To finance your semester abroad, you can apply for a four-month Promos scholarship from the DAAD funding program for enhancing mobility of students at German higher education institutions. In addition to a Promos grant, you may also be able to receive BAföG abroad.

How does the application process for a Promos scholarship work?

You submit your proposal to JGU’s International Office via the online portal and as a PDF file by e-mail. You can expect a letter of acceptance or letter of rejection eight to ten weeks after the application deadline.

What are the application deadlines for a Promos scholarship?

Please apply by March 31, in case you want to stay in the second half of the current year. If you want to travel in the first half of the following year, please apply by October 31.

Which documents do I need for the application for a Promos scholarship?

For the application, you will need a CV with a picture, a letter of motivation, a transcript of records, proof of language proficiency in English, an enrollment certificate for the current semester, a letter of recommendation from a member of the teaching staff, and proof of the academic calendar at the host university.

What benefits come with a Promos scholarship?

You will receive a partial scholarship installment of approximately € 550 per month. In addition, you will be supported with a one-off mobility rate of €1,275 for your trip to Rwanda. The current funding rates can be found in the tables of the JGU International Office.

Which documents do I have to send to the Promos office after my semester abroad?

If approved, send a report together with a Certificate of Attendance from UR and a copy of your transcript of records from JGU to the Promos office by e-mail after your semester abroad.

How do I register at UR?

To register at UR, first contact Junior Prof. Dr. Franziska Fay, who will put you in touch with Prof. Dr. Charles Kabwete, the UR’s partnership officer. He will then put you in touch with the person responsible for enrollment and course registration.

What documents do I need for enrollment at the UR?

For enrollment at the UR, you usually need a CV, a letter of motivation and a copy of your passport.

How long is the semester at UR?

As a rule, the academic year at the UR begins in mid-September and ends in mid-May. Semester 1 is expected to run from mid-September to the beginning of January, semester 2 is expected to run from mid-January to mid-May.

Which courses can I attend at the UR?

At UR, you will attend courses at the School of Governance, Development and Society in the College of Arts and Social Sciences. You can choose your courses from the courses offered by the departments there – Political Science and International Relations, Governance and Public Administration, History and Heritage Studies, Development Studies, Social Sciences. A course usually lasts six hours and extends over a whole day. The language of instruction is English.

How can I get credit for the courses after my semester abroad?

For credit transfer of courses completed at the UR, it is best to consult the academic advisory office of your respective degree program in advance. Your contact person for the B.A. degree program Cultural Anthropology is Céline Molter.

How do I find accommodation in Huye?

In Huye, you can either rent a room in a student residence home or your own apartment. When looking for accommodation, it can be helpful to talk to former exchange students.

How do I apply for a visa for my semester abroad?

To enter Rwanda, first apply for a tourist visa online or when you arrive at the airport in the capital Kigali. The fee is 50 US dollars for a single entry and a stay of 30 days. Alternatively, you can also apply online for an East Africa tourist visa for 100 US dollars, which allows you to travel from Rwanda to Uganda and Kenya for a validity period of 90 days without any further visa fees. Once you have received your enrollment documents at UR, you can apply for a student visa at the Huye City Council or online, for which you will need to provide a copy of your passport, a certificate of good conduct and an enrollment certificate for the current semester from JGU. You can then collect your student visa from the Huye City Council.

How do I get from Kigali to the UR in Huye?

The UR is located around three hours’ drive south of Kigali in the small town of Huye. In Kigali, various bus companies depart every half hour from Nyabugogo bus station to Huye. You can easily buy a ticket on the spot. You are quite flexible when it comes to mobility, as the public transport infrastructure in the country is well developed.

What medical precautions should I take for my semester abroad?

Even if no compulsory vaccinations are required for entry into Rwanda from Europe, it is advisable to ensure that you are fully protected with the usual standard vaccinations and to have a vaccination against hepatitis A and poliomyelitis as special travel vaccinations. Overall, you can use the general travel advice from the Federal Foreign Office as a guide for your health precautions and consult your family doctor. It is also advisable to take out travel abroad health insurance for your semester abroad.

Who can I contact locally in Rwanda?

If you have any questions, especially if you are interested in networking with other exchange students and looking for current cultural events, you can contact Hannah Schühle, who heads the coordination office for the partnership between Rhineland-Palatinate and Rwanda in Kigali.

What can I do in my free time in Rwanda?

Venues with exhibitions, readings, lectures and concerts in Kigali include the Goethe-Institut or the Institut français. Other venues for arts, performances, concerts and literature are the cultural center L*Espace Rwanda, the Ikirezi Bookshop, the Kigali Public Library and the Impact Hub. The Ethnographic Museum on the outskirts of Huye is also well worth a visit.

Where can I find out more about the genocide against the Tutsi?

With regard to the genocide against the Tutsi, we recommend visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial and the Belgian Peacekeepers Memorial as well as the Murambi Genocide Memorial in Nyamagabe. It is also worth visiting the memorial on the campus in Huye. Equally interesting is the Rwanda Art Museum in Kigali near the airport, which presents contemporary arts in the palace of former President Juvénal Habyarimana. Next to the museum building you can still see the remains of the plane that was shot down on April 6, 1994 with Habyarimana as passenger.

Where can I find out more about the German colonial era?

The Kandt House Museum in Kigali offers historical insights into the German colonial era. Richard Kandt, the museum’s namesake, initially stayed in Rwanda as an explorer and from 1907 to 1916 as the first “Imperial Resident”.

Where can I find out more about the Rwandan monarchy?

Between Kigali and Huye lies Nyanza, the former royal capital of Rwanda, where you can visit a replica of the royal palace and the royal residence built by the Belgians for Mutare III in the early 1930s.