University of Adrar and the University of Rwanda Discuss Prospects for a Strategic Partnership and Promising Academic Integration
To foster international scientific cooperation and tap into leading African experiences, the University Secretariat’s meeting room hosted an expanded session of the Directorate Council on Monday morning, June 8, 2026. The meeting was conducted via videoconference with leadership from the University of Rwanda.
This meeting was chaired by the Rector of Ahmed Draia University of Adrar, Professor Mohamed El Amine Ben Amar, in the presence of the Secretary-General of the University, Mr. Bassa Abdennebi, the Vice-Rectors, and the Deans of the Faculties. Meanwhile, the Rwandan side was led by the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Didas Kayihura Muganga, accompanied by his administrative and academic staff.
The Rector of the University of Adrar, Professor Mohamed El Amine Ben Amar, opened the meeting with a welcoming speech, expressing his pride in this communication, and hoping that it would serve as the real beginning for establishing the foundations of solid and fruitful scientific cooperation between the two countries in various fields.
The Rector highly praised Rwanda’s development trajectory, noting that for over two decades, the country has stood out as a prime example of holistic development. He emphasized Algeria’s keen interest in drawing inspiration from this pioneering model, pointing to the qualitative leap in bilateral relations in recent years. This momentum, he added, has accelerated communication and interaction, paving the way for both nations to become highly influential regional hubs in Africa.
In a related context, Doctor Sayhi, the Vice-Rector in charge of Pedagogy, presented a comprehensive overview and a historical glimpse of Ahmed Draia University since its establishment. He reviewed its academic structure, which includes various faculties and university annexes, in addition to presenting accurate statistics on the student population, human supervision, and the scientific research laboratories that the university boasts, confirming the readiness of the infrastructures to host any joint exchange program.
For his part, Vice-Chancellor Professor Didas Kayihura Muganga introduced his leadership team and expressed his gratitude to the University of Adrar for this initiative. He provided an overview of the University of Rwanda—the country’s sole public university—which comprises seven major colleges: Agriculture, Arts, Business and Economics, Education, Science and Technology, Medicine, and Veterinary Medicine, serving over 33,000 students across various degree levels.
Addressing cooperation prospects, Professor Muganga noted that the fields offered at the University of Adrar—such as Material Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, Science and Technology, and Economics and Business—align perfectly with programs at the University of Rwanda. This overlap highlights strong common ground and excellent potential for academic synergy. He added that his institution deeply appreciates the genuine willingness of Ahmed Draia University to forge this partnership. He hoped this initial step would spark effective collaboration in scientific research as well as faculty and student exchanges, particularly since the University of Rwanda boasts a diverse, continent-wide international student body.
The meeting then witnessed a fruitful and deep discussion between the two parties, focusing on the prospects of activating and developing the language of instruction (English) and shared scientific and technological specialties, as well as launching joint supervision projects for doctoral and master’s theses, and cooperation in the fields of innovation, startups, and artificial intelligence.
The meeting concluded with the two parties agreeing to put in place an urgent pedagogical and scientific action plan that translates the axes of this strategic partnership and its aspirations into a tangible reality in the near future.