FINAL CONFERENCE AND EXHIBITION
From Project Outputs to Lasting Institutional Impact
Thursday, 3 September 2026 | Rwanda Polytechnic - Kigali College
Introduction
The GREATER Final Conference and Exhibition will bring together project partners, public institutions, the private sector, students, communities, schools and international stakeholders to reflect on GREATER's achievements and their contribution to Rwanda's energy transition. The event will focus on project impact, lessons learned and on how the capacities, tools, partnerships and approaches developed through GREATER can be sustained and further developed beyond the end of the project.
Programme
Join us for an inspiring GREATER kickout conference programme designed to connect, engage, and set the stage for an impactful event.
08.30 - 09.00
Arrival of guests and registration
Rwanda Polytechnic
OPENING SESSION: INSTITUTIONAL PARTNERSHIP, NATIONAL PRIORITIES AND LASTING IMPACT
Chairs: Rita Mutabazi (RP), Arne Graßmann (HN)
09.00 - 09.10
Opening and welcome remarks
Dr Sylvie MUCYO (RP) Vice Chancellor
09.10 - 09.25
GREATER in brief: achievements, impact and legacy
Prof. Paolo Ciampolini (UNIPR)
GREATER Coordinator
09.25 - 09.35
EU Capacity Building projects: objectives, cooperation and legacy
Anna Hakami, Project Adviser,
European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA)
09.35 - 09.45
Rwanda’s higher-education priorities
Ministry of Education
09.45 - 09.55
Energy-sector development, access and skills needs: public and private perspectives
TBC (Rwanda Energy Group, REG) Serge Wilson MUHIZI (Energy Private Developers, EPD)
09.55 - 10.30
Institutional addresses, by representatives of participating HEIs, diplomatic missions, international cooperation partners and other invited institutional guests.
Speakers and order TBC according to attendance, seniority and protocol
10.30 - 10.50: COFFEE BREAK
PANEL SESSION: CLIMATE CHANGE & ENERGY TRANSITION - THE ROLE OF ACADEMIA AND CAPACITY- BUILDING INITIATIVES
Chairs: Luciana Stortoni (UNIPR), Djamali Nambajimana (UR)
10:50–10:55
Introduction and framing: Rwanda's climate and energy challenges – priorities, actors and capacity needs
Moderator: Sebastian Heinen, H-BRS
10:55–11:05
Rwanda's climate ambitions
Ministry of Environment
11:05–11:15
Rwanda’s energy-transition priorities: implementation, energy-system development and decarbonisation
Ministry of Infrastructure / REG
11.15–11.25
Agriculture and climate priorities
Ministry of Agriculture / REG
11.25–11.35
Private-sector outlook: renewable energy, market development and workforce needs
Ivan Twagirashema (EPD)
11.35–11.40
International cooperation priorities for Rwanda's energy transition
TBC (GIZ)
11.40–11.45
The role of HEIs in developing the skills required for the energy transition
Dr Bernard Munyazikwiye (UR)
11.45–12.10
Panel discussion - Building the skills required for Rwanda’s energy transition: workforce development, employability, applied learning and cooperation among HEIs, public institutions and the private sector.
All panelists
12.10–12.20
Audience Q&A
Moderator / All panelists
12.20–12.25
Key conclusions
Moderator
12.25 - 12.30: Group Photo
12.30 - 13.30: NETWORKING LUNCH
During the lunch, the announcement of GREATER Art Contest winners and the award ceremony will be held.
EXPERIENCES AND TESTIMONIES: FROM PROJECT ACTIVITIES TO LASTING IMPACT
Chairs: Eraste Rukundo (INES), Evariste Nshimyimana (UTAB)
13.30 - 13.50
Ensuring distributed electrification reaches its full potential
Prof. Peter Adelmann Director of Institute for Decentralized Electrification, Education and Entrepreneurship, Germany
13.50–14.05
User-Centred and Collaborative Design for Educational Innovation: from stakeholder needs to co-designed solutions
Lisa Schmitt (HN)
14.05-14.25
Student experiences: mobility, thesis and project work, and engagement in Living Labs and DIY Lab Kits
TBC (Students from partner HEIs)
14.25 - 14.50
Academic staff experiences: training and summer schools; design and development of Living Labs and DIY Lab Kits
TBC (Academic staff from partner HEIs)
14.50 - 15.10
Community and school engagement: knowledge transfer, cooperation and partnerships beyond GREATER
TBC (Living Lab communities, participating schools, Rwandan partner HEIs)
10.30 - 10.50: COFFEE BREAK
CLOSING ROUND TABLE: GREATER BEYOND THE PROJECT - WHAT'S NEXT?
Chairs: Pia Lovengreen (UNIPR), Sebastian Heinen (H-BRS)
15.30 - 15.35
Introduction: from project results to institutional legacy
Moderator: Luciana Stortoni (UNIPR)
15.35 - 15.45
Institutional transformation: strengthened capacities, emerging institutional changes and practices becoming embedded
TBC INES
15.45 - 15.55
Community engagement: strengthening partnerships with communities and schools beyond GREATER
TBC University of Rwanda
15.55 - 16.05
Students, skills, and employability: developing talent and responding to workforce needs
TBC UTAB
16.05 - 16.15
Sustainability and future cooperation: maintaining GREATER results and expanding collaboration
TBC Rwanda Polytechnic
16.15 - 16.45
Round-table discussion: from GREATER results to lasting institutional practice
All round-table participants
16.45 - 16.55
Final reflections: GREATER’s legacy and the way forward
Coordinator, All round-table participants
16.55 - 17.00: Formal Closing
GREATER EXHIBITION
The GREATER Exhibition will remain open throughout the day, offering participants the opportunity to explore the project’s main practical
outputs and engage directly with the staff and students involved in their development and use.
The exhibition will showcase Living Labs, DIY Lab Kits and other GREATER results, illustrating how these tools and approaches support
teaching, student projects, applied research, technical training and engagement with communities and schools.
The Living Labs established in Rwanda demonstrate renewable-energy applications in real-life settings and provide practical infrastructures
for education, experimentation and outreach. The DIY Lab Kits complement these facilities by offering affordable and reproducible platforms for hands-on learning in areas such as photovoltaics, sensing, communication and energy monitoring, creating a pathway from classroom experimentation to full-scale systems operating under real conditions.
Overall, the exhibition will provide a tangible overview of how GREATER has translated capacity building into practical learning tools, infrastructures and institutional resources that can continue to support education, training, research and outreach beyond the lifetime of the
project. It will also host the GREATER Art Contest exhibition, with the winning entries announced during the networking lunch.
The GREATER project has received funding from the European Union’s Erasmus+ program under grant agreement number 101083081, ERASMUS-EDU-2022-CBHE call.