The ceremony also marked a historic milestone for UGHE as it graduated its first cohort of medical doctors, celebrating its 10th anniversary.
The graduation, held at UGHE's Butaro campus, saw 30 medical doctors and 48 Master of Science in Global Health Delivery (MGHD) graduates receive their degrees. The event was presided over by Prime Minister Dr. Justin Nsengiyumva and attended by senior government officials, development partners, faculty, students, and alumni.
UGHE Chancellor Dr. Jim Yong Kim conferred the honorary degree to First Lady Kagame, describing her as 'an accomplished leader whose work spans education, health, and social transformation.'
He praised her contributions through initiatives such as the Imbuto Foundation, which champions girls' education, reproductive health, and HIV/AIDS prevention, as well as her leadership in the Organization of African First Ladies for Development and the Unity Club promoting national reconciliation.
'Her moral guidance, presence, and advocacy have strengthened UGHE's growth, credibility, and visibility across Africa and the world,' Dr. Kim said. 'It is my distinct honor and privilege to confer upon Her Excellency Mrs. Jeannette Kagame the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, in recognition of her exceptional leadership and distinguished public service.'
Receiving the honour, First Lady Kagame expressed her deep gratitude and reflected on the legacy of the late Dr. Paul Farmer, UGHE's founding chancellor.
'To be honoured in this way is a gift for which I can only find a few words, yet to be watched from heaven by a dear friend as we celebrate those who have sought to honour his legacy through their own excellence means that I must try. What a milestone,' she said.
She reflected on how, for many years, solutions to health challenges were often perceived as something that had to come from outside the continent. 'Today we affirm a different truth,' she said. 'Pain, disease, and avoidable death are not our destiny, and neither are we bound to wait for answers to arrive from afar.'
Addressing the graduates directly, the First Lady challenged them to see themselves as agents of transformation.
'Your greatness is a revolution in the making,' she said. 'Congratulations for choosing to lay your brick in the resilience of our systems. May your contribution to global health and to the lives you will save and improve bear witness to every worth of late night of study, every moment of doubt, and every final push of determination.'
In his address, Prime Minister Nsengiyumva highlighted the critical role the graduates will play amid mounting pressures on health systems both in Rwanda and globally.
'Emerging diseases, workforce shortages, and financing constraints are no longer abstract challenges,' he said. 'Responding effectively requires more than clinical expertise; it demands an understanding of policy, management, data, and implementation, as well as the ability to translate plans into results.'
The Prime Minister further emphasised that UGHE graduates are expected to serve not only as practitioners but also as leaders capable of strengthening institutions, improving service delivery, and supporting sound decision-making across the health sector.
UGHE Chancellor Dr. Kim highlighted the uniqueness of the university's journey, describing it as the product of an extraordinary partnership between the Government of Rwanda and global partners.
'This could not have happened in the vast majority of countries that I have been in,' he said, underscoring Rwanda's leadership and long-term vision in building sustainable health systems.
Founded in 2015 with support from Partners In Health (PIH), UGHE inaugurated its permanent Butaro campus in 2019. The university offers six programs in partnership with Harvard University and has graduated 330 master's degree holders, with 444 students currently enrolled.
Recognised for its growing academic reputation, Times Higher Education in 2024 ranked UGHE fourth among 129 leading universities in Sub-Saharan Africa.
With its graduates and initiatives, UGHE continues to play a critical role in Rwanda's plans to expand its healthcare workforce and strengthen health systems, a vision strongly supported by First Lady Jeannette Kagame and President Paul Kagame's administration throughout the university's journey.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
