The University of Rwanda (UR) was established by the Government of Rwanda through the law no 71/2013 of 10/09/2013. It resulted from the merge of the nation’s seven public Higher Learning Institutions into a consolidated entity governed by the Board of Governors and an Academic Senate with strong staff and student representation, along with the Vice Chancellor who is the University’s chief executive officer. UR’s Titular Head is the Chancellor, and it consists of the following academic entities:
College of Arts and Social Sciences (CASS)
College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM)
College of Business and Economics (CBE)
College of Education (CE)
College of Medicine and Health Sciences (CMHS)
College of Science and Technology (CST)
The Vice-Chancellor leads the University's Senior Management Team that includes 3 deputy Vice Chancellors and 6 College Principals.
The main purpose of creating this national institution is to enhance the quality of Rwanda’s higher education provision, while achieving economies of scale and efficiencies in operation. It is expected to become a leading African university.
The University of Rwanda offers a wide range of academic programs – some that are quite specialized in nature, others that are more interdisciplinary and/or problem-based in focus – and its students undertakes their studies at various locations across the country and abroad, both through classes offered at its several designated campuses and through access to distance learning opportunities.
The University of Rwanda is a singular, multi-campus institution. It operates from departments and schools that make up Colleges. It is currently based in the new college of Business and Economics until the new headquarters are built adjacent to the College of Science and Technology.