The establishment of this Programme is geared towards creating a sustainable research support environment that facilitates capacity building among researchers and academic staff to be able to generate high quality research. In the period of five years (2019-2024), UR Sweden support is expected to transform the University of Rwanda Library System (URLS) into a modern library that delivers online services in a vibrant research environment. Through research support activities, such as facilitating access to relevant information resources, promoting usage of resources and conducting information literacy training, the URLS looks on to contribute to the quality research that the UR aims at producing. This Programme is jointly implemented by the University of Rwanda in collaboration with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU).
The programme implementation will be guided by the following prioritized components:
- Enriching information resources and increasing access to and use of the rich array of available information resources and library services in order to enhance teaching
- Creating technology-rich environments and spaces that facilitate interaction and collaboration for academic staff and researchers
- Building capacity for library staff through formal and informal training. The aim in so doing is to develop a pool of well trained, motivated, knowledgeable, service-oriented and user-focused library staff with the ability to respond to modern users’ research support needs
- Advancing student success by delivering instruction programs aimed at increasing student engagement with the library resources in order to strengthen their capacity to effectively and appropriately utilize URLS resources for academic achievement
It is anticipated that by the end of the project the UR will be have built research enabling environment, including establishing the required ICT infrastructure and building capacity for library staff to be able to support academic staff and researchers to conduct research that is of relevance for the creation of knowledge based economy that Rwanda is aiming at.
