IPRC Tumba, 11^th May 2023 – The official launch of Mechatronics Program at IPRC Tumba, was presided over by the Minister of State in charge of ICT and TVET, Honorable Claudette IRERE, the Ambassador of France in Rwanda H.E Antoine ANFRE on 11/05/2023 at IPRC Tumba. The AFD Country Director Arthur GERMOND, the Mayor of Rulindo district Mrs Mukanyirigira Judith and other dignitaries were also present.

The Mechatronics Program at IPRC Tumba will increase the number of skilled Mechatronics technicians at the labour market, especially modern and automated industries that are rising in Rwanda. Mechatronics is an interdisciplinary branch at the intersection of mechanics, electronics, and computing aiming at designing and maintaining automatic equipment such as robotics and control systems. Mechatronics is an essential foundation in automation and manufacturing, and as such is highly demanded in modern industry in many sectors as food processing, manufacturing, mining, aviation, robotics, defence, transport, amusement parks, etc.

The Mechatronics Program is made of 4 workshops and 6 laboratories covering all aspects of the discipline: Manufacturing, Mechanical, Electrical Industrial, Electrical Domestic, Hydraulics & Pneumatic, Computer Modelling & Simulation, Automation,  Electronics, and Telecommunications. The building also entails 10 classrooms, one mini-auditorium, a new language laboratory to be equipped with specialized language learning application, and a library. The building will be fully accessible for Person with disabilities and is environmentally friendly both in construction and exploitation phases.

The AFTER Project was established through the Grant Financing Agreement signed between the Government of Rwanda and French Agency for Development (AFD) in June 30^th, 2020 and it consists of the following 3 components:

• Component 1: Reinforcement of the training offered at IPRC Tumba and TVET School around IPRC Tumba
• Component 2: Reinforcement and development of mechanisms to foster professional integration and entrepreneurship in the district
• Component 3: Technical assistance to the project management and support to the various actors involved in the territorial scheme.

The AFTER Project main goal was the creation of a new teaching program of mechatronics within IPRC Tumba. The project has cost a total amount of 6,275,000,000 Frw (Six billion, two hundred seventy-five million Rwandan Francs) dispatched as follows:

• 2,077,000,000 Frw (Two billion, seventy-seven million Rwandan francs) for The construction of the building;
•  3,992,000,000 Frw (Three billion, Nine hundred ninety-two million Rwandan francs) for Workshops and labs equipment;
• 111,000,000 Frw for the training of mechatronics trainers;
• 71,000,000 Frw for equipping the language center:
• 24,000,0000 Frw for the training of trainers from all the eight IPRCs of Rwanda Polytechnic.

The visit to IPRC Tumba of President of the Republic of France, H.E. Emmanuel Macron on 27^th May 2021 highlighted the commitment of France to support Rwandan youth through the modernization of the vocational training offer and to create the skills needed for the economic future of the country. Following the presidential visit, a cooperation agreement has been signed between RP and the Université Paris-Saclay, and more specifically the “Institut Universitaire de Technologie Cachan” (IUT Cachan), specialised in Mechatronics, to build capacities of Mechatronics trainers; the 1^st training trip in Paris took place in October 2021.

Additionally, the Project supports training and professional integration of young people in Rulindo district targeting IPRC Tumba and 4 TVET Schools (APEKI, Bushoki, Kinihira and Buyoga TVET Schools) as well as support to Rulindo District itself to reinforce the support provided to job seekers and entrepreneurs.

Rwanda Polytechnic (RP) was in charge of implementing the components 1 and 2 of the project, while Expertise France (EF), the French technical cooperation public agency, provides technical assistance to support all the stakeholders in the implementation of the Project (component 3) mentioned above. Rwanda TVET Board (RTB) is involved at technical level in all activities related to TVET schools.

For more information, contact:

1. Moses, in charge of Public Relations and Communication at IPRC Tumba, Telephone: 0788897474
2. Michel, in charge of communication at Expertise France, Telephone: 0788672653

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