The Government of Rwanda has officially established the National Defence University–Rwanda (NDU-R), a new institution that brings together military, police and intelligence training schools under one structure, with the President of the Republic serving as its Honorary Chancellor.
The law creating NDU-R was published on April 10, 2026. It states that the university will operate under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence Rwanda and the Ministry of Education Rwanda.
According to the law, the university will have its headquarters in Kigali, although a presidential order may relocate it to another place within the country if necessary.
Several institutions brought together
The newly created university integrates several existing defence and security training institutions. These include the National Defence College–Rwanda (NDC-R), the Defence College of Health Sciences (DCHS), the Defence Institute of Science and Technology (DIST), and the Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies (IDSS), all based in Kigali.
Other institutions that form part of NDU-R include the National Intelligence Academy located in Bugesera District, the Rwanda Defence Force Command and Staff College and the National Police College located in Musanze District, as well as the Rwanda Military Academy based in Bugesera.
The university aims to provide advanced education, training and research for personnel working in national defence and security institutions, senior government officials involved in national security matters, as well as international partners.
Its mission is to enhance strategic thinking and professional expertise through high-level academic programs, training and research.
President Kagame as Honorary Chancellor
The governance structure of the National Defence University–Rwanda includes the Honorary Leadership, the Governing Board, the Executive Management, the Academic Council and the University Executive Committee.
Article 11 of the law stipulates that the Honorary Chancellor of NDU-R is the President of the Republic, who also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Rwanda Defence Force. This position is currently held by Paul Kagame.
The Honorary Chancellor is responsible for providing strategic guidance to help the university achieve its objectives and may also preside over graduation ceremonies and award honorary degrees, medals and distinctions, or designate a representative to perform these duties.
Governing Board of seven members
The law states that the university’s Governing Board will consist of seven external members appointed by presidential order, including a Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson.
Members are required to be experts in fields such as national defence and security, higher education, university management, research and innovation, or other sectors related to national development.
The board also includes the Vice-Chancellor of NDU-R as the secretary, the head of NDC-R, a representative of lecturers and researchers elected by their peers, a representative of department heads, the official responsible for academic quality assurance, and a student representative from NDC-R.
At least 30 percent of the board members must be women. Except for those holding positions by virtue of their offices, board members will serve four-year terms.
Executive management
The university’s daily operations will be managed by the Executive Management, which includes the Vice-Chancellor, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor in charge of academic affairs and research, and the Deputy Vice-Chancellor responsible for planning, administration and finance.
The law also allows a presidential order to appoint an additional Deputy Vice-Chancellor and define their responsibilities if necessary.
Members of the Executive Management will serve five-year terms that may be renewed once, and at least 30 percent of them must be women.
The university will also have an Academic Council responsible for overseeing teaching and learning activities, composed of academic leaders, faculty representatives and student representatives from different institutions within NDU-R.
According to Article 35 of the law, a student of NDU-R is defined as a person who has been admitted and officially registered to follow academic programs offered by the university under either regular or special training schemes. Admission requirements will be determined by the university’s internal regulations.