The University of Rwanda (UR) has been selected as one of the eight institutional nodes that will form the Regional Artificial Intelligence (AI) Network for East Africa, a landmark initiative aimed at strengthening AI education, research, innovation, and policy engagement across the East African Community (EAC).

UR will be leading the group of three Rwanda-based universities, namely the African Institute for Mathematical Science (AIMS), Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the Adventist University of Central Africa (AUCA).

The Regional AI Network was officially launched on 29 July 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, during the 17th IUCEA Annual Meeting and Conference held in Nairobi from 29th to 30th July 2026. It brought together higher education institutions, policymakers, and development partners committed to advancing responsible AI development and adoption throughout the region.

The Network adopts a federated and distributed model, connecting leading universities across EAC Partner States as specialised institutional nodes. Each participating institution contributes its unique expertise in AI education, research, innovation, and policy while collaborating through joint academic programmes, multidisciplinary research, knowledge exchange, and coordinated regional initiatives.

As one of the selected institutional nodes, the University of Rwanda will play a strategic role in advancing artificial intelligence capacity within the region by contributing to cutting-edge research, developing highly skilled AI professionals, fostering innovation, and supporting evidence-based policy development. The university’s participation also reinforces its commitment to addressing regional and global challenges through science, technology, and innovation.

Collectively, the eight institutional nodes will create an integrated academic ecosystem dedicated to enhancing AI skills, generating impactful research, and promoting the responsible and ethical adoption of artificial intelligence across East Africa.

The Regional AI Network will also serve as the foundation for the East African Centre of Excellence in AI Education and Research, an initiative that was approved by the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA) Executive Committee and subsequently endorsed by the 20th Meeting of the Sectoral Council on Education, Science and Technology, Culture and Sports (SCESTCS).