Université Officielle de Bukavu

The view of Bukavu from UOB. Photo © Josh Engel / The Field Museum, April 2012.

Situated on a hilltop overlooking the city and Lake Kivu, Université Officielle de Bukavu (UOB) is a major component of the up-and-coming higher education scene in Bukavu. There is much construction going on there as they expand and modernize their facilities, with funding coming from various organizations, including mining companies, NGOs, and overseas collaborators like the Field Museum. Started in 1993, the highly dedicated staff made it possible to remain in operation through the disruptions caused by the Congo Wars. The founder and head of the university from 1993-2009, Dominique Nyakabwa Mutabana, died in July 2012; you can read John Bates' and Charles Kahindo's remembrances of him here