Kigali, November 10, 2023:  The Minister of Education Gaspard Twagirayezu launched the University Innovation Pod (UNIPOD), a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) funded initiative, aimed at promoting innovation, inter-disciplinary research and nurturing the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs in the University.

The event held at the College of Science and Technology (UR-CST) in Kigali was one of the key activities to mark the second UR Innovation Week and saw young innovators presenting innovative solutions to diverse societal challenges. The18 outstanding projects were recognized and awarded of which 8 focused on Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things got Frw 5 million each while the remaining ones focusing on different other domains were awarded from Frw1 million to Frw 5 million.

The groundbreaking moment on the sidelines of the University of Rwanda Innovation Week 2023, brought together dignitaries including the Ministry of Education, UNDP representatives, partners, University of Rwanda academic staff and students, and other various stakeholders.

 In his remarks, Hon.Twagirayezu said, “Investing in our people is investing in the future of our nation. This maker-space bridges the gap between our schools and the community.”

“The country's ambition is to become a model innovative society, and that journey is now. People who make this journey a reality are students," he said, urging them to connect their visions to societal problems,” he said.

“You should not count yourselves out of what is happening in this world," he added, recommending them to utilize the UniPod effectively, innovate more, and be available anytime,” he added.

The winning students shared their journeys and motivations behind their solutions

Among the winners is Marie Ritha Umutoni, a final year student at UR, focusing on Embedded Computing Systems at the African Centre of Excellence in Internet of Things (CEIoT). She won an award in Internet of Things (IoT) and AI, leading her startup, ‘Ibaba Intelligence Solutions’.

She developed a security system for home surveillance and proximity detection in unsafe areas. It uses inexpensive, non-intrusive components to identify moving objects like humans, animals, and vegetation.

Once a motion is detected, the system can trigger actions like sounding an alarm or notifying owners via SMS or a call to alert them of a potential intruder. To achieve real-time, on-the-edge classification of moving objects, she cleverly combined analog Passive Infra-Red (PIR) sensor data with TinyML inference. This ensures high accuracy and low latency for efficient detection and classification of various moving objects.

 Equally, Emmanuel Niyibikora, a crop science student at UR, Busogo campus, developed a unique project called ‘Hair Wastes Shoe Cream’. After observing the wastage of salon hair clippings, he decided to recycle them into a distinctive black shoe cream. His product is a semi-solid, multipurpose product and is expected to solve a couple of market demands, especially reducing shoe cream import quantity.

Furthermore, Gasana Bisetsa Jururyishya, a master’s student, whose project is named ‘Farm Vision’, has the goal to address challenges in the agricultural sector by creating a system that enables farmers to forecast and monitor the health status of their crops.

The device, which can be installed on the farm, utilizes an AI model to capture and analyze images, identifying potential issues such as pests. Farmers will be receiving notifications, allowing them to take timely action without physically visiting the farm, streamlining crop management and enhancing overall efficiency in agriculture.

Shauri Kalibatha Jonathan, a student in mechanical engineering manufacturing at IPRC Ngoma, has developed ‘Re-Banatex’. This innovative project focuses on recycling banana trunks into fashion products such as leather, garments, bags, and hair extensions. The goal is to contribute to Rwanda's growing fashion industry, creating job opportunities for youth and increasing income for farmers.

 Maxwell Gomera, the UNDP Rwanda Representative shared that for far too long, Africa has been peripheral to the knowledge economy. “Not because we are not contributing, but because we have allowed ourselves to be placed where we are,” he said.  

Gomera mentioned that Universities in Africa have considered their core business to be only ‘Teaching’ and ‘Research’ which never solved today’s problems that they account for. However, this must change today, and it is possible as students show their potential that they can do even more.”

Ends.