New Study Abroad Program: Rwanda

Oklahoma Christian University is launching a new study abroad program set to occur next summer. This new program features three weeks in Kigali, Rwanda, and one week of African travel sponsored by Jeff Simmons, dean of the College of Business.

Simmons said the program has been in the works for some time.

“John Osborne, who’s the director of our study abroad office, is the one who came up with this idea. He’s always had a heart for Africa. He talked about it with me last year when we were in Kigali. We travel to Kigali every year to host commencement ceremonies for MBA students there. And he said ‘I’ve been thinking for a long time about doing a study abroad here in Africa’ and pitched the idea to me, and I thought it was a great idea,” Simmons said. “And so then we also have some students that are undergraduate students in Rwanda that are working on a degree in business leadership and technology. And he thought, wouldn’t it be great to have some of our students come to Africa and get to meet some of those students that are Oklahoma Christian University students as well, but they’re doing their work online.”

The program is designed to offer both academic and cultural experiences in a new place.

“It’s four weeks long. Three weeks would be in Kigali, Rwanda. Students would take two different classes, a cross cultural perspectives class and a Christianity and culture class. We know it’s three weeks in Kigali, and we know it’s another week in Africa somewhere, and that hasn’t been fully solidified. I’ll tell you what the current thinking is, but it’s very tentative,” Simmons said. “While we’re in Kigali, we’ll be doing things in and around Kigali, but then we’ll probably be taking side trips there in Rwanda. You can take a day trip to a place called the Akagera. So you can go on safari. There’s another place in Rwanda that you can go to. You can walk across the tree canopy, and so it’s kind of neat there. So we’ll do side trips like that. In addition to having the experience in Kigali, there’s one week in Africa that’s outside of Rwanda. We’re not sure where that’s going to be, but the current thinking is perhaps we go to Cairo, Egypt to see the pyramids.”

In addition to helping plan the trip itself, Simmons said his role as sponsor is to guide students and help them get the most out of the experience.

“I’m there to be there for the students, to help them get the most out of the trip, and to mentor the students. My wife and I have been sponsors of several study abroad programs. We’ve done Europe a couple of times. We went on the Pacific Rim trip, when we used to have a Pacific Rim trip. They went to China and Japan and New Zealand and all that,” Simmons said. “So one of our things that we like about being sponsors of studies abroad is the ability to get to get to know students and really develop those relationships. And so we’re gonna be there for them and guide their learning while they go to the different sites or as they work through their classes and things like that.”

For Simmons, one of the most exciting aspects of the trip is seeing students’ expectations meet a reality that may look very different from what they initially imagined.

“Well any trip is about getting to know the students better. But with this particular trip, I think what I’m most looking forward to is broadening our students’ understanding. I think everybody who thinks they’re going to go to Africa has a certain expectation in their head, and I think it’s not going to be exactly what they expected,” Simmons said. “So Rwanda is a very unique country, and Kigali is a very unique city in Africa. It’s a very well developed city. It is an advanced city. It feels more like a European city than perhaps an African city. And I think students, when they get there will be surprised, and that’s going to be fun to see their surprise. And then anybody who’s gone to Kigali falls in love with Kigali. I’ve been there multiple times, and I’ve always told people how neat it is. So I’m really looking forward to that!”
Applications are currently being accepted, and spots are limited. For more information, contact Jeff Simmons: jeff.simmons@oc.edu or John Osborne: john.osborne@oc.edu.