Wednesday 26 th October 2022 marked the start of a new chapter for the Protestant Institute of Arts and Social Sciences (PIASS). On this day, we hosted two important events at PIASS Huye Campus. The fist event was the inauguration of the new building which will host the 4 th Faculty of Architecture and Green Technologies. At the beginning, this faculty is expected to have two programs namely; Bachelor degree of Architectures and the program of Water Resources Management.
The building is equipped with solar power panels and a water management system for environmental protection. It was constructed in partnership with Bread for the World. Construction activities of this infrastructure started on 5 th March 2020 by laying the foundation stone where the building was to be constructed. It was inaugurated on 26 th October 2022, with the assistance of Mr. Parfait Busabizwa, the Provincial Executive Secretary of Southern Province and Rev. Dr. Pascal Bataringaya, the Chancellor of PIASS.
On the same occasion, there was a handover ceremony between Rev. Prof. Dr. Elisée Musemakweli, the outgoing Vice Chancellor of PIASS, and Prof. Dr. Penine Uwimbabazi, the incoming Vice-Chancellor. Prof. Musemakweli who is going for retirement has been serving the institution in that position since 2015. But his significant contribution through the leadership, teaching, research, and community outreach activities in the current PIASS started back in 1995 when he tirelessly worked, in collaboration with different local and international partners and staff, to resuscitate the former Faculté de Théologie Protestante de Butare (FTPB) seriously damaged by the 1994 genocide against Tutsi. Under his leadership, a lot of progress and achievements were significantly made. In his farewell speech, he thanked all the team that he worked with, including PIASS staff and its partners. He said that “because of your collaboration and support, PIASS is where it is today.”
Prof. Uwimbabazi, the new Vice-Chancellor of PIASS, was the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academics at PIASS since 16 th January 2019. She was appointed to become Vice Chancellor by the PIASS Council of 1 st April 2022. In her speech, she thanked the PIASS Council for trusting her with new responsibilities and pledged to work hard to fulfilling PIASS’s mission. Prof. Uwimbabazi will be assisted respectively by Rev. Dr. Viateur Habarurema as the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academics and Rev. Emmanuel Muhozi as the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance.
The handover was done in the presence of PIASS officials including the Chancellor, the Chairperson of the PIASS Council, and the two Legal Representatives. The entire community of PIASS is grateful to Prof. Musemakweli for the services he rendered to the institution and wishes him success and satisfaction in the new chapter of his life. It also warmly welcomes and commits itself to support Prof. Uwimbabazi and the whole team that is ready to work with her to take PIASS to further steps of growth in all areas.
“May PIASS grow and prosper by God’s grace to serve humanity.”