The National University of Rwanda
School of Journalism and Communication

In the aftermath of the 1994 Rwanda genocide, the National University of Rwanda, in Butare, established its first journalism program. The role played by hate media during the genocide demonstrated how the power of the media could be used to destroy.

Faculty members in the university's School of Journalism and Communication seek to train future journalists to use the media to "inform, entertain and educate Rwandans."

The school program includes courses taught in Kinyarwanda, English and French. Regular workshops and training periods are organized in the School's radio studio.

The New Butarean, a student newspaper, was launched in February 2001. And a computer lab established in June, 2001 now allows for internet access.

The first two years of training consist of general courses. Then students are required to choose between two tracks of specialization: Communication and Development or Journalism, which focuses on professional skills.

About the National University of Rwanda

The National University of Rwanda (NUR) was created in 1963 conjointly by the Rwandan government and the Congregation of the Dominicans from the Province of Quebec (Canada).

The NUR was then composed of three academic units: the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Social Sciences and the Teacher Training College (ENS). At that time, the NUR had 51 students and 16 lecturers . Currently, the NUR hosts 4540 students and 275 lecturers.

November 03, 1963:
Official opening of the NUR.

May 12, 1964:
Law establishing the NUR.

1966:
The National Institute of Education is created thanks to the PNUD and UNESCO aid. The Institute aims at training and improving elementary secondary school teachers’ skills. It also aims at implementing multidisciplinary pedagogical research.

1967:
Creation of the University extension as a unit with the mission to reflect the NUR by its services to the people.

1972:
Creation of a research center on pharmacopoeia and traditional medicine (CUPHARMETRA) in the Faculty of medicine. It became an autonomous body since 1980.

May 1973:
The NUR, in conjunction with the Ghent Faculty of Applied Sciences puts up a progressive training program for civil engineers specialized in building and sets up a fore-project program in electromechanic engineering.

October 1973:
The University of Instelling Antwerpen contributes in the opening of the Faculty of Law.

1974:
A centre for study and experimentation of energy in Rwanda is created within the Faculty of Sciences. It became autonomous since 1977.

June 13, 1979:
The Faculty of Agronomy which was a department in the Faculty of Science is created.

October 1, 1981:
The merging of the NUR and the NIE (National Institute of Education). From now on, the National University of Rwanda has two campuses: one at Ruhengeri and another at Butare. Few years later, the Faculty of Law shifts to Mburabuturo (Kigali).

November 1988:
Celebration of the 25th anniversary of the NUR. Official opening of the Institute of Public Administration (ISAP), born of the NUR and Konrad Adanauer Foundation (FKA) cooperation.

April-July 1994:
The University community loses a good number of its staff and students who are killed during the war and genocide. They are victims of their ideology or ethnic identity. The University suffers a great loss: laboratory equipment, the computer equipment and academic infrastructure are destroyed or taken away. The NUR is closed because of the prevailing war in the country, those who are not killed have to hide themselves, others flee in exile.

January 1995:
The campus of Ruhengeri and the Kigali Faculty of Law shift and become part of the campus of Butare.

April 1995:
Reopening of the NUR. The main change is that all the faculties and schools are regrouped in Butare Campus for security reasons first and then for administrative ones. The beginnings are not easy but the government decides the smooth running of the NUR at all costs. The Campus supposed to cater for 1,600 students now lodges more than 4,500. The NUR takes off smoothly but surely despite the wounds to dress, the buildings to repair and English becomes a new language of teaching.

April 25, 1996:
Creation of the School of Information Sciences and techniques (ESTI).

1997:
A preliminary year of language learning (French and English ) is established for all NUR beginners.

1998:
Creation of a doctorate level at the Faculty of Medicine.

End of 1998:
The merging of the Faculty of Sciences and that of Applied Sciences to form the Faculty of Sciences and Technology.