Number of recipients
In addition to being a prestigious academic exchange program, the Fulbright Program is designed to expand and strengthen relationships between the people of the United States and citizens of other nations and to promote international understanding and cooperation. To support this mission, Fulbright Scholars may be asked to give public talks, mentor students, and otherwise engage with the host community, in addition to their primary activities.
Teach undergraduate (and possibly graduate) courses. Assist in curriculum development, faculty training, and student advising and thesis supervision. Conduct research in area of specialization, in conjunction with teaching responsibilties.
Please look under Additional Comments section for institution contact information.
Preferred disciplines include:
All applicants must meet the Program eligibility requirements (click to review the requirements).
Please see Additional Comments for more information on each accepted host institution, along with contact information.
All teaching will be in English; proficiency in another language is not required.
Scholars with at least three years of postdoctoral university or college teaching experience are preferred.
Research Clearance process: National Council for Science and Technology (NCST): https://ncst.gov.rw/content/services
Certification for research in the field of Medicine: The Rwanda National Ethics Committee (RNEC): http://www.rnecrwanda.org/
Visa application process: Rwanda Directorate General of immigration and Emigration
Round-trip, economy-class, international travel arranged by travel agent designated by IIE, for scholar and up to two accompanying dependents. A $2,550 allowance will be provided to cover the costs associated with relocation and excess baggage.
$1,000 books and educational materials allowance; if possible, educational materials should be donated to the host institution (or other entity) upon grantee's departure. (For Teaching and Teaching/Research awards)
Additional living and housing allowance is provided for grantees with one accompanying dependent or two or more accompanying dependents. These amounts range from $200/month to $500/month.
In addition, travel allowances are provided for up to two dependents.
Dependent education allowance of up to $12,500 per child or $25,000 per family for accompanying dependents in grades K-12 is reimbursed for a full academic year, upon submission of receipts, and depending on funding availability. Amount may be adjusted for shorter grant periods. Reimbursement is based on actual cost of tuition and fees only.
Dependents must accompany the grantee for at least 80% of the period abroad and a minimum of one semester in order to qualify for additional dependent benefits. Dependent benefits are not provided to Flex grantees.
When university housing is provided to Fulbright Scholars, grantees will receive a supplemental housing allowance in lieu of a full housing allowance for refurbishments, utilities, and other miscellaneous expenses that arise. The full housing allowance will not be provided to grantees if they elect to decline on-campus or university housing.
Please refer to the figures above for an estimate of total monthly Fulbright award benefits. Benefits may include a monthly base stipend, living and housing allowances, and additional one-time allowances. Benefits may vary based on a scholar's current academic rank (or professional equivalent), the city of placement, the type of award (teaching, teaching/research, or research), and the number of and duration of stay of accompanying dependents. Research-only or Professional Project grantees receive a standard stipend that is not adjusted for academic rank. In most cases, dependent benefits will not be provided to Flex grantees, or to grantees pursuing grants less than four months (or a semester) in length.
Final grant amounts will be determined prior to the start of the academic year and are subject to the availability of funds. The United States Department of State reserves the right to alter, without notice, participating countries, number of awards and allowances.
Rwanda is a small land-locked country located in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Rwanda is about the size of Massachusetts. Often called the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” Rwanda is dominated by mountain ranges and highland plateaus.
The Rwandan Government has invested extensively in education as part of its strategic plan, known as Vision 20/20, which aimed to see Rwanda become a middle-income nation by the year 2020. To this end, compulsory education has increased to 12 years. In 2009, the government changed the medium of instruction from French to English for all students above the third year of primary school. The abrupt shift has created formidable challenges for both students and teachers. TEFL needs are still great. Since 2013, the Government of Rwanda has consolidated its several public universities to form one single university: The University of Rwanda (UR). Because the reorganization of the UR college system is still incomplete, each college manages all programs that would fall under that college, even if a program is still physically located at a different college.
Rwanda also has several private higher learning institutions, the number of which has significantly increased in the past decade. The academic year spans 9 months in Rwanda, beginning in September/October and ending in June/July. It is normally divided into two semesters separated by a three-week break. In April, classes stop for two weeks to observe the mourning period and genocide commemoration.
The U.S. Embassy Kigali arranges for an in-country orientation for Fulbright and other exchange visitors upon arrival. All U.S. citizens, including Fulbright and other exchange program grantees visiting Rwanda, must obtain a visa upon entry. To stay in Rwanda for more than 30 days, grantees will be required to visit the office of immigration to request a long term visa within 15 days of arrival.
It is important to note that Rwandan immigration authorities strictly adhere to visa requirements. No exceptions will be made. The U.S. Embassy Kigali provides an updated checklist and advises approved Fulbright applicants on any changes in required documents.
