The founders of the Catholic University of Bukavu were tremendously motivated to offer proper solutions to Kivu’s difficulties when they established the institution in 1989. By conducting research, imparting knowledge, and providing a range of services to local, national, and worldwide communities, it was required of it as a university to laboriously and crucially contribute to the preservation and advancement of human dignity and cultural legacy.
About the Catholic University of Bukavu
Bishop Aloys Mulindwa Mutabesha held a conference to inaugurate the university. This one and others discussed the establishment of a university in Bukavu. The University was finally established in November 1989. The city of Bukavu’s founders were enthusiastic about the establishment of a youth-training university there. Formerly known as the “Université de Bukavu” (UDB), or the University of Bukavu, the newly established institution eventually changed its name to the “Université Catholique de Bukavu,” or Catholic University of Bukavu.
The following individuals collaborated with the Bishop to establish the university: Father Prof. Déogratias Ruhamanyi, who was appointed as his Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Gilbert Kabanda, Mister Mamboleo Mughuba, Rev. Gwamuhanya Birindwa Joseph, Rev. Mirindi Kishingoko Bonaventure, and Father Nyagahama Mwikizangabo Gaudens were among those who served as the school’s first rector.
The institution was established in a structure resembling a church in 1990. Lecture halls were created from the historic Saint Teresa Chapel. After that, the church was relocated and donated its space to the university.
At first, life at the university was challenging. To name a few, there was the arrival of Rwandan refugees fleeing the Rwandan genocide, the so-called liberation wars, the arrival of some militias in Bukavu that became a reality even years later, the poverty of the population in Sud-Kivu and Bukavu, the various challenging contacts made by the Vice-Chancellor to obtain some partnerships with universities in Kinshasa and Europe, and the lack of professors at the time. Because of all of this, the university’s future seemed exceedingly bleak.
In 1994, the diocese received the responsibility of the provincial hospital. This gave the institution a location for the internship and practice for its medical school students. Later, other partners like Professor Stanislas Haumont provided some assistance to the university.
An agreement between the faculties of medicine in Bujumbura, Bukavu, and Butare was signed in January 1994 at the initiative of Prof. Stanislas Haumont. The self-learning strategy used at UCL will be used, as agreed upon by the three institutions. UCL decided to support those three universities by purchasing instructional materials, funding teacher mobility at UCL, and providing instructors in Bukavu and Butare with histology training.
On September 16, 1994, UCB, UCL, and the National University of Benin (UNB) signed a convention to establish a training program in the second cycle in the faculty of medicine at UCB in collaboration with UCL and UNB. This program will be available to first-year doctoral students who have completed their third year at UCB. The Vice-Chancellors Professor P. Mac (UCL), Professor I. G. Zanouvi (UNB), and Professor Vincent Mulago (UCB) signed this three-year agreement, except for the section addressing the awarding of scholarships.
Professors Vincent Mulago (1989–1996), Déogratias Ruhamanyi Bisimwa (1996–2002), Joseph Gwamuhanya (2002–2011), and Paul Kadundu Karhamikire (2011–2019) succeeded as vice-chancellors at UCB. Training offers have been made, and staff training has expanded as a result of the partnerships they have forged and the cooperation they have fostered with several partners. The faculties of social sciences, law, architecture, and urbanism were all established in 1995, 2013, and 2017, respectively.
As of right now, Professor Kanigula MUBAGWA is the UCB’s new vice-chancellor. He plans to boost the university’s material and financial resources, hold staff training sessions to build their capacity and improve the university’s academic standing and visibility. Additionally, he intends to strengthen university administration, foster a sense of community, and expand the university’s social effect through community services.
Faculty and Departments At the Catholic University of Bukavu
FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBANISM
- Architecture and Urbanization
FACULTY OF AGRONOMY
- Water and Forest
- Soil Science
- Crop Production
FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND MANAGEMENT
- Stage one: G1, G2 and G3 (3-year degree)
- Stage two: L1 and L2 (2-year program after G3), offers Rural Economy, Financial Management, and SMEs Management.
- Stage three: (postgraduate) Master’s Degree in Management of Natural Resources; Devolution and Development; DEA in Management Sciences (Marketing, SMEs Management); Ph.D. in Economics.
FACULTY OF MEDICINE
- General Medicine,
- Surgery and Childbirth
- Internal Medicine
- Surgery
- Pediatrics
- Gynecology and Obstetrics
- Public Health
FACULTY OF SCIENCES
- Management Informatics
- Networking and Telecommunication
FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES
- Labor Sciences
- Enterprise Communication
- Mediation and Conflicts Management
Frequently Asked Questions about the Catholic University of Bukavu
How many Students Does the Catholic University of Bukavu admit per year?
Answer: This is at the discretion of the school but its enrollment rate is 3500.
Is the Catholic University of Bukavu a Federal or State School?
Answer: It is a private university.
What is the cut-off mark for the Catholic University of Bukavu?
Answer: Visit the school’s website to find out.
What is the Catholic University of Bukavu Official Website?
Answer: https://ucbukavu.ac.cd
Is the Catholic University of Bukavu a good school?
Answer: Yes. The University ranked 5th in DR Congo and 7431st in the World 2023 overall rankings.
Are there hostels at the Catholic University of Bukavu?
Answer: Yes! The university offers two hostels for male students, one in Kalambo and the other in Karhale, both of which are close to lecture halls. Each hostel is run by a site manager who works with the university’s director of social services.
When is the Admission Form coming out for the Catholic University of Bukavu?
Answer: Refer to the university website to find out.
Who founded the Catholic University of Bukavu?
Answer: The university was formed by the decree of 21 November 1989 of His Excellency Aloys Mulindwa Mutabesha, Archbishop of Bukavu, decree according to the Code of Canon Law, in its canons 807 to 814, and the Apostolic Constitution Ex corde Ecclesiae of 15 August 1990 on Catholic Universities and Higher Institutes.
What are the requirements for the Catholic University of Bukavu?
Answer: Find out about your course entry requirement from the university website.