A Scottish initiative to help improve the education of Rwandan women has moved forward with the support of a fifth Scottish University and selection of the students.
The Universities of Dundee, Stirling, Glasgow Caledonian, St Andrews and most recently Edinburgh have agreed to waive the fees for seven female Rwandan students to study for one year postgraduate in Scotland starting in September 2003 as part of the Rwanda University Scholarship Scheme.
Spearheading the initiative is Gerda Siann, Professor Emeritus in gender relations at the University of Dundee who has just returned from a visit to Kigali where she was part of a team with six senior Rwandan civil servants selecting the women for the Scottish university places.
She says: "The standard of applicants was high. Candidates ranged through engineers, doctors, IT specialists, educationalists and agriculturalists. I have brought home the files of 14 women and will now visit each of the Scottish universities to match seven of them to the most suitable institution."
The initiative has received strong support both from the Rwandan Ambassador to the UK, Mrs Rosemary Museminali and the Honorary Scottish Consul for Rwanda, Dr Alan Goodall.