Africa-Press – Rwanda. The University of Rwanda (UR) is in talks with China’s Huazhong Agricultural University to explore possible major areas of collaboration in agriculture and animal science-related programmes.
The development was unveiled during an official visit by a delegation from Huazhong Agricultural University to the College of Agriculture, Animal Science, and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM) on Wednesday, June 4.
Addressing The New Times after discussing the matter with various top CAVM officials, Professor Gao Chi, Secretary of CPC Huazhong Agricultural University, assured that the third-largest Chinese university is open to cooperating with UR.
“We are open to collaborating with the University of Rwanda across all agricultural programmes,” Professor Gao stated. “We can cover all of them. We can also discuss Master’s degree programmes in-depth, especially where they differ between the two universities.”
He added, “We can do some work with the present lab, based on the conditions here which are not more advanced. In the near future, we are talking about joint cooperation institutions.”
During the delegation’s two-day visit at CAVM, Professor Gao, commended the greenhouse technology as a well-done job, after having a guided tour of various sections of the college.
He stated: “The greenhouse is good and it changes the production. There is a lot of work done within the greenhouse.”
According to Ag. Principal of UR’s College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM), Dr Guillaume Nyagatare, Huazhong Agricultural University, ranked among the best universities globally, is vital to collaborate with.
The delegation also visited CAVM Nyagatare campus
“It is a very good university, in which we’re trying to see areas of cooperation,” said the principal. “We want to strengthen postgraduate programmes between the two universities.”
Principal Nyagatare also disclosed that the college is scaling up efforts in postgraduate programmes. “For the last few decades, we focused on undergraduate programmes. So for now as we have successfully built those, we are trying to go for Master’s and PhD programmes to see if we can accelerate this area,” he said.
The College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, according to Nyagatare, hopes to get more academic support from the fast-growing Chinese university.
Ag. Principal, UR – College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, receives a gift from Professor Gao Chi, Secretary of CPC Huazhong Agricultural University.
He emphasised, “As far as we are concerned, we are looking for staff exchange and students, and of course, hope to get support for crop and horticulture programmes as well as animal science.”
In his welcoming remarks to the Chinese delegation, the Governor of Northern Province, Maurice Mugabowagahunde who graced the event, said that the Huazhong Agricultural University top officials’ visit was “a strong testament to the deepening ties between the Republic of China and Rwanda.”
“The collaboration between the University of Rwanda and Huazhong Agricultural University, both respected institutions in their own right, represents not only the academic partnership but also a bridge of mutual understanding, exchange, and development, stated Mugabowagahunde.
It is expected that the collaboration will considerably impact communities in Musanze and Nyatagare Districts, notably in responding to malnutrition cases prevalent in the volcanic region surrounding the agriculture college.
UR delegation and Chinese delegation pose for a group photo
Officials of the University of Rwanda (UR) and Huazhong Agricultural University during a guided tour of the College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (CAVM). Photo by Germain Nsanzimana.
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