Rwanda, South Korea Launch Quality Academy to Strengthen Standards and Industrial Growth

Rwanda and the Republic of Korea, on Wednesday 24th June 2026, inaugurated the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB) Quality Academy, a new institution aimed at developing skills in quality management and standardization to support the country’s industrial transformation.

The academy was launched by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Chantal Tuyishimire, alongside South Korea’s Ambassador to Rwanda, Jeong Woo-jin, Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) Rwanda Country Director Kim Jin-hwa, RSB Director General Raymond Murenzi and other officials.

The academy is expected to serve as a national platform for training professionals in quality assurance, standards implementation and certification systems, areas considered critical to improving the competitiveness of Rwandan products and services.

Speaking during the inauguration, Murenzi said the institution would go beyond conventional training.

“The RSB Quality Academy will not serve merely as a training facility but as a national platform for developing professionals in the fields of quality and standards,” he said. “It will contribute significantly to strengthening the capabilities of industry stakeholders and SMEs.”

Tuyishimire said the academy addresses a longstanding challenge facing Rwanda’s manufacturing sector.

“We are very grateful to KOICA Rwanda for supporting the establishment of this school,” she said. “Knowledge and expertise in quality management remain among the major challenges affecting our industries, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises.”

She added that strengthening quality infrastructure is essential to increasing Rwanda’s industrial competitiveness and creating employment opportunities for young professionals.

South Korean Ambassador Jeong Woo-jin described the academy as a symbol of the growing partnership between the two countries.

“RSB Quality Academy stands as a testament to the strong and enduring partnership between the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Rwanda,” he said. “Beyond technology and infrastructure, it is fundamentally about empowering people through knowledge, skills and opportunity.”

Kim said the academy marked an important milestone in strengthening Rwanda’s quality infrastructure through digital innovation.

“At KOICA, we believe that sustainable development is ultimately driven by people,” she said.

Officials said the academy will offer online and blended-learning programmes designed to improve access to training for professionals, entrepreneurs and industry stakeholders across the country.

The initiative forms part of broader cooperation between Rwanda and South Korea in skills development, institutional capacity building and economic transformation.