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Dr. Edward Kadozi, DG of the Higher Education Council (HEC), engages in discussion during a panel on “Re-thinking Higher Education in Africa : Challenges and Pathways for Sustainable Development

From May 14 to 16, 2025, the University of Rwanda – College of Education, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation through the Leaders in Teaching (LIT) program, hosted the 3rd International Conference on Reshaping Education for Sustainable Development at the Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village.

Held under the theme “Empowering Educators to Prepare Students for the Complex Challenges of Tomorrow,” the conference brought together a diverse audience of scholars, researchers, education leaders, and policymakers. Participants exchanged insights on the future of education through keynotes and panels organized under several sub-themes, including climate education, equity and inclusion, teacher development, and the reform of higher education in Africa.

One of the standout sessions was the panel on “Re-thinking Higher Education in Africa : Challenges and Pathways for Sustainable Development,” where Dr. Edward Kadozi, Director General of Rwanda’s Higher Education Council (HEC), delivered a powerful intervention.

Drawing on experiences from both the Global North and the African continent, Dr. Kadozi underscored the persistent challenge of inconsistent higher education policies in Africa. “Unlike the Global North, where policies are designed with long-term national goals in mind and implemented consistently across political transitions, many African countries struggle to align education strategies with long-term visions,” he noted. “In Rwanda, aligning our interventions with Vision 2050 remains a work in progress.”

He also pointed to unharmonized curricula and quality assurance systems as key barriers to talent mobility and regional integration. “We must educate for the region and the world,” Dr. Kadozi emphasized. “But without common standards, we limit opportunities for students and undermine our global competitiveness.”

Dr. Kadozi called for stronger collaboration among African regulatory bodies to define learning outcomes that reflect industry needs and support student mobility across borders. He also highlighted the need to decolonize African education by aligning curricula with local realities and indigenous knowledge systems : “It’s time to tap into our traditional strengths to build a curriculum that prepares students to solve our own challenges.”

The discussion also addressed broader concerns such as brain drain, inadequate investment in higher education, and the growing technology gap. “We’re losing talented minds due to poor salaries, unclear career paths, and underfunding,” he warned. “We need to make higher education more attractive by investing in quality and staff development.”

The conference brought together a diverse audience of scholars, researchers, education leaders, and policymakers.
As a way forward, Dr. Kadozi shared Rwanda’s efforts to become an education hub in the region. “We’re simplifying processes for international students and academic staff to come study and work in Rwanda,” he said. “We’re also developing tools to measure university performance based on how well institutions serve their students—both local and international.”

He mentioned the development of an international student barometer and the enhancement of digital systems through the Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS) to strengthen performance tracking and quality assurance.

“Education must be a cornerstone of our development strategy,” Dr. Kadozi concluded. “If we want sustainable development, we must re-shape higher education to be future-oriented, inclusive, and globally competitive.”

The conference reaffirmed the urgency of rethinking how education systems across Africa prepare learners for a fast-changing world—and placed educators at the heart of that transformation.

Story by

NTIRANDEKURA Schadrac
Public Relations and Community Engagement Officer
University of Rwanda-College of Education