The development of the agricultural sector
is facing a few obstacles related to the low productivity
of the sector, soils and environment degradation.
Today, your institute is committed to improving
the situation by providing farmers with skilled
experts. In this regards what main challenges
of the ISAE?
Our Institute was created in 1989. Our mission
is to train engineers, technicians with A1 level
and send them to work on the field and assist
farmers. This is very specific to our institution,
our engineers are meant to work with the population.
As you mentionned, Rwanda is facing problems in
terms of low soils fertility, erosion and lack
of know-how. So, we train our students so that
they can themselves train farmers on new technics
and ways to fight erosion, use quality seeds,
fight plant illnesses and how to use efficiently
all types of fertilizers.
Animal Husbandry is also part of our training
program. We try to improve technic of breeding
animals. That is the reason we have six departments
on the campus:
Regarding agriculture, we have four: Plant protection,
rural engineering, Agro-forestry, Agro-economy.
As for animal husbandry, we have two departments:
Zootechnics and animal health.
Can you tell us more about the curriculum,
the number of students, and the qualification
of your teachers?
Our programs are based on a three-year course.
The first year is focused on basic knowledge in
Physics, chemistry, biology, anatomy. Then, our
students specialize during the second and third
years. Our courses are 50% theoretical and 50%
practical. So, our students spend 50% of their
time on the field. Our programs have been elaborated
in conjunction with other institutes such as the
National University of Butare, ISAR, we even invite
experts from neighboring countries to join us
and study together the possibilities for new programs.
We have today 800 students within our six departments.
We have 45 teachers: 30 are permanent and the
15 others are visitors coming from other national
institutes and universities. Some of our teachers
also go and teach in other institutes from time
to time, we exchange our teachers. However, we
still have a lot of teachers not having their
Ph.D and some of them are completing their qualifications
abroad. In the meantime, we work with expatriates,
especially from India, Nigeria, Burundi.
Since the institute was created, 200 students
have graduated and are now working on the field.
Many of them work NGOs, at the Ministry of Agriculture
or have become teachers.
What is the feedback that you receive from
your former students?
Unfortunately, they face a lot of problems, especially
the lack of equipment. For this reason, some of
the advises they give to the farmers cannot be
implemented.
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Where do your resources
mainly come from?
Most of our financial resources come from the
government. In terms of know-how and technology
transfers, we collaborate with some German institutes
within the framework of our "jumelage"
with the Rhineland palatinate. We have initiated
contacts with a university in Canada and we hope
to develop more contacts with Belgium and French
institutes.
The Rwandan rural population is growing faster
that the job opportunities in those rural areas.
Does the ISAE play a role in helping farmers diversify
their activities into new sectors of the economy
such as agro-processing?
90% of the population depends on agro-related
activities. And the agricultural sector is becoming
less productive due to lower soil fertility and
degradation of the environment. So, the government
is trying to make part of the population shift
to new activities, some of them could still be
related to the agricultural sector but on the
downstream. So, we teach our students how to become
an entrepreneur and manage their own business.
Instead of looking for a job, they can create
jobs in villages and show the farmers how to work
in modern way. This is the reason we created the
department for Agro-economy. Unfortunately, the
young graduates often face financial difficulties
for their projects and they do not have an easy
access to bank loans. However, some institutions
are starting to get involved, especially the "Union
des Banques Populaires" that give small loans
(around 2,000$) to young graduates. With this
money, they can start cultivating tomatoes, pinapples
or breed chicken or goats.
Animal husbandry is a sector that still needs
to be boosted. In your opinion, what are the issues
to be tackled in priority?
The Ministry of Agriculture set up a priority,
the breeding of cows for milk production. Our
national milk production is too low for the needs
of the country. But, all the related services
such as transport, transformation, distribution
have to be modernized. Our government has started
importing cows endowed with great genetical value
from Germany, South Africa. But we have to provide
our farmers with the know-how and the equipment
to make those cows productive.
On a more personal level, can tell us about
the reasons that motivated your working for the
ISAE?
I am a veterinary. After my studies, I specialised
in bovine reproduction in France and in Japan.
I learnt many techniques of artificial insemination
and cells transplant. I have been in that field
for 20 years. And it is only four years ago that
I started teaching at the ISAE.
NB : Winne shall not be responsible for unedited
transcriptions
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