Hekima University College (HUC) officially ushered in the 2026-2027 academic year on August 14 with a clear message to incoming scholars: reject mediocrity, safeguard academic integrity, and embrace the transformative power of higher education. Addressing the new cohort during the orientation ceremony, HUC Principal Rev. Dr. Marcel Uwineza, SJ, challenged students across both physical and virtual streams to recognize the weight of their callings.
“You are more than just students. You are the future leaders of our society,” Dr. Uwineza told the audience, pointing out Africa’s expanding role in global Christianity. “Leadership of this church in the coming years, even at the highest level, will be among you. Are we being prepared for that? If you are shallow, you will lead your congregation and others to the pit.”
Quoting an African proverb to underscore the importance of strong foundations, “Si les racines sont solides, on n’a pas besoin d’avoir peur du vent” (“If the roots are solid, we have no reason to fear the wind”), Dr. Uwineza called on students to set explicit academic goals on day one. He urged them to write down their graduation expectations and maintain personal accountability throughout their programs in Business, Migration, Theology, Peace Studies, and Spirituality.
Strict Stance on Academic Integrity & AI Policies
Dr. Uwineza delivered a firm warning regarding academic dishonesty, especially amid the rise of artificial intelligence tools. Reaffirming HUC’s strict adherence to its AI and blended learning policies, he revealed that the university has previously expelled students for academic malpractice. “It’s better to get a D than to get a name and be expelled. But I encourage you all to get A’s, with integrity,” he said.
To safeguard standards within its newly accredited Open, Distance, and e-Learning (ODeL) division, HUC has partnered with advanced exam-proctoring providers. The software freezes student devices and shuts down external applications during online assessments to satisfy Commission for University Education (CUE) standards. For virtual learners, Dr. Uwineza paired technological accountability with personal discipline, advising students to maintain professional decorum during live online lectures and establish structured daily routines balancing study, prayer, and rest.
Turning to financial support, Dr. Uwineza framed HUC’s scholarship initiatives not merely as financial assistance, but as a core expression of Jesuit identity and preferential option for the marginalized. He shared moving testimonials of past recipients, including a first-class graduate who dedicated her degree to her mother, who had faced past educational exclusion, and a student from the Kakuma Refugee Camp program who remarked that Hekima had transformed his home “from nowhere into somewhere.”
“Scholarships ensure that poverty does not silence potential,” Dr. Uwineza emphasized, reaffirming that talent and intellectual promise are distributed across all economic strata.
Highlighting the institution’s rich diversity of over 30 nationalities, Dr. Uwineza invited the new cohort to fully integrate into campus life, leverage student support services, and make Hekima their new home.
By Pamela Adinda, HUC Communications and International Office Coordinator
