Last week, Remode had the distinct honor of co-hosting the Nordic Forum in Rwanda—a powerful gathering that brought together nearly 300 participants across two days to strengthen ties between #Rwanda and the #Nordic region in business and education.
This milestone event was proudly championed by the Embassy of Rwanda to the Nordics undefined, in collaboration with Remode and Hills Connect Oy. The forum centered around two core focus areas:
⭐ Business & Investment
Day 1 opened with a compelling call to action from Michelle Umurungi, Chief Investment Officer at Rwanda Development Board (RDB), who emphasized RDB’s commitment to removing obstacles and enabling growth. She was joined by Stephen Ruzibiza, CEO of Private Sector Federation (PSF),Amb. Diane Gashumba (Rwanda to the Nordics), and Amb. Teresa Zitting, (Finland to Rwanda). Key insights came from Nick Barigye (Rwanda Finance Ltd), MINICOM , and the RDB investment team. The forum focused on driving impactful business relations and partnerships – yielding clear next steps for many. At the Investors’ Roundtable, leaders like Shori Zand (Avesina Investment Group), Dr.Aydin Tajeri (Health Clinic Östermalm), Prof Martin Hellström (Mälardalen University), Jaakko Hallila (Seinäjoki UAS), and Philipp Koch (DFKI), shared actionable insights on scaling partnerships and unlocking market opportunities.
⭐ Education & Research Collaboration
Day 2, hosted at the Kigali Conference and Exhibition Village by the University of Rwanda, highlighted global academic cooperation. Opening speakers included Prof. Muganga Didas Kayihura (Vice Chancellor UR), Annika Sundbäck -Lindroos (EDUFI), Amb. Dag Sjoogren (Sweden to Rwanda), Amb. Theresa Zitting (Finland to Rwanda) and Amb. Dr. Diane Gashumba.
Hon. Joseph Nsengimana, Minister of Education, shared that this gathering of academic leaders… is about advancing a shared vision of quality education for socio-economic transformation.”
The day featured rich dialogue from leaders such as Biraro Mireille (PhD) Sanna Lukander, Prof. Sam Yala, Adj. Prof Sai Väyrynen, Dr Sylvie Mucyo , @Dr. Alphonse Nkurunziza, Edward Kadozi,PhD , and Prof. David Tumusiime.
We celebrated the signing of eight MoUs between Nordic and Rwandan institutions—marking a step forward in collaborative research, STEM, TVET, and digital learning. The day concluded with B2B sessions, one-on-one meetings, and a reflective visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial.
🙏 Huge thanks to the Government of Rwanda, RDB, UR, and delegations from Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. To every speaker, panelist, and changemaker – your contributions shaped this forum into something extraordinary.
To the nearly 300 participants—thank you for showing up with purpose. This is just the beginning.