Prof. Charles Ruranga

Academic Rank:Associate Professor

Department:Applied Statistics

College:College of Business and Economics(CBE)

Phone:(+250) 788 484 421

Email:c.ruranga@ur.ac.rw or cruranga@gmail.com

Educational Background

Prof. Charles Ruranga holds a PhD in statistics (Econometrics) from School of statistics and Planning, Makerere University in Uganda in January 2018, an MSc in Economics with two specializations Econometrics and International Economics and Finance in May 2007 from Université de Montreal in Canada and a BSc in Economics from the National University of Rwