Prudence BARARUNYERETSE is the Rector of the University of Burundi and a 2014-cohort PhD student in Environmental Science and Engineering at USTB. He has served in teaching and research positions at the University of Burundi since 2012. From 2021 to 2022, he was Coordinator of the Master’s Program in Environment and Integrated Environmental Management. From 2023 to 2025, he successively served as Dean of the Faculty of Science and Chair of the Council of Deans. In August 2025, he was appointed Rector. Deeply committed to cooperation and exchange and to research and innovation, he is dedicated to advancing technological and industrial upgrading and strives to provide practical, sustainable solutions to the various development challenges facing Burundi and Africa at large.

Alumnus Prudence BARARUNYERETSE Meets with Faculty and Students After the Event

Since taking office as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Burundi, Professor Prudence has continuously expanded and deepened exchanges and cooperation between the university and its domestic, regional and international partners. He has signed more than 25 new cooperation agreements with various institutions, including 10 with local partners in Burundi, 8 with European institutions, 4 with African institutions, 3 with institutions in the United States and 3 with Chinese institutions.

Having studied in China, Professor Prudence attaches great importance to exchanges and cooperation with China. As Vice-Chancellor of the university, he also serves as Deputy Director of the Confucius Institute, overseeing its development. Founded in May 2012, the Confucius Institute at the University of Burundi is the only Confucius Institute in the country, sowing seeds of Chinese language and culture across the land. The enthusiasm for Chinese learning here has kept growing: from merely dozens of learners at the very beginning to over 40,000 students today.

In recent years, multi-field cooperation between the university and Bohai University has been steadily upgraded. The collaboration covers Chinese language and cultural major development, faculty and student exchange programmes, and the implementation of joint projects. Supported by the Confucius Institute at the University of Burundi and a Chinese expert group on rice development, the two sides are preparing a special training programme on rice breeding, cultivation and food crop processing technology, which is expected to launch soon.

In November 2025, Professor Prudence led Ban Chao, a teacher from the Confucius Institute, to the World Chinese Language Conference. He supported Ban Chao, as the representative from Burundi, to join young sinologists and international Chinese language educators in co-signing a letter to President Xi Jinping, which received a reply from the President.

Under his leadership, the University of Burundi has rolled out a host of initiatives to help deliver the country’s national development plans. These include innovative and social welfare projects, an on-campus volunteer service system, visiting professor and distinguished researcher positions, support schemes for outstanding graduates and talent management mechanisms, plans for a university cooperative, improved inter-university cooperation networks among local higher education institutions, and a special programme that transfers university resources to empower community development. The university plans to launch more than ten new specialised training programmes to align its teaching and research with local social development needs. All these initiatives reflect his commitment to raising the university’s academic and educational standards and broadening the social service functions of higher education.