Stellenbosch Economics graduate voted AU Commission Deputy Chair

Recently, in an African Union summit (held online due to COVID19), one of our Department's graduates, Dr. Monique Nsanzabaganwa, was elected as Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission. The AUC, based in Addis Ababa, consists of six commissioners (recently reduced from eight as part of a reform), a chairperson and a deputy chairperson. The AUC functions as the AU's executive branch / secretariat and is responsible for administration and coordination of the AU's activities and meetings. As Deputy Chair, Monique will in particular be responsible for the implementation and management of a large project to reform the organization, initiated in 2016 (more detail available in an article in The Conversation.)

Monique obtained her Masters degree in economics (cum laude) at Stellenbosch in 2002, followed later by a PhD in 2012, entitled "Uncertainty and Private Sector Response to Economic Development Policy in Post-Genocide Rwanda", with the late Prof Philip Black as promotor. In between her degree studies, she held high positions in the Rwandan government: State Minister for Economic Planning (2003-2008) and Minister of Trade and Industry (2008-2011). Most recently, she served as Deputy-Governor of the National Bank of Rwanda. For more detail on her career, see this KT Press article.

In 2017, Stellenbosch University recognised her achievements by awarding her an honorary doctorate.