All Fulbright Scholars and students planning on conducting research as part of their grant must obtain research clearance prior to conducting any field work. The U.S. Embassy Kigali advises Fubrighters to work with their chosen host institutions for guidelines on the process and preferably initiate the clearance process well prior to arrival in-country to ensure adequate time for processing and, ultimately, research on the ground. The government of Rwanda has indicated that all research students/scholars must be affiliated with approved Rwandan institutions (ministries, universities, other Rwandan agencies, etc). Please visit the Rwandan National Council for Science and Technology website for a detailed list of approved affiliation institutions.
For Fulbright researchers in health fields, the Rwandan law changed in late 2012 to require researchers in those fields to present their research permit applications to the Rwandan National Ethics Committee and pay an 850,000 RWF fee (about $1,100). Further details on the Rwandan National Ethics Committee are available on their website at Rwandan National Ethics Committee
Visit our Scholar Directory to view and search all Fulbright alumni. You can also learn more about Fulbright Alumni Ambassadors.
Beginning in 2009, English became the language of instruction for all institutions of higher learning in Rwanda. Some students who studied under the French system still struggle with their English, as do some faculty members and lecturers. Specialized English can be a challenge in some technical fields.
In 2013, the Government of Rwanda created the University of Rwanda (UR), an umbrella institution for all public higher education institutions. See https://ur.ac.rw. All existing public colleges and universities were integrated into UR as specialized colleges. University partnerships are managed by the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement at the UR head office in Kigali, but it is also helpful to visit individual college websites for information about their different faculties and departments. The following is a list of contact information for UR colleges:
College of Science and Technology: principal.cst@ur.ac.rw
College of Medicine and Health Sciences: principal.cmhs@ur.ac.rw
College of Agriculture, Animal Sciences and Veterinary Medicine: principal.cavm@ur.ac.rw
College of Arts and Social Sciences: principal.cass@ur.ac.rw
College of Business and Economics: principal.cbe@ur.ac.rw
College of Education: principal.ce@ur.ac.rw
University of Rwanda Head Office:
Vice Chancellor: vc@ur.ac.rw
Advisor to the Vice Chancellor: advisor-vc@ur.ac.rw
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Strategic Planning and Administration: dvc.spa@ur.ac.rw
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Research: dvcaar@ur.ac.rw
Deputy Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement: dvc.ia@ur.c.rw
Other Recommended Institutions:
The Institut Catholique de Kabgayi (ICK) is a private higher learning institution founded in 2002 by the Catholic Diocese of Kabgayi, under the name Université Catholique de Kabgayi (UCK). It was accredited by the Rwandan Ministry of Education in 2003. The vision of ICK is "to be a center of Academic and Professional Excellence." Its mission is "to advance and promote knowledge and development of skills in professionalism and innovativeness through quality education, research and community services for the transformation of society and sustainable development." ICK offers bachelor’s degrees in development studies, journalism and communication, social sciences, and economics.
Institut Catholique de Kabgayi (Catholic Institute of Kabgayi)
Contact: Reverend Father Dr. Balthazar Ntivuguruzwa, Vice Chancellor
Email: recteur@uck.ac.rw, ntivubalth@gmail.com
The University of Kigali is a private higher education institution that was founded in 2010 and offers bachelor’s degrees in commerce, accounting, finance, procurement, marketing, information technology, and computer science. It also offers professional certificates such as Certified Public Accountants (CPA), Accounting Technicians Certificate (ATC), Certified Public Secretaries (CPS), Information Communication Technology Technicians (ICTT), Certified Securities and Investment Analysts (CSIA) and Certified Credit Professionals (CCP). The University of Kigali also offers master’s degrees in Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Commerce (M.Com.) and Master of Science in Computer-Based Information Systems (M.B SIT).
University of Kigali
Vice Chancellor: Prof. Peter Mageto
Email: pmageto@uok.ac.rw
Tel: (+250)789036065
Kigali Independent University (ULK)
Kigali Independent University (ULK) is a private Institution of Higher Learning founded in 1996. It is currently the largest private university in Rwanda, with the main campus in the capital Kigali and a branch in Rubavu in the North West of Rwanda. It has undergraduate and master’s programs in the following discipline: Rural Development, Accounting, Business Administration, Economics, Computer Science, Development Studies, International Relations, Law, and Finance.
https://www.ulk.ac.rw/
Universite Libre de Kigali (ULK)
Vice Chancellor: Dr. Ezekiel SEKIBIBI
Cell phone number: (+250) 0788304081
Email address: vc@ulk.ac.rw
Adventist University of Central Africa - AUCA
The Adventist University of Central Africa (AUCA) is one of established private universities in Rwanda with two campuses in the capital Kigali. It has four faculties in the undergraduate program – Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Theology, Faculty of Information Technology; and two graduate level programs: Master of Education, Master of Business Administration.
http://www.auca.ac.rw/
Vice Chancellor: Dr Onongha Kelvin
Email: kelvin.onongha@auca.ac.rw or vc@auca.ac.rw
Cell phone: (+250) 0788310069