Rwanda and Denmark Launch Global Health Hub in Kigali, Deepening Academic and Research Collaboration

A new chapter in Rwanda–Denmark collaboration was marked on 27 April 2026 with the official launch of the Global Health Hub in Kigali, bringing together four academic institutions in a strategic quadripartite partnership: the University of Rwanda, INES–Ruhengeri, the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE), and Aarhus University in Denmark.

A delegation of 12 members of the health faculty management team, led by Anne Mette Hvas, Dean of the Faculty of Health, travelled to Rwanda and met their counterparts to deepen discussions on the operationalization of the Hub.

The Hub will serve as a platform for advancing collaborative research, academic exchange, innovation, and policy engagement, with the shared aim of strengthening health systems in Rwanda and beyond. By bringing together local and global expertise, the initiative positions Kigali as a growing centre for knowledge, solutions, and impact in global health — moving beyond academic collaboration to put research findings to more meaningful use in addressing the health challenges communities face every day.

Cancer research has been identified as a key priority for the partnership, reflecting growing concern over rising cases both globally and in Rwanda. Per Kallestrup, Research Director and Professor of Family Medicine and Global Health at Aarhus University, captured the spirit of the collaboration: “We all have different strengths and weaknesses. By supporting each other, we can go further and achieve more together.”

Following the launch hosted at the University of Rwanda, Aarhus University’s delegation visited INES–Ruhengeri and UGHE to explore further avenues for partnership, including in health sciences education and the training of skilled professionals — an early and concrete expression of the partnership’s commitment to moving from agreement to action.