SUNY Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Poly) recently welcomed Cardinal Antoine Kambanda of Rwanda to campus as part of his visit to multiple colleges and universities across the United States to explore different approaches to higher education and learn more about opportunities for future collaboration.

During his visit, Cardinal Kambanda met with SUNY Poly President Dr. Winston Soboyejo, SUNY Poly Interim Provost Abdullah Eroglu, academic deans, students, and members of the university’s administration. He also toured campus and several laboratory and learning spaces, gaining a closer look at SUNY Poly’s hands-on approach to education, research and workforce development.

Cardinal Kambanda is visiting U.S. institutions as the Catholic Church in Rwanda continues to grow the Catholic University of Rwanda, which currently has a presence in three dioceses. Cardinal Kambanda said the university is adding academic areas over time, with programs in his diocese including education and nursing and interest in business studies.

Cardinal Kambanda's U.S. visit provides an opportunity to learn from institutions with established experience in higher education, particularly as Rwanda has transitioned from French to English as a primary language of instruction. Areas of interest include access to English-language academic resources, online learning, technology in education and artificial intelligence.

Following his conversations at SUNY Poly, Cardinal Kambanda said he was particularly interested in how the university connects with the surrounding community and its emphasis on preparing students to apply their education beyond the classroom.

“This means job creation, creativity, innovation, and connecting the business world with the universities,” Cardinal Kambanda explained. “The studies, they study for life, not for exams.”

Cardinal Kambanda and President Soboyejo were introduced through a mutual friend, Dr. Romain Murenzi, a professor of physics and former Rwandan Minister of Education. President Soboyejo has longstanding connections to Rwanda, having visited the country several times, and is currently serving on the University of Rwanda’s Board of Directors.

Their discussion also provided an opportunity to exchange ideas about higher education and areas of shared academic interest, including faculty expertise, educational resources and student experiences. SUNY Poly also welcomed its first international students from Rwanda this semester.

As New York State’s premier public polytechnic, SUNY Poly’s combination of applied learning, research, innovation and strong connections with industry and community offered Cardinal Kambanda an opportunity to see one model of public higher education in the United States.

“It was a great pleasure to welcome Cardinal Kambanda to SUNY Poly and share how our faculty, students and partners are working together to connect education with real-world impact,” said President Soboyejo. “SUNY Poly and the SUNY system have tremendous expertise across many disciplines, and visits like this provide valuable opportunities to exchange ideas, learn from one another and identify areas of shared academic interest.”