The INES-Ruhengeri University of Science has hosted an international meeting of land surveying universities in French-speaking countries, where they are learning together how the profession can be closely linked with land management technology and urban planning.
It is a meeting organized by the International Federation of Land Surveyors (Fédération des Géomètres Francophones: FGF) which includes 33 French-speaking countries including Rwanda. The conference is being held for the ninth time and it will be held in Rwanda for the first time where it will be held in Kigali from November 27-29, 2024.
Director of the Department for Urban Development and Housing in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Dr. Ngarmbe Jack, on behalf of the Minister, expressed the progress the country has made in land management and planning activities.
He said, "Rwanda is committed to the implementation of technology in all sectors of the country's life, including land management and urban development.
We have implemented a modern land management system where the owners are registered anywhere in the country and given features known as UPI and included in the technology”.
He went on to say that a land use plan has been created to help ensure that it is used for its intended purpose and to protect the environment.
This is also related to the way to help the people to use technology to get information on the use of the designated land and reduce the queues in the government agencies where they are looking for these services.
The Director General of INES-Ruhengeri, Father Dr. Baribesia Jean Bosco, said that the university is currently focusing on land use courses in order to increase the number of professionals who deal with it today.
He said, "We have recently launched a Master of Geo-Informatics course in order to nurture professionals who are capable of conducting research to solve problems related to the profession of land surveying in Rwanda and in the District”.
He continued, "Those professionals would contribute a lot to public services in terms of urban planning and land management, but also include entrepreneurs, managers, and land management consultants."
Past President of FGF, Marc Vanderschueren said that the land surveying profession around the world faces the problem of underrepresentation of women and that this is an obstacle to sustainable development.
they can too. The coordinator of the conference is a teacher at INES- Ruhengeri, Eng. Nkerabigwi Placide said that at the meeting they expect to gain higher knowledge to strengthen the technology in land surveying that is used in other developed countries such as those on the European continent and Canada.
INES-Ruhengeri is a University established by the Catholic Church in 2003 where more than 5000 students from Rwanda and 17 other African countries are currently studying.
