Transparency International Rwanda (TI-Rwanda) in partnership with Globethics.net launched extended Pilot Training Workshop for 2022 in Kigali on the Ethics Performance Management System of Higher Education Institutions (HEI) referred to as “HIGHER EDUCATION - ETHICS MODEL OF EXCELLENCE TOOL (HE-EMET)” and Assessment. This workshop gathered representatives from 20 universities.

This workshop, held from 26th to 30th September 2022, started with an open conference with the participation of Mr. Apollinaire Mupiganyi, Executive Director of TI-Rwanda, Prof. Obiora Ike, Executive Director of Globethics.net, Dr. Mrs Rose Mukankomeje, Director of the Higher Education Council (HEC) and Prof. Kelvin Onongha, Vice-Chancellor of the Adventist University of Central Africa (AUCA). The conference was also attended by some heads of institutions via Zoom.

The Globethics.net team was also represented by Ms Christine Housel, Head of Donor Relations and Strategic Partnerships, Mr Herbert Makinda, Regional Officer of the Nairobi-basedEast Africa regional office, Dr Rev. Emmanuel Ansah, National Director of Globethics.net Ghana (online), and Ms Nadia Balgobin, member of the Globethics.net Pool of Experts, who facilitated the week of pilot assessment training on the Higher Education - Ethics Model of Excellence Tool (HE-EMET).

This pilot workshop was aimed at introducing participants to the concept and methodologies around academic ethics excellence and to test its relevance with Rwandan higher learning institutions. Throughout the week, the participants were guided through a systematic approach, with the use of blended learning content, on self-assessment approaches and trained on how to go about undertaking an ethics assessment for their institution. At the end of the week, the participants were organised into teams of ethics assessors so that they could test the EMET online platform and apply the learnings through the two half-day on-site assessments as a practical exercise. This comprehensive approach was well received by the participants who went into their first assessment confident, prepared, enthusiastic, and quite comfortable with the new skills they acquired in the workshop.

The training workshop was well attended with representatives from 20 universities participating, which represents a level of participation of 50% of the academic institutions in Rwanda. Among the participants were university staff ranging from Human Resources Manager, Quality Manager, Finance Manager, Researcher, Teachers, to a Deputy Vice Chancellor. After five days of training, the participants received their certificate of attendance for their presence and a book from Globethics.net’s publications. Following this week of training, participants are invited to organise one full assessment of their respective institutions and to participate in an external assessment within 20 days. Once they have completed those important tasks, the participants will receive a second certificate confirming their new skills as Lead Ethics Assessor.

Feedback received from participants affirmed that this new approach to self-assessment and embedding ethics in their institution was extremely useful. The participants felt that this workshop has impacted their personal behaviours and will help equally their institution to achieve academic ethic excellence which is greatly needed for the future of the country. This was confirmed by the workshop evaluation where over 90% of respondents said they would recommend this approach to their institution.

When asked how this will affect their personal behaviour, one participant wrote the following : “This workshop helped me realize that we have to include ethical behaviours in our daily life and for my institution, this workshop will help it improve their ethical performance.”

Another positive outcome of this workshop is the high interest expressed by several participants to collaborate with Globethics.net and TI-Rwanda. One participant from a research institute offered to work with Globethics.net to further develop the ethics perception survey which was conducted with the participants prior to the workshop. He would like to make it a national ethics perception survey with the academic institutions in order to set a baseline and to measure progress over time. Several participants also expressed interest in the Globethics.net Academy, publications opportunities, and partnership with Globethics.net.

The TI-Rwanda and Globethcs.net team took the opportunity to visit three heads of higher learning institutions who expressed great interest in pursuing their collaboration with Globethics.net and to inform their network of the EMET initiative.

TI-Rwanda thank the six universities in Kigali which hosted the six teams of assessors within their institution to enable them to undertake their respective assessments.
thanks also to the excellent collaboration and commitment of TI-Rwanda’s partner Globethics.net and its team, the pilot workshop in Rwanda was a great success.

TI-Rwanda and Globethics.net shall build on the good collaboration with Rwandan universities and shall reach out to include academic institutions who are members of some of the same university networks as the Rwandan participating higher education institutions in those two other pilot countries.

After Kigali, Globethics.net will be preparing two more pilots this year in Accra, Ghana in November and, in Sofia, Bulgaria in December 2022.