Today, President Kagame met with 33 students from the Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania. The students are visiting Rwanda as part of the course they are taking titled “Conflict, Leadership and Change: Lessons from Rwanda”. In this course, the students learn about the Tutsi Genocide that happened in 1994, the leadership processes that led to Rwanda’s recovery as well as about the sustainability of Rwanda’s transformation.
Speaking to Wharton Business School students, President Kagame said: “What we are doing is shaped by our history and lessons we learned when rebuilding a shattered country and torn social fabric. People got together and said we can only make a difference when we shape our future and leave our past behind. We feel we should move even faster because of where we are coming from and where we want to be. 22 years ago we saw the bad things human beings are capable of, today you see the good the same human beings are capable of.”
Asked about the lessons they have learned from Rwanda, Prof. Kathrine J. Klein, the instructor at the school who is accompanying the students said: “The lessons that we learned is about the power of vision, the importance of inspiring people to a larger vision, this commitment to improving the country for everyone the power, the power of goal setting, the power of metrics… This is a country where there is deep patriotism among the people and a deep commitment to rebuilding the country. This commitment probably comes in part from the country’s tragic part, but It’s very powerful for us to see a people so united to their country’s future. “This marks the fourth time such a visit is from Wharton Business School students is taking place in Rwanda.