Hope Africa University
...facing African realities...
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Hope Africa University ...facing African realities...
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COMMENTS FROM THE CATALOGUE Bishop Dr. Elie Alexandre Bucanyori Vice-Chancellor, and Rev. Eleazar Habiyakare, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Academic Affairs, speak to prospective students. Dr.
Bucanyori: "Since
February 6, 2000, the day on which Hope Africa University opened its
doors to
the first students, we have remained true to our mission " To transform
students for character development and service, through the provision
of
professional and academic programs, for the purpose of Hope Africa University is a vital place where students learn and grow. Faculty, students and staff who come to HAU should bear in mind that they come for one reason, to participate in quality education and to relate that education to the contemporary realities of our societies. Quality
education does not just appear. From
the beginning, we have insisted on the highest standards of excellence
in
teaching and learning. This is done through a combination of various
efforts: 1. Teachers:
Hope
Africa
University has identified quality teachers.
The teachers are well grounded in their Christian
faith and they are
growing in their teaching areas. 2. Accreditation: We have maintained our academic relationship with our sister institution in the USA, Greenville College. The faculty of Greenville College serves as mentors to our teachers. All courses are taught after they have been thoroughly checked by Greenville College professors. 3. Library resources: When we
started in 2000, the
University had less then
200 volumes. Most
of them were
donated from my personal library.
Today
after three years, the Library has about 10,000 volumes and is still
growing. 4. Campus: To be added later 5. Expansion of Programs: New
programs have been added
including a new
Masters Degree in Theological Studies, a certificate in Practical
Theology, and
a new Bachelors Degree in Computer Sciences among others. It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Hope Africa University community and to any of the educational program of your choice. I wish you much success and God's blessings in your pursuit of knowledge."
"Most
African countries can hardly absorb half of the high school graduates
who
qualify for higher education. While state supported institutions are
few and in
decline in finances, morale and academic quality, private higher
education is
emerging as a force for the revitalization of this sector. It's
unfortunate but
today experts in education have realized that some private universities
are
motivated largely by a profit motive. These schools don't have a clear
purpose,
a clarifying distinctive. Their curricula are a kind of "catalogue
propaganda" created for the market. Training
people who are able to address the challenges of our changing society
should
involve knowledge and values. Dr. Martin Luther was right when he said
that the
most dangerous criminal is that man or woman who is gifted with the
reason and
trained to think intensely and critically but has no morals. Assuredly
he/she
will use his/her skills and knowledge for personal gain. These are
those
"expert thieves" ravaging our countries. Intelligence alone is not
enough. There must be an added value of character to really move toward
the true
goal of education. The
Free
Methodist Church considered these criticisms
before establishing Hope
Africa University (HAU) whose mission is summarized as "To transform
students for character development and service, through the provision
of
professional and academic programs, for the purpose of glorifying
Christ and
serving humanity". HAU plans to achieve this mission through Christian
Liberal Arts Education. The
distinctive of a true Christian Liberal Arts Education is that it
produces
graduates with a rare combination of passion and humility toward what
they
believe. These are men and women strongly committed to the above
beliefs while
at the same time they make a careful, critical reflection on them. This
is what
in his book "Christian Liberal Arts, An Education That Goes Beyond"
Dr. James Mannoia, President of Greenville College, has called
"intrinsic
value". As
a university facing African realities (wars, poverty, illiteracy,
injustice,
tribalism) our objective is to produce graduates who are
"integrative", that is persons who are able to address African human
issues competently, willingly and sacrificially regardless of the
situations
they are working in. This is an "instrumental value". If these values
are fulfilled in our graduates then we shall rightly say that we are
the
"light and salt" of the world. Uninformed readers of our catalogue may question the usefulness of courses like Communication Skills, Christian Beliefs, Environmental Science, and Sociology for a student majoring in Computer Science or Business Administration. The same question may arise for courses like Mathematics, Physics, and Biology in the Department of Bible and Theology. I believe that Africa has a complexity of issues that need more than a simple specialization. Moreover, empirical evidences have shown that after graduation a student finds that what he/she learned some years ago has become obsolete. This is the reason why we hear of in-service training to make people fit for new situations. Another advantage of such a diversity of courses is that people are changing jobs, even professions, several times in their careers. Therefore, transferable skills are useful both for research and for graduate work in areas other than our specialization. Liberal
Arts Education has also a philosophical meaning. It is liberation
"from" and liberation "to". Liberation "from" is
liberation of the mind from the prisons of intolerance, of
close-mindedness, of
narrow-mindedness, and parochial perspectives (Mannoia ----, 19). These
become
sources of conflict such a racism, lack of democracy, tribalism or
ethnicity,
which are the results of intolerance towards views, opinions or
thoughts
different from ours. Parochialism or limited perspective implies
limited
horizons. We all know how Africa, despite its abundant natural
resources, is
economically lagging behind because of parochial leaders. Liberation
"from" must be liberation "to" something else. This is a
liberation to pursue truth and to affirm it. Liberal education means
liberation
to virtue understood as "Traits of character that facilitate
responsible
and reflective decision making in complex moral situations" This catalogue has been prepared to help you choose well your studies according to your educational goals."
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