Good news to kick off the weekend! We are delighted to celebrate the successful doctoral thesis defenses of our staff members Dr. Brigitte Mukarunyana and Dr. Albert Ndagijimana, who earned their PhDs from Umeå University through the @URSwedenProgram Dr. Mukarunyana’s research presents an innovative and sustainable approach to water treatment by transforming agricultural waste into effective materials for water purification. Dr. Ndagijimana’s study on childhood stunting in Rwanda’s Northern Province sheds light on the underlying drivers of malnutrition and provides evidence to support localized, family-centered interventions that can improve child nutrition outcomes. Congratulations to both researchers on this remarkable achievement. We appreciate their impactful contributions and look forward to seeing their findings translated into solutions that benefit communities in #Rwanda and beyond!

A round of applause to Dr. Colores Uwamariya on this remarkable milestone, and much appreciation to the entire Infectious Diseases Sub-programme team for their invaluable support throughout the journey.

Congrats to our graduate, Dr. Nyiringango, on his appointment by the Rwanda Cabinet as DM for Post-Quality Enhancement in General Education at @HEC_Rwanda. This reflects our commitment to strengthening institutions thru skilled professionals. Wishing him success in his new role

Today, Deputy Vice Chancellor Dr. Raymond Ndikumana chaired @URSwedenProgram Annual Dialogue Meeting (#ADM). The meeting brought together UR Management, @SwedeninRW, UR researchers and counterparts from 14 Swedish universities for an online discussion on current achievements and future collaboration. The 🇷🇼& 🇸🇪 bilateral research program has so far supported 106 PhD graduates and 53 ongoing PhD students, while funding more than 100 research and innovation projects. Over the past 24 years, the programme has played a significant role in strengthening the research environment at UR, with impact extending to individuals, the institution, and Rwanda as a whole.

We support this initiative to address critical #water and #environmental challenges and highly value the multidisciplinary approach, which will enable the Centre to generate tangible impact..

Congratulations indeed to Dr Clarisse Kagoyire & @URSwedenProgram ! Stunting can affect children’s health, learning, and future opportunities; and her work provides practical tools to tackle it with smarter, data-driven action. Huge appreciation to the supervising team, the Undernutrition Subprogram, and @Sida for their invaluable support in making this achievement possible. 👏 Join us in celebrating this incredible achievement and impact-driven research!

She did it! 💪@k_clarisse is now Dr. Clarisse Kagoyire following a successful PhD defense at Lund University 🇸🇪. Her work dives deep into childhood #stunting in #Rwanda, using spatial analysis & #AI to map where children are most at risk & what can be done abt it. Big Congrats!

Thank you for your support, findings from this study will contribute to Rwanda’s 2029 target of achieving a 50% reduction in childhood stunting. @Uni_Rwanda @URSwedenProgram @lunduniversity #GeoAI

Meet Rutayisire, a PhD student at SLU in #Sweden who is leading a research on integrating urban organic waste streams into #Agriculture. His study is funded under the bilateral research partnership between 🇷🇼and 🇸🇪 through the @Uni_Rwanda .check the video youtube.com/watch?v=t2c9IBzF…

A study by Mukarunyana shows how #coffee waste can become a solution for clean water. Mukarunyana is a PhD candidate from @Uni_Rwanda conducting her doctoral studies at @umeauniversity in #Sweden. Discover more about her research 👉🔗bit.ly/4kZeH4H

Award-winning research by Gilbert Shyaka is highlighting how international #Innovation hubs are shaping Africa’s innovation ecosystem. His paper on Norrsken Hub East Africa earned the Best Paper Award at the 2026 Africa Academy of Management Conference in #Casablanca, emphasizing how globally connected hubs can strengthen entrepreneurship, mobilize venture capital, and help African startups scale beyond borders. Conducted as part of his @URSwedenProgram PhD program, the study offers timely lessons for policymakers on international–local collaboration, innovation infrastructure, and inclusive growth reinforcing #Rwanda’s vision for a vibrant, globally linked innovation ecosystem.🔗 bit.ly/4aHlNHi

