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Jean Expert's brainchild, Terimbere AG, epitomizes the vision we have for our graduates.
The current CEO of SOMA Foundation Rwanda, Gloria Mugisha is also a Davis College graduate. In a conversation with her, we asked about her experience as a CEO of an Edu-tech Non-profit Organization, what her daily responsibilities look like, and how education from Davis College contributed to her current position.
After months of anticipation, the Kigali Convention and Exhibition Village played host to the Davis College 2023 graduation ceremony on the 15th of December. Nearly 250 students, poised to embark on their next chapter, gathered to celebrate this pivotal moment. The event was not just a culmination of academic achievements; it was a testament to resilience, adaptability, and a forward-looking vision.
We have reached a critical point of evolution. We are closing our technical diploma programs so we can reopen as a degree-granting university.
It’s almost time! On the 15th of December, we celebrate the Davis College Class of 2023! We’ll be marking the special day when nearly 250 young men and women join the ranks of Davis College Alumni - a network of more than 6,000 change-makers across the region.
Last week, we celebrated the graduation of Davis College’s extraordinary Class of 2022. The day marked an incredible milestone for our community, as our first class of co-ed graduates received their diplomas.
We’re excited to announce our upcoming events and opportunities for our graduates. Whether you are looking to make a change in your career or get your professional headshot taken to refresh your Linkedin page, we hope to see you at one of our events!
A message from our newly appointed Vice Chancellor, Christine Osae, on the first day of the 2022 - 2023 academic year:
There’s just something–something unique and extraordinarily special–about beginning a new academic year, something magical that creates an incredible surge of energy and excitement. Whether it’s the thought of seeing a good friend after spending the summer months apart, or the idea of returning to beloved clubs and classes, the new academic year holds incomparable promise. The promise of opportunity: to branch out of our comfort zones, to maximize our learning opportunities, and to grow into ourselves as human beings.
Our Class of 2022 is currently completing the capstone in their two-year diploma studies - a three-month internship at a Kigali-based company in their chosen industry.
An internship is a transformative experience for our students as it provides an opportunity to apply all that they have learned in the classroom in a professional context. The experience also allows students to develop their communication, teamwork, and leadership skills, and offers a competitive advantage as they pursue a permanent position.
Six months ago, we celebrated the graduation of over 400 brilliant and brave young women in the Class of 2021. The hybrid ceremony marked the culmination of two years of commitment and passion for their studies.
Among this cohort of future leaders, four were recognized for their extraordinary accomplishments, by way of the Founders’ Award, the Justine Umuhoza Award, and the honor of Valedictorian. We recently caught up with each of these young women who shared highlights from their college experience, moments of growth, and their goals and aspirations for the future.
More than half of Rwandans live off less than RWF1,000 (about USD1) per day – a level of poverty that is acutely felt by single parent families in rural areas. Taking this problem, a team of five Davis College students designed an innovative solution to pitch at this year’s Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge (FGSIC) and were among the ‘Idea Grant Winners’ who will receive USD1,000 in seed funding for their project.
Throughout the third trimester in Rwanda and the summer holidays in Hong Kong, a group of students from Davis College and The University of Hong Kong (HKU) came together virtually to collaborate on a social change project in support of the Nyamirambo Women’s Center (NWC), a Kigali-based NGO.
After growing up in a farming community and seeing the challenges farmers’ faced in sourcing organic pesticides and fertilizers, Providence Mushimire became passionate about finding an innovative solution.
In May 2022, Providence and her colleagues – under the team name ‘Green Promoters’ – competed in the annual Wege Prize Awards in the USA and emerged first place.
In June, Davis College was invited to attend The Education Collaborative’s first in-person Annual Convening since 2019, which brought together over 190 participants from across 23 countries and over 60 education institutions.
Last week, Kigali hosted CHOGM for a dynamic week of gatherings and global collaboration. We were incredibly proud to be represented by our students in the Commonwealth Youth Forum (of which there were four throughout the week: Commonwealth People’s Forum, Commonwealth Business Forum, Commonwealth Women’s Forum, and Commonwealth Youth Forum).
In the past year, more than 800 young women have graduated from our institution.
Despite the setbacks and immense challenges presented by the global pandemic, this is the largest number of students we have graduated in such a short space of time in our institution’s history. It is both a tremendous accomplishment for our team and an incredible celebration for our community. It is also a moment to acknowledge the significance of our next steps as an institution.
On February 25, 2022, 461 future leaders graduated from Davis College and embarked on the next exciting chapter of their lives. The Class of 2021 overcame countless challenges throughout their studies, yet their determination and dedication never wavered. We were filled with pride and joy as each young leader walked across the stage and accepted their Diplomas.
After a collective 14+ years with Akilah and now Davis College, we recently said goodbye to former interim Davis College President Paul Swaga, and welcomed Akilah President Karen Sherman into a new role. Over the last year, both Paul and Karen have generously supported their colleagues through a major transition phase and have both left an indelible mark on our community.
Together, we can #BreakTheBias this IWD
Happy International Women’s Day!
Today, we are joining millions around the world to celebrate women's achievements, raise awareness against bias, and collectively take action for equality.
It is an honor to have worked alongside Merrin, and to continue to witness her deep impact on the lives of so many talented youth in East Africa. Our institution holds deep gratitude to and love for Merrin for her years of dedication and service. As a friend, a former staffer, a Board member as well as a generous supporter, Merrin, you have built a solid foundation of love for our entire community.
Thank you so much for joining us at the Ugly Sweater Party to support Davis College and Akilah in Rwanda.
Thanks to our incredible Hong Kong community, we raised HKD330,000!
We are thrilled to announce that we were selected from a pool of 7,800 applications to receive funding and additional support from Google.org.
With the Mastercard Foundation’s support, we had the resources needed to effectively respond to the pandemic by transitioning to e-learning and minimizing the disruption in education for our students.
We’re thrilled to invite you to join a powerful new community of changemakers: The Visionaries. At its heart, The Visionaries is a monthly giving experience that honors the original idea that brought Akilah to life: empowering the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs.
Campus has been buzzing throughout September with Orientation and Bridge activities, including tours, training sessions, and time to build connections with new friends and faculty.
We recently caught up with a few of our Class of 2022 students, to hear more about their experiences at Davis College and their dreams for the future.
University leaders from 8 institutions convened at Rongo University, Kenya, to draw a roadmap for operating and driving impact through the Education Collaborative’s first regional hub. Starting from East Africa, the Education Collaborative looks to scale impact across the continent through a regional hub approach that works through clusters of exemplary African universities.