The University of Rwanda and UNILAK: Building a Sustainable Path for training Industry-Ready Agriculture graduates for Rwanda

Starting in 2024, the University of Rwanda (UR) and University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK) took a major step to improve agriculture training by working together under the UPLIFT Agriculture (UPLIFT-Ag) Project. Through an innovative approach that deviates from the traditional way where each university engages industry independently, the two leading institutions combined efforts to promote training a approach that focuses on practical skills, employability, and real needs of Rwanda’s agriculture. This new strategy marked a shift from isolated efforts to a national-level collaboration designed to make university training more responsive to the agriculture industry needs.

The ICBMI 2025: A conference where Industry and Universities conversed

The turning point came during the International Conference on Business Management and Innovation (ICBMI 2025) held on 1^st-2^nd October 2025 in Kigali. This conference was organized jointly by UNILAK and University of Rwanda. The conference theme was: “Building Cooperatives’ Resilience: Strengthening capacity building, Innovation, Inclusiveness and sustainability.”

Over 200 participants attended, including industry leaders, agribusiness firms, cooperatives, banks, investors, government agencies, and development partners. For the first time, industry partners openly discussed skills gaps, graduate readiness, and the need to enhance practical training. Universities and industry agreed that training requires a shared effort, each contributing their capacity.

   Participants presenting at the ICBMI conference 2025 in Kigali

Commitment to partner: 100 partners mapped and MoUs signed

UR and UNILAK have quickly moved from dialogue to concrete steps. They aligned on shared priorities such to strengthen hands-on training and improving student exposure to industry settings. The universities mapped over 100 industry partners across the agribusiness value chain including farmers, cooperatives, agro-dealers, and other firms. Negotiations of structured, long-term, and meaningful MoUs and collaboration agreements culminated into a highly inspiring signing ceremony in December 2025.

 A Networking Event in Kigali Informs Review of the MSc Agribusiness Programme

On 8 November 2025, the University of Rwanda hosted an industry–academia networking event in Kigali. The meeting brought together researchers, agribusiness leaders, lecturers, students, and university leadership to discuss how agribusiness training can better respond to industry needs.

A total of 35 stakeholders participated directly, while the engagement also mapped 88 relevant actors across the agribusiness value chain. This wider mapping helped extend the conversation beyond the event itself.

One clear outcome was the review of the MSc Agribusiness programme, which had not been updated for over ten years. Industry feedback helped highlight skills gaps and practical training needs, reinforcing the case for curriculum reform aligned with current agribusiness realities.

Building a National Platform for University–Industry Collaboration

One of the most important outcomes of the collaboration has been the planning of a joint national industry engagement platform. UR and UNILAK have led in defining the platform’s structure, partners, and putting in place an operational framework that involves other universities in a well-coordinated university–industry engagement model in Rwanda.

What This Means for Rwanda’s Agriculture Future

The Rwanda experience under UPLIFT-Ag shows that impact increases when universities collaborate to engage with industry and other stakeholders. Working together, UR and UNILAK created:

• Stronger trust with industry partners
• Clearer pathways for student internships and research
• A shared national platform for long-term engagement

For students, this means training that matches workplace needs. For industry, it means easier access to research and talent. For the agriculture sector, it means better alignment with national development goals.