In a remarkable milestone for African innovation and higher education, UR’s African Centre of Excellence in Internet of Things (ACE-IoT) has been awarded international accreditation by Agency for Quality Assurance through Accreditation of Study Programs (AQAS), one of Europe’s most respected quality assurance and accreditation agencies based in Germany.

This achievement not only highlights the Centre’s excellence in research, teaching, and technology training but also places it firmly on the global academic map.

The programs which got the accreditation are 2 PhD programs: PhD in IoT: Embedded computing Systems, PhD in IoT: Wireless Intelligent Sensor Networking and 2 master’s programs: Msc in IoT: Embedded computing Systems and Msc in IoT: Wireless Intelligent Sensor Networking.

The Agency for Quality Assurance through Accreditation of Study Programs (AQAS) is an independent, non-profit German organization that has been evaluating and accrediting higher education programmes worldwide since 2001. AQAS is recognized for its adherence to the Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance in the European Higher Education Area (ESG)—a benchmark used throughout Europe to ensure academic quality, transparency, and fairness in education.

International accreditation from AQAS means ACEIoT ‘s programmes have undergone a thorough review by external experts and has met or exceeded rigorous quality standards that are recognised not only in Europe but in many countries around the world.

An international panel of experts reviewed the documentation and conducted interviews, ultimately concluding that ACE-IoT stands on par with institutions meeting the high-quality standards set in the European Higher Education Area.

This process offers significant benefits for the University of Rwanda, students, and employers by ensuring the curriculum, faculty, and learning outcomes are relevant and competitive in a globalized market.

Reacting to this achievement, the Centre Director, Prof. Damien Hanyurwimfura expressed that this is another key milestone achieved.

“With this accreditation, ACE-IoT joins a distinguished group of global centres recognised for academic excellence. This means that degrees, certificates, and research outputs from ACE-IoT are now more likely to be accepted and trusted by universities, employers, and collaborators around the world”, he said.

This opens doors for students and staff to pursue opportunities in international institutions and partnerships.

“Governments, industry partners, and donors increasingly invest in institutions with proven quality assurance. AQAS accreditation gives ACE-IoT a stronger case for funding and support that can drive innovation across Africa’s technology ecosystems”, he added. 

The African Centre of Excellence in Internet of Things stands ready to lead a new generation of problem-solvers equipped with the skills, knowledge, and international credibility needed to make an impact on the continental and global stage.

ACEIoT got this accreditation along with the African Centre of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (ACEITLMS).

Adopted on 1 December 2025, this accreditation is conditional and valid until 31 December 2031.

Msc Accreditation certificate

PhD Accreditation certificate

Link to AQAS accredited programs: https://www.aqas.eu/references/