STORY: Education exchange boosts career development of Rwandan students
SHOOTING TIME: April 15, 2024
DATELINE: April 21, 2024
LENGTH: 00:06:09
LOCATION: Kigali
CATEGORY: EDUCATION

SHOTLIST:
1. various of IPRC Musanze and its students
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): UMWALI ANGE NATACHA, Student majoring in e-commerce at IPRC Musanze
3. SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ISHIMWE YASIL, Student majoring in electrical automation technology at IPRC Musanze
4. SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WU WEIXIN, Executive director of Jinhua Polytechnic

STORYLINE:

In the heart of Musanze town in northern Rwanda, a transformative partnership is shaping the futures of young Rwandans.

Integrated Polytechnic Regional College-Musanze (IPRC Musanze), a public higher learning institution, recently signed a five-year agreement with Jinhua Polytechnic of East China's Zhejiang Province for an exchange program. Thirty students from IPRC Musanze will study for two years in Rwanda and one year in China for an advanced diploma.

Umwali Ange Natacha, an e-commerce major at IPRC Musanze, expressed her enthusiasm about studying digitalization and global commerce in China. "I am really excited and honored that IPRC Musanze is giving us the opportunity to go to China," she said. "Studying in China will boost our minds and enhance our careers in entrepreneurship. Innovation fosters our problem-solving mindset, which will be helpful in the e-commerce industry."

SOUNDBITE 1 (English): UMWALI ANGE NATACHA, Student majoring in e-commerce at IPRC Musanze
"Studying here, we get a scholarship from our government and they just gave us the opportunity to be here, we just came. And I feel like we acquire practical skills and knowledge from here, and hands-on learning when we are studying in the Luban Workshop. I am really excited and honored for IPRC Musanze to help us, and Jinhua Polytechnic for giving us an opportunity to be there (China). I am very excited about it and I can't wait to be there. Studying there will foster our minds, as it will emphasize on entrepreneurship and innovation and foster our mindset for problem-solving which is needed in e-commerce industry."

Her sentiments are shared by Ishimwe Yasil, a third-year student in electrical automation technology. 

SOUNDBITE 2 (English): ISHIMWE YASIL, Student majoring in electrical automation technology at IPRC Musanze
"I have gained a strong foundation in electrical automation technology, knowledge like skills in the maintenance of electrical automation systems. I have also learned to develop and maintain electrical technology. It will immediately affect the development of our country. I really have so much expectation in this program because it will increase my practical skills and even my theoretical knowledge which will make me to be very competitive in my career as an electrical automation engineer in the future."

He said that the collaboration between IPRC Musanze and Jinhua Polytechnic signifies a bridge between cultures and a platform for mutual learning.

Wu Weixin, executive director of Jinhua Polytechnic, highlighted the approach of the partnership, noting that the Rwanda Luban Workshop is an innovative international vocational education service project from China aimed at enhancing technical and vocational education training in Rwanda.

SOUNDBITE 3 (Chinese): WU WEIXIN, Executive director of Jinhua Polytechnic
"Our program with the Rwanda Polytechnic Institute follows a 2+1 model, where students study for two years locally in Rwanda and one final year in China. This model represents a cross-border vocational education collaboration. Luban Workshop is an innovative international vocational education service project from China aimed at introducing advanced vocational education mode in China, vocational education standards, professional vocational standards, enhancing technical and vocational education training and industry integration in Rwanda."

E-commerce and electrical automation technology are the two majors of the Luban Workshop collaboration, which they are currently implementing a 2+1 model based on these standards for teaching and practice in both Rwanda and China. It has been incorporated into Rwanda's vocational technical standards by Rwanda Polytechnic, the Higher Education Council of Rwanda, and the Ministry of Education of Rwanda, Wu said.

Since 2018, IPRC Musanze has graduated over 1,700 students and offers a range of courses including irrigation and drainage technology, construction technology, highway engineering, e-commerce and information technology. Student enrollment has grown significantly from just 171 in 2014 to more than 1,800 currently.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Kigali.
(XHTV)