Another impressive study by Emmanuel Ngendahayo, a PhD candidate at @lunduniversity #Sweden, is uncovering hidden risks and revealing how #groundwatercan be better protected. His research will generate critical evidence to guide #policymakers in designing safer water supply systems and strengthening groundwater protection; directly improving public health, agriculture, and climate resilience. This impactful work is made possible through the @URSwedenProgram, a key enabler of 🇷🇼 & 🇸🇪 research collaboration, empowering young scientists to deliver solutions for national and community development. bit.ly/3LCZxVp

Merry Christmas 🎄& a prosperous New Year 2026! ✨ We appreciate the strong partnership that helped us achieve meaningful milestones in 2025, and we look forward to building on this collaboration for even greater impact in 2026.

Very productive meetings between the University of Rwanda and Swedish partners! We had the pleasure of spending meaningful time engaging in rich conversations around societal-issues-driven research and innovation. We were truly delighted to exchange ideas with our partners from Team Europe, @chalmersuniv , @goteborgsuni ,The GoCo, and the @karolinskainst . These moments reflected the strength of the trusted collaboration between Rwanda and the European Union, and Sweden in particular firmly supported by @Sida, a long-standing partner that continues to help transform bold ideas into real impact. A heartfelt thank you to Karin Tegmark, Swedish Ambassador for Global Health, Professor Annika Östman Wernerson, President of Karolinska Institute, Cecilia Edebo, CEO of Sahlgrenska Science Park, Chalmers University of Technology for the warm hospitality and inspiring conversations. We left Gothenburg feeling inspired, and energized and ready to continue this journey together toward advancing global health, innovation, and shared impact!

Kudos Dr. Nduwayezu and the Lund University for providing a tool for data-driven stunting management.

Another proud moment for @URSwedenProgram! Congratulations to Dr. Gilbert Nduwayezu, who has successfully defended his PhD at @lunduniversity in #Sweden. His research uses advanced #GeoAI tools to understand why child stunting differs from one community to another. This work gives #Rwanda more accurate, local-level information that can help leaders plan better nutrition programs, especially in rural areas where data is often limited. This achievement shows how 🇷🇼 &🇸🇪 bilateral research partnership directly contributing to healthier families and stronger communities in Rwanda. Proud of you, Dr. Gilbert!

The drive for research interdisciplinarity continues! In collaboration with @URSwedenProgram, today we convened another research-focused discussion, bringing together our researchers and key stakeholders to discuss findings on #undernutrition among children, the challenges, and potential solutions. The session brought together participants from @unicefrw, @RBCRwanda, @SwedeninRW, and @Rwanda_Child, generating yet more evidence to strengthen nutrition interventions. This initiative aligns with our mandate to foster dialogues that inform policy and practice; ultimately supporting the implementation of Rwanda’s #NST2.

Impressive! We strongly commend & support these research dissemination efforts. Engaging practitioners, communities & policymakers is essential for turning research into real impact. We applaud the researchers and partner institutions for this important initiative.

@SLU_ruraldev @URSwedenProgram what a pleasure to lead together with Rwanda in Sweden, our SLU students interested in international rural development issues. This year our team projects address cross-cutting issues with a focus on #Rwanda Thank you Ambassador Dr Diane Gashumba

Over the past weeks, in partnership with @Uni_Rwanda and @URSwedenProgram, we conducted research across Gakenke, Nyagatare, Nyanza, Ngororero, and Nyarugenge districts to assess the #YAhealthApp’s usability, acceptability, and influence on young people’s SRHR and mental health. Findings will guide the scale-up of youth-centered digital health innovations, improving access to reliable information and services in Rwanda and beyond. Grateful to all partners who contributed to the development of YAhealth. 💙 @RwandaHealth @RBCRwanda @UR_CMHS @unicefrw @UKinRwanda