Chancellor Khosla Appointed Chair of University of Rwanda Board of Governors

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University of California San Diego Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla has been appointed chair of the Board of Governors of the University of Rwanda, reflecting a broader commitment to advancing higher education and academic research on an international scale.

In this role, Khosla will work with fellow board members to help shape the university’s long-term direction, providing governance and oversight that support academic priorities and research efforts. Central to this work is an emphasis on research-driven, evidence-based knowledge — an approach the University of Rwanda has highlighted as key to strengthening its contributions regionally and beyond.

“The world’s most pressing challenges — climate change and sustainable development among them — know no borders, and therefore research universities have a responsibility to collaborate across continents,” said Khosla. “In this leadership role at the University of Rwanda, I look forward to helping strengthen an institution that is preparing the next generation of leaders and driving a knowledge-based economy. Our shared commitment to interdisciplinary research and inclusive education is a powerful engine for progress — and it is precisely because global challenges require global solutions that we must work together.”

Khosla brings to the role a long history of engagement with global higher education. Earlier in his academic leadership career, while serving as dean of the College of Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), he led the establishment of a CMU campus in Rwanda to support Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s vision of using information technology to create an educated workforce and support economic development. At CMU, Khosla also played a key role in efforts to expand graduate engineering education in Greece, Portugal, South Korea, China and Japan — experience that continues to inform his commitment to expanding access to higher education and building strong, research-focused universities in regions poised for growth.

The youth population in sub-Saharan Africa is projected to increase significantly in the coming decade, placing institutions like the University of Rwanda — established just over a decade ago and continuing to evolve — at the center of efforts to broaden access to high-quality higher education. Through his service on the board, Khosla will help shape an institution positioned to educate future researchers, innovators and leaders in a rapidly changing landscape.

In addition to his role in Rwanda, Khosla serves on the boards of SRM University, Amravati in India and Koç University in Turkey, a testament to his broader dedication to advancing access to higher education across diverse global contexts.

As one of the world’s leading public research universities, UC San Diego is committed to transforming California and a diverse global society. Engaging with institutions around the world — particularly at moments of growth and opportunity — underscores the university’s belief that discovery, innovation and solutions to shared challenges are strengthened through collaboration, locally, nationally and internationally.