Rev. Dr. Innocent Iyakaremye is Associate Professor of Gender Studies. He has a PhD degree in Gender and Religion, a Master’s and a Bachelor’s with honours degrees in Theology and Development from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. He also has Bachelor’s with honours degrees (Licence) in School Psychology and Demography, respectively from the National University of Rwanda (NUR) and Kigali Independent University (ULK). He followed a number of trainings that qualified him in new approaches to sustainable development planning, PhD’s and master’s research supervision, gender and economic policy management initiative, project management and monitoring, research in gender, clinical pastoral education (Christian Counselling), mediation and conciliation, investigation and monitoring in human rights, etc. His research publications and interests are in the areas of gender and gender-based violence, adolescent and youth parenthood, family relationships, forced migration, and religion and gender and HIV/AIDS.
Iyakaremye joined the University of Rwanda in 2013. He is currently academic staff, researcher, consultant and PhD coordinator at Centre for Gender Studies of the University of Rwanda, Kigali. Prior to these positions, he occupied various positions related to research and monitoring and evaluation in other universities (University of KwaZulu-Natal, University College Cork, Ireland), international organizations (Trocaire, International Rescue Committee), and government’s institutions (National Commission for Human Rights). From 2017 to 2019, he was Acting Dean in the School of Governance of the College of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Rwanda.
In May 2016, Iyakaremye was appointed by Rwandan Cabinet as member of Consultative Committee of Gender Monitoring Office (GMO), Rwanda, where he is still serving. From 2013 to 2022, he was appointed Chair of the Council of Kibogora Polytechnic, a private university in Western Province, Rwanda. He is the co-founder on Channel of Love Foundation, a non-profit charity organization operating in Rwanda. He also serves as Pastor in charge of families in True Salvation Church, and Deputy Representative of Christian Spiritual Warfare Ministry, Rwanda.