After more than a decade, the University of Rwanda has officially relaunched its Center for the Promotion of Arts and Creatives, marking a renewed push to support artistic talent among students and strengthen the country’s creative sector.
The center was reopened on March 6, 2026, with an exhibition showcasing projects developed by over 200 students who voluntarily took part in training programs organized in recent months.
The students explored a wide range of creative disciplines including scriptwriting and theatre performance, filmmaking and acting, stage and set design, painting, and fashion design.
According to Janvier Murenzi, a lecturer at the university and the acting head of the center, the initiative is designed to bridge the gap between artistic talent and professional opportunities.
“Our main activities will include training students, connecting them with the job market, providing them with equipment and workspaces, and supporting them as they develop their creative projects,” Murenzi said during the reopening ceremony.
He explained that the revival of the center aims to help young people develop their talents while also transforming creativity into viable careers. Beyond training, the institution will provide platforms where students can practice their skills, exhibit their work and gain visibility that may enable them to start their own creative enterprises.
The center has a long history within Rwanda’s higher education system. It was originally established in 1996 at the former National University of Rwanda in Huye, where it played an important role in nurturing artistic expression among students.
Its activities were suspended in 2013 when several public higher learning institutions merged to form the modern University of Rwanda.
That merger brought together seven public institutions—including the National University of Rwanda, Kigali Institute of Science and Technology, and Kigali Institute of Education—into a single national university aimed at strengthening academic research, innovation and specialized training across the country.
Today, the University of Rwanda operates multiple colleges and campuses nationwide and remains the country’s largest public higher education institution, serving tens of thousands of students across fields ranging from science and engineering to arts and humanities.
The reopening of the arts and creativity center therefore reflects a broader recognition of the growing importance of creative industries in Rwanda’s development agenda, particularly as sectors such as film, fashion, theatre and digital media continue to expand.
By reconnecting students with practical artistic training and professional networks, university officials believe the center will become a vital platform for cultivating the next generation of Rwandan creatives.
