samuel Sindayigaya (center), underlining the institutes’ collaboration (photo / Vedaste)

It was in his closing remarks of a two days’ workshop organized by INES- Ruhengeri with support from ACCESS Project. The African Centre for Career Enhancement and Skills Support (ACCESS) is an initiative between the University of Leipzig, Germany in cooperation with six African partner universities: INES Ruhengeri (Rwanda), IRGIB (Benin), MKU (Kenya), KNUST (Ghana), IBADAN (Nigeria), University of Tunis (Tunisia).

ACCESS investigates the increasing level of education in Africa while the chances in the labor market remain stagnant, and develops new teaching methods to increase the chances of employability for African students. In order to make this happen, ACCESS works together with companies, universities, and students to increase the opportunities for African students in the global labor market and connect them with companies that can benefit from their expertise.

This time, the workshop gathered together lecturers and staff in charge of Career Orientation program from Institut d'Enséignement Supérieur de Ruhengeri (INES-Ruhengeri), Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences (PIASS), Integrated Polytechnic Regional College (IPRC) Musanze, Integrated Polytechnic Regional College (IPRC) Ngoma, Kibogora Polytechnic, Institut Catholique de Kabgayi (ICK) and Officer in charge of technology in Musanze district.

Groups photo of the participants in the workshop (photo/ Vedaste)

During the workshop, it was noted that in their outreach programs, universities need to enhance their collaborations with external stakeholders.  “On one side, industries employ young and fresh graduates, they train them to become more knowledgeable and skillful in practice, they help academic institutions to know new technologies and products, etc. On the other side, universities put in place structures that support their students and staff in streamlining their programs”, Mrs. Hyacinthe Twishime, Dean of Students welfare and career guidance at INES-Ruhengeri said.

Furthermore, her colleague Engineer Leonidas Maniraho from PIASS said that given the importance of practice-oriented learning, effective collaboration between academia and the business community enhances the capacities of both learners and trainers (universities and enterprises during internships).

The workshop also was an opportunity to highlight and discuss on new areas of collaboration such as Service Learning through University Business collaboration, Service Learning as a Skill development strategy for universities, Internships and Career orientation at Universities.