By ROBERT MUKOMBOZI
The School of Finance and Banking (SFB) has got a new Rector, The New Times has learnt. Ms Gerlinda Melchori from Michigan, United States has been hired to take over as interim Rector, replacing the institution’s pioneer head Dr Uzziel Ndagijimana, who was earlier transferred to the National University of Rwanda (NUR) as Assistant Rector.
Speaking to The New Times about the new Rector’s assignment, Prof. Robert Kennedy, the Executive Director of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan said Melchori had already assumed office on temporary terms of between four and six months.
Michigan University signed a five-year contract with government in June last year to improve the institution’s capacity through an exchange programme.
“Having worked in the United States, Algeria, Kyrzakstan and Russia among other countries around the world, Melchori comes with a lot of international expertise in the field of education,” Kennedy said in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
However, Kennedy disclosed that a search for a professional, well-qualified and experienced person to replace Melchori after her mandate elapses, was underway.
“We want to get a person with vast international experience and with enough expertise to carry on the ongoing transformation at SFB,” he said, adding that the expert could be got from United States and South Africa, “countries rich with expatriate human resources.”
In a related development, Michigan University has initiated strategies geared towards faculty development at the SFB.
Prof. Kennedy revealed that they are focusing on teaching and research, the establishment of a new faculty structures. SFB has 60 faculties.
And, although the faculty can teach undergraduates, Prof. Kennedy said Michigan University is more interested in increasing the SFB’s capacity to handle Masters Programmes that are currently undertaken by foreign experts.
“The overall goal is to run the school like a business and it could cover its own costs in future and provide better value to students and the private sector,” he noted.
The school, he said, must in the long run, cut dependence on government and become a regionally recognized institution, serving the bigger East African Community.
Curriculum change
Asked whether there were plans regarding the improvement of the current programmes at the school, Kennedy said the process was under review.
New curriculum
He said that following an October 2006 meeting between officials from SFB and Michigan University’s Associate Dean, Prof. Brent Chrite, the need for a new curriculum. He revealed that the new curriculum, based on the American system, would commence in the next academic year (January 2008).
Kennedy said that the all-round restructuring would enable the institution would start in private and public sector especially in areas of banking, marketing, financial management and budgeting in a move widely seen as a strategy to bridge the human resource gap in respective sectors.
The William Davidson Institute training programmes on leadership and executive skills for senior ministry officials began September 4, 2006.