Carnegie Mellon students meet president of Rwanda to discuss the power of education

DOHA, QATAR: Students from three of Carnegie Mellon University’s global campuses, including CMU in Qatar, met with the president of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, to discuss their passion for education and technology. The students were participating in Project Rwanda,a community service initiative that brings together CMU students from Qatar, US and Rwanda.

While in Kigali, Andrew Edward, a junior in the Information Systems Program at the Qatar campus, sent a tweet to President Kagame to tell him about the team’s enthusiasm for education in Rwanda. To the team’s surprise, the president reached out and invited the group to speak with him.

“Meeting with President Kagame was an incredible moment for Project Rwanda,” said Edward. “When we sent the tweet, we didn’t expect this great response. We really felt he wanted to listen to our ideas and experiences and help in making these ideas impactful for education in Rwanda.”

Project Rwanda aims to enhance the educational experience of Rwandan youth through technology. Each year, a group of Carnegie Mellon students from Qatar and the main campus in Pittsburgh team up with students from the African campus. Together, they work with Rwandan students and teachers to explore ways to teach and learn with technology.

Carnegie Mellon University has a distinct approach to education, emphasizing collaboration, technology and bringing together different disciplines to innovate and solve problems. Carnegie Mellon Qatar opened its doors in 2004, and offers undergraduate programs in biological sciences, business administration, computational biology, computer science and information systems. CMU-Q students are globally-minded, with more than half travelling for study, service or personal development during their undergraduate years.