Donat N. Mugenga
Advisory & Board Member
Donat work has centered around developing and advising on innovative approaches to increase access to higher education, study abroad and academic support programs that provide mentorship, inspiration and exposure. His passion—that lies at the nexus of reimagining higher education, its internationalization and the future of work—inspired him to found Africa Academy for Careers. His career spans from serving as the founding Director of Recruitment and Admissions at Rwanda Institute for Conservation Agriculture—a position in which he played a pivotal role in devising its policies and strategy to heading HR and Administration division at Agaciro Development Fund where he was instrumental in building its strategic relations including joining IFSWF—a global forum of sovereign wealth funds. Donat began his career with Rwanda Higher Education Council where he was involved substantially in supporting the establishment of new universities, opening campuses of foreign and local universities and starting programs. Beyond that, he has served as the Chairman of Advisory Committee for Mastercard Foundation Scholars Mentorship—Africa, Councilor to LEAD—the U.S. Exchange Alumni Network-Rwanda, Advisory Council member at Akilah Institute and Board director at Davis College. Donat was awarded leadership certificates by the U.S. President Joe Biden in 2021 and the U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in 2022 in recognition of his remarkable contribution to education transformation. In 2010, Donat was recognized by Google for his involvement in the first ever initiative that made Google web search possible in Kinyarwanda language. Donat is a graduate of Masters of Laws from University of South Wales, UK and also holds MBA, Postgraduate Diploma of Education Policy and Planning and Bachelor of Arts in Modern Languages. He is the alumnus of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders and a leadership fellow at Dickey Center for International Understanding—Dartmouth College, U.S.
