NEWS

ULK POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE WINS RWANDA’S NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (NCST) RESEARCH GRANT TO REVOLUTIONIZE SOLAR DRYING FOR RWANDAN FARMERS

In a groundbreaking achievement, ULK Polytechnic Institute has been awarded a significant research grant by the National Council for Science and Technology (NCST) to spearhead a project titled “Design and Construction of Efficient and Cost-Effective Solar Dryers for Low and Medium-Size Farmers and Food Processing Enterprises in Rwanda.” The research grant, numbered NCST-NRIF WIS-R&D 07 /004/2022, amounts to Frw 90,000,000 and is set to unfold over a three-year period.

The research project aims to address the challenges associated with traditional open-air sun drying methods, which are prevalent in Rwanda. These methods are hindered by their dependency on ambient conditions, susceptibility to contamination, and the need for standby manpower to intervene in changing weather conditions. The initiative seeks to introduce in-house solar drying technologies as an eco-friendly solution to reduce postharvest losses, enhance the quality of dried food, and cut down on the cost of postharvest processing.

 

ULK Polytechnic Institute, in collaboration with postharvest experts from Postharvest Plus Ltd and a local food processing company, plans to study the physics of solar energy collection, humidity reduction in crops, and the impact on food nutrients. The research team, led by Principal Investigator Eng. Mukeshimana Annoncée, will employ design simulation and optimization using software tools such as COMSOL Multiphysics. Drying conditions data will be collected across different locations in Rwanda to propose customized and efficient designs for specific applications.

 

Upon completion of the project, the team anticipates establishing an academic and business platform that provides cost-effective, efficient, and high-quality designs and constructions of customized solar dryers. The outcomes include construction demonstrations across the country, a regional database of design parameters, and the development of a design simulation app to streamline the design process.

Research Team:

Eng. Mukeshimana Annoncee serves as the Principal Investigator, leading a diverse team comprising Co-Principal Investigators Dr. Habimana Jean Willy, Eng. Karikurubu Emmanuel, Ms. Nyirahafashimana Valentine, and Mr. Amani Manzi Alain. Collaborators include experts from Post-Harvest Plus Ltd, the Postharvest Education Foundation (PEF), and Health is Wealth Ltd, contributing their knowledge and expertise to ensure the success of the project.

 

The research team expressed gratitude to NCST for organizing the contest and recognized the importance of promoting women in research. As the project progresses, regular updates and physical meetings, including a recent one at NCST Office, demonstrate the commitment of ULK Polytechnic Institute and NCST to collaboratively advancing the research and implementation of solar drying technologies in Rwanda.

 

This research project stands as a testament to the institution’s commitment to scientific innovation, environmental sustainability, and contributing to the socio-economic development of Rwanda.

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NDIKUMANA VenusteNov 27No Comments

ULK POLYTECHNIC STAFF TRAINED ON COMPETENCE BASED CURRICULUM

With Rwanda’s education sector taking new shape, all academic institutions are required to teach their learners and make sure they finish their studies being competent to practically demonstrate what they acquired from class. This is what the Ministry of Education in Rwanda urges academic institutions to be doing. Aware of this, ULK Polytechnic Institute hosted training sessions on Competence Based Curriculum(CBC). The training sessions kick-started on 15th April, 2022.

Since these educational techniques entirely fall in the field of education, Mr. SIBOMANA Alphonse, a Master’s holder in Education, was at the forefront of the training to make sure all concepts related to these techniques are clearly internalized.

As SIBOMANA said, Curriculum is a total guided learning experiences designed to facilitate learning by establishing quality relationship between what is learnt and what operates outside the school. In other words, if learning cannot play a role in sorting out problems impinging on the outside society, then that learning is a failure. This calls for teachers to combine efforts and train their learners and make them competent players who will solve socio-economic problems and many others upon leaving their schools.

SIBOMANA also expounded that there is a big difference between Knowledge Based Curriculum and Competence based Curriculum in that the former involves active learning, learners build new knowledge from prior knowledge and it focuses on what learners can do and apply in different situations. Whereas, the latter is lecture based, the teacher provides subject content concepts and the teacher focuses on content and what learners can know and memorize rather than what they can do.

The training came in handy as all lecturers teaching at ULK Polytechnic Institute did not do education as a specialization. Also, this new way of teaching sounds very innovative as it is geared towards learner’s ability to do something. Given this, the training climaxed in lecturers’ vow to be training learners and equip them with the competence they need to create things.

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titijadoMay 16No Comments