Adventist University of Central Africa(AUCA)
The Adventist University of Central Africa is a private higher education institution located in Kigali Province Established in 1984. Officially recognized by the Ministry of Education, Rwanda. Adventist University of Central Africa (AUCA) is a small coeducational Rwandan higher education institution formally affiliated with the Christian-Protestant religion. Adventist University of Central Africa (AUCA) offers courses and programs leading to officially recognized higher education degrees in several areas of study. AUCA also provides several academic and non-academic facilities and services to students including a library, as well as administrative services
Vision:
AUCA is committed to being the center of excellence in undergraduate and graduate programs. Quality shall be the hallmark of all its undertaking including research and service delivery to its Students, Faculty, Staff, and the Community at large.
Mission:
AUCA is committed to providing Christ-centered quality education founded on a holistic approach that prepares people for the service of this life and the life to come.
History
The Adventist University of Central Africa was established in 1978 but officially opened on 15 October 1984. The school closed in 1994 due to political unrest but was reestablished in 1996 in Kigali.
Mudende Campus
Initially, the campus was located at Mudende, in Gisenyi prefecture (one component of the current Western Province). The University grew for 10 years until the start of the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi (April 94 – July 94). During the genocide, there was a general breakdown in law and order, and the Mudende campus was looted by the local population, the military, militias, and even AUCA staff before they fled. After the killing stopped, the vacant campus became “a sort of no man’s land” for several years and the Mudende campus was stripped of anything removable.
At the end of 1996, the campus became a shelter for the first influx of Zairian refugees from nearby Kibumba (DRC). Although a few months later the Zairian refugees returned home, a larger group of refugees took over the campus, further stripping it of salable items and destroying fixed assets like washrooms. Conflict during the period 1997-99 saw additional looting.
The University started negotiations with the Rwandan government in 1999 to sell the Mudende campus but it was not until 2003 that an agreement was reached. Finally, in February 2006 the former campus of the Government of Rwanda, represented by its Ministry of Defense, took over the old campus as a base for the Rwanda Defense Forces.
Gishushu, Kigali Campus
The University reopened in 1996 using modest buildings and with limited course offerings. The 1.7-hectare campus was not deemed large enough for a proper university so a search commenced for a larger site. However, the strategic location of Gishushu resulted in the school building a Science Centre and Technology there. Groundbreaking occurred on March 8th, 2012 with the Prime Minister of Rwanda and the President of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in attendance. After a two and a half year effort, the science center was inaugurated on 11 February 2015 by the President of the General Conference of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The new building contains 24 classrooms which can each hold 40 to 60 students, all with fully networked, digitally responsive whiteboards that facilitate presentations and the instant archiving of lecture notes.
The university is working to make all of its teaching materials available digitally. Even the library will be fully digitized, with e-books to students’ computers. features state of the art
Masoro, Kigali Campus
With proceeds from the sale of Mudende and church appropriations, a 22-hectare site was secured for a new campus within sight of Kigali's International Airport. Construction of the new campus began on 12th May 2005 with the ground-breaking for the central academic block. Construction on a 2000-seat multi-purpose conference hall began in February 2009 and was completed in September 2011. Paving and other buildings followed.
Degree courses
As of 2015 AUCA offers both undergraduate and masters level programs in the following areas
Undergraduate
- Faculty of Business Administration
- Faculty of Education
- Faculty of Theology
- Faculty of Information Technology
- Faculty of Medical Sciences
Masters
- Master of Education
- Master of Business Administration MBA
- Masters of Science in Administration: International Development Program
