President Paul Kagame on Tuesday met with a delegation from St Andrews University in Scotland. Led by Dr. Hazel Cameron, a lecturer in Criminology and Genocide studies and currently the director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, the delegation included four professors and eleven post-graduate students.
Speaking to the delegation on Rwanda’s progress, Kagame pointed to homegrown solutions as key to achievements.
“We have very high ambitions and scarce resources. Before we go out begging for things we may never get, we have to ask ourselves: have we exhausted the resources around us? This is how homegrown solutions start,” he explained.
With the majority of students interested in post conflict reconstruction, the President explained the reasons that led Rwanda to choose reconciliation over revenge.
“If you are fighting injustice and get to where you want to be, it is absolutely wrong to be the same person to practice injustice,” he said. “With a leadership that gives people a chance to forgive and think more about future than past, any society can overcome.”
On challenges that have shaped Rwanda, Kagame shared part of the vision that led to the liberation of the country. “Born in exile, living as refugees, we could not stay stateless forever. We could not give up. We chose to address the situation. We are moving ahead, learning from what works and what doesn’t work, and adjusting without losing sight of our goals,” he remarked.
During the visit, Hazel Cameron announced St. Andrews University’s partnership with Rwanda that will see scholarships offered to Rwandan students interested in international studies.
This year’s study trip lasted close to ten days and brought students from Germany, Hungary, UK, Greece, Czech Republic, Japan, USA, Austria and Norway researching regional security, investment in Rwanda, education, conservation, tourism, and health.
