President Kagame meets with Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on sidelines of CHOGM 2013- Colombo, Sri Lanka 15 November 2013
President Paul Kagame on Wednesday paid homage to Singapore’s first leader as the body of the former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew lay in state following his death on Monday at age 91.
“Lee Kuan Yew was a remarkable leader for his people and the transformation he has led is envy to many,” said Kagame while hosting a delegation twenty faculty and students of Stanford University School of Business at his office in Kigali.
Rwanda is using Singapore as example to undertake an ambitious development program, with hope to turn the country into a regional powerhouse. The government has hired different arms of Singapore government to advise it on best practices.
A recent civil service reform which merged some agencies and introduced new ones was initiated by Singapore Cooperation Enterprise. The Rwanda Development Board, which drives significant parts of government policy, was also tapped from Singapore.
President Kagame is a regular visitor to Singapore. During one of the visits, Kagame told Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, the son of deceased Lee: “Beating the odds is a challenge we Rwandans and Singaporeans share.”
President Kagame at the time called Singapore “an inspiration for us in Rwanda”.
During the interactive session, the Stanford students put it to Kagame whether it was fitting for Rwanda to be branded the “Singapore of Africa”.
Kagame responded: “It is not about becoming Singapore or Switzerland. The question is can Rwanda be a better Rwanda than it is today.”
“It’s not about transforming Rwandans into other people. The question is can we continue to transform Rwandans lives,” added the President.
The Stanford University students and their staff are in Rwanda for a study tour. Top global universities have turned their summer destinations to Rwanda.
President Kagame is a usual guest at different universities in US and UK, where his invitation mainly focuses on sharing his leadership and economic development experiences with students and staff.
Meanwhile, a day before the Stanford University courtesy call, Kagame also hosted a separate delegation of St. Andrews University students and staff. The British university has committed to provide unlimited PhD scholarships to Rwandan students.
Dr. Hazel Cameron, a lecturer of criminology and Genocide studies and current Director for Peace and Conflict studies at St. Andrews said the University is looking for a long term partnership with Rwandan collages.