Prof. Kabaji, Chancellor Acceptance Speech

ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY PROFESSOR EGARA S. KABAJI ON HIS INAUGURATION AS CHANCELLOR OF MOUNT KIGALI UNIVERSITY, RWANDA

Distinguished guests, esteemed members of the The Chairman, Board of Trustees, Members of the Board, the Vice-Chancellor and members of the University Senate, faculty, students, staff, and friends of Mount Kigali University

I stand before you today, deeply humbled and profoundly honoured to accept the responsibility bestowed upon me as the Chancellor of this great institution. This moment is not just personal; it is historic, for it signifies our collective commitment to the future of African scholarship and the advancement of knowledge rooted in our own soil, nourished by our own experiences, and inspired by our shared dreams.

When I look at Mount Kigali University, I do not merely see buildings, lecture halls, and offices. I see possibility, the possibility of transformation, the promise of a university poised to take its place among the great centers of learning in Africa and beyond. I see a community ready to reimagine what it means to be a university in the twenty-first century, not just as a site of instruction, but as a hotspot for the generation of ideas, a laboratory of thought, and a crucible for innovation.

Great universities, ladies and gentlemen, are not known merely for their size, wealth, or architectural beauty. They are known for research, publication, and community service. They are known for their capacity to generate new knowledge, to ask difficult questions, to challenge old assumptions, and to offer solutions to the pressing problems of their societies. It is in the laboratories, in the libraries, in the field, and in the pages of journals that the greatness of a university is tested and affirmed.

It is my earnest wish that Mount Kigali University, during my tenure as Chancellor, will position itself firmly within that league of great universities, those that dare to dream, to think, and to produce knowledge that changes lives. We must become a university that is known, cited, and respected, not only in Kigali, not only in Rwanda, but across Africa and the world.

Permit me to speak from the heart. Across the world, universities are ranked not by their buildings, not by the number of graduates they produce, but by the impact of their research and the visibility of their publications. In the digital era, knowledge is measured in part by how widely it travels, and the metric for that is publication and citation. The webometric ranking of universities, which assesses global visibility and research output, is shaped largely by how much a university publishes, how accessible its work is online, and how often it is cited.

Sadly, Africa contributes very little to the global pool of knowledge. Studies show that less than 3% of global scientific publications originate from the African continent. This is a painful reality. It means that our stories, our innovations, our theories, and our wisdom are underrepresented in the global discourse. We cannot continue to consume knowledge produced elsewhere and neglect our own capacity to generate it.

This must change. It must change here. It must change now.

As scholars, we are custodians of truth and creators of ideas. We are called not only to teach but to think, write, and disseminate knowledge. It is through research and publication that universities fulfill their moral and intellectual mandate. A university without a culture of publication is like a lamp without oil, its light is dim and fleeting.

Therefore, as I assume this office, I want to make a personal and institutional commitment: to nurture a culture of research, writing, and publication at Mount Kigali University. My dream is that, within four years, this university will be recognized as a hub for the production of knowledge in the region, a place where scholars engage in rigorous research, publish their findings, and influence policy and practice across Africa.

To turn that dream into reality, we must begin by building structures that sustain scholarly work. That is why today, I am pleased to announce a personal donation of 22 million Rwandan francs as seed money to jumpstart a publishing culture at Mount Kigali University.

This seed fund will be used to register and operationalize two academic journals, one focusing on the humanities and social sciences, and the other on science, technology, and innovation. These journals will be processed and developed with the goal of being indexed in international databases, ensuring that our research is visible and respected globally.

But that is not all. A significant portion of this fund will also go toward the establishment of the Mount Kigali University Press, an initiative that is very close to my heart. Let me make it clear that a university press is not about machines or printing facilities. It is about people and ideas. It is about a dedicated team of editors, writers, designers, and scholars working together to process knowledge and give it life. A university press is the intellectual engine of a university, where ideas are refined, shaped, and presented to the world in the form of high-quality publications.

This press will produce ideas, shape minds, and foster conversations that move our societies forward. It will be the intellectual engine that drives Mount Kigali University into the future. To further enrich the university’s intellectual resources, I have also donated five to ten copies of each of my 52 published works to the Mount Kigali University Library. These books, spanning literature, cultural studies, children’s stories, and creative writing, are a small contribution toward building a vibrant reading and research culture within our academic community. I hope they will serve as an inspiration to our students, scholars, and readers for generations to come.

The Mount Kigali University Press will serve as a home for scholarly and creative expression. It will publish academic works, children’s literature, and culturally relevant educational materials that reflect our lived experiences and aspirations. I envision a press driven by editorial excellence and a commitment to quality, producing books that nurture a reading culture among Rwandan children and learners across East Africa, books that speak in our voices, reflect our realities, and ignite our imagination.

However, vision without structure is only a dream. To actualize this dream, the university must develop a robust business plan and a comprehensive strategic plan to guide these initiatives. We must ensure sustainability, accountability, and excellence at every level. I call upon the University Council, the Vice-Chancellor, faculty, and staff to work together to design a roadmap that will transform these ambitions into tangible outcomes.

I will be happiest if, at the end of my four-year tenure, we can look back and see a university standing tall in research, publication, and dissemination of knowledge, a university that others look up to, learn from, and collaborate with.

Let us, therefore, cultivate a new mindset, one that celebrates scholarship, values intellectual labour, and rewards creativity. Let us create an environment where researchers are supported, writers are encouraged, and students are inspired to innovate. Let us make Mount Kigali University a place where the spirit of inquiry thrives and where ideas are not feared but fertilized.

I am fully aware that this journey will not be easy. Building a culture of research and publication takes time, resources, and persistence. But I have learned in my many years of academic life that no institution becomes great by accident. Greatness is built — deliberately, painstakingly, and collectively. It is built by people who believe in something larger than themselves and are willing to work for it.

And so, as we begin this new chapter, I invite every member of the Mount Kigali University community, from the youngest student to the most senior professor, to join hands in this noble enterprise. Let us write. Let us research. Let us publish. Let us dream. Let us make Mount Kigali University a lighthouse of knowledge shining from the heart of Kigali to the rest of the world.

I accept this appointment with humility, gratitude, and a deep sense of purpose. I pledge to serve with integrity, to lead with vision, and to listen with empathy. Together, we shall write a new story — a story of a university that refused to be small, a university that believed in its potential, a university that dared to think.

May Mount Kigali University rise to greatness.
May its scholars illuminate Africa.
May its press echo the voices of generations to come.

Thank you.

Prof. Egara Kabaji

Chancellor, Mount Kigali University