April 2023 marked the 29th anniversary of the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda — the mass slaughter of the Tutsi tribe by members of the Hutu majority government, which recruited and pressured Hutu civilians to kill their Tutsi neighbors and destroy or steal their property.
More than 1 million Rwandans were killed from April to July 1994, which left the country reeling.
Kent State University graduate Pacifique Niyonzima was the youngest member of his Tutsi family to survive. As a teen, he was sponsored by a couple, Jill and Mike Burke, of Hudson, Ohio, who made him part of their family and educated him.
After earning his bachelor’s degree at Walsh University in Canton, Ohio, Niyonzima enrolled in Kent State’s master’s degree program for higher education administration, an educational journey during which he worked to set the table for Kent State’s operations in Rwanda.
Niyonzima is now back living in Rwanda, leading Kent State’s outreach efforts in Rwanda and its partnership with the University of Rwanda.
His journey from genocide survivor to an agent for educational change in his native country is one that amazes even Niyonzima himself.
“This was a dream coming true. I know that,” he said. “Initiating Kent State and the University of Rwanda was a perfect match. This opportunity opened a door to give back to my home country Rwanda and Kent State.”
In 2018, while studying for his master’s degree, Niyonzima arranged to serve an internship in the office of the vice-chancellor of the University of Rwanda in Kigali, the nation’s capital and largest city. He saw how his nation had been transformed in the years he was away and how the government was committed to using education to promote peace.
During a 2018 interview, as he was about to embark on his internship, Niyonzima told Kent State Magazine, “I feel like I have two homes, Rwanda and the United States. I hope to one day take American students to Rwanda so they can learn about the culture and bring Rwandan students to America for an exchange. That way I can do something to benefit both my homes.”
(Courtesy of Pacifique Niyonzima)
After returning home, he became even more dedicated to the vision of offering shared learning between students from Kent State and the University of Rwanda. When searching for a capstone project for his master’s degree, Niyonzima reached out to Sarah Schmidt, assistant director for global education initiatives at Kent State University at Stark, who also is an instructor in the School of Peace and Conflict Studies, focusing her research on international peace and conflict resolution.
He and Schmidt worked with others to map out an education-abroad course, Rwanda After the Genocide, which first took place in Kigali in 2019 and has continued annually, except for a pandemic hiatus. The course is now part of the three-week Kigali Summer Institute.
After earning his master’s degree in 2019, Niyonzima began working on his doctorate degree in inter-professional leadership and, as a graduate assistant, used his connections at Kent State to promote Rwanda, specifically the University of Rwanda.
He shared with Marcello Fantoni, Ph.D., Kent State’s vice president for global education, his thoughts on how Kent State and the University of Rwanda could form a collaboration.
Rwanda, Fantoni has said, was the right fit for Kent State for many reasons. Kent State was already looking for a base of operations in Africa to expand its international presence, Rwanda offered a safe location, and its university’s dedication to peace and conflict studies closely mirrored the values of Kent State’s School of Peace and Conflict Studies.
In May 2022, the Kent State University Board of Trustees approved the creation of a non-profit Community Benefit Company in Rwanda, to use as a base of recruitment operations for all of Africa, and Niyonzima went home to serve as program manager for KSU Study Abroad Africa CBC.
When Schmidt’s newest cohort arrived for the Kigali Summer Institute earlier this month, Niyonzima was there to greet them.
Niyonzima said he is happy to see his vision to create a connection between his two countries, and his two schools come to fruition, and to see the Kigali Summer Institute continue to grow.
Moreover, he shared the hope he has for Rwanda’s future growth and development and the vital role he believes Kent State will play in that future, by offering educational opportunities for students from the U.S., Rwandan and other African nations.
“The presence of Kent State in Rwanda aligns with the direction of Rwanda, which aims to become a middle-income country by 2035 and a developed country by 2050,” he said. “Education is the key driver to achieve this milestone. Kent State will significantly contribute to the development of Rwanda, and it is already happening.”
One of his main projects is developing a two-plus-two program, in which students from Rwanda or other African nations can study at the University of Rwanda for two years, and then complete their final two years and their degree at Kent State.
He noted how 12 students from the University of Rwanda already are enrolled at Kent State, sponsored by the Rwandan government, and more are expected.
“Those students study the areas that are highly needed in Rwanda and the region. They are the future leaders who can transform Rwanda and Africa,” Niyonzima said.
In 2018 Niyonzima shared in his own words the details of his life in the aftermath of the genocide, how he ended up in the U.S., and the key role that Kent State has played in his educational journey. Read that story here.
Top photo caption:
Pacifique Niyonzima (far right) greets the third cohort of Kent State students arriving for the three-week Kigali Summer Institute.