KIGALI, RWANDA
In at the ground level
internship with the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning in his home country of Rwanda, Rusera traveled to Chicago to attend the Quinlan School of Business. It was not his first time in the United States—he earned his undergraduate degree in Iowa. Rusera returned to Rwanda after graduation and, in 2011, began working as an analyst in the minister’s office at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, then became acting Director of Capital Markets this January. His unit is responsible for coordinating the implementation of policy actions related to capital markets. “The financial market here is
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nascent, but the developments are positive,” Rusera says. “I have a lot of responsibility, and my work is both challenging and interesting.” Rwanda, which is among the
fastest-growing economies in Africa, has been encouraging development of the capital markets and setting up the region’s first commodities exchange. The country also issued its first sovereign bond last year—a huge step for its economy. Proceeds from the sale of the $400 million, 10-year bond targeted RwandAir, the national airline; a convention center in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital; and a hydroelectric power plant. For now, Rusera says he is con-
tent with his current position and is embracing being involved in a young financial market.
andy Rusera (MSF ’10) came a long way to get his master’s degree. After completing an
Students enjoy an Ethiopian dinner with the Jesuit Refugee Services of Malta staff. OFFICE FOR INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS A safe haven, but then what?
Students learn about the refugee situation in Rome and Malta, from all sides
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n January, a group of students was immersed in the issues plaguing refugees arriving in Italy and Malta after escaping hostile home-
lands, particularly from North and East Africa. Their study program, “Human Rights & Social Justice: Refugees in Rome and Malta,” included visits to international aid organizations, private and government-sponsored refugee centers, and immigration offices, as well as informal meetings with refugees. Students heard firsthand and often conflicting perspectives from those involved. Nongovernment organization meetings at the
Jesuit Refugee Services of Rome and Malta, the Balzan Open Center, the Malta Emigrants Com- mission, and various shelters gave a stark picture
of refugee life and ideological conflicts with fed- eral governments. Meetings at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and International Organization for Migration ad- dressed the issues in a global context. “Meeting and being able to talk to refugees
was the most impactful part of the program,” says senior Allison Daley, a political science major. Students volunteered at the Joel Nafuma
Refugee Center, were welcomed into a Sunday gathering of Nigerian migrants, enjoyed a tradi- tional meal with Eritrean refugees, and informally met with refugees at each visit. Daily lectures from University of Malta profes-
sor Edward Zammit gave students a place to process the day’s events and provide context for the next. “Seeing many sides of this issue made me ap-
preciate being a citizen of a country,” Daley says. “It’s not something I’d thought to be thankful for before.”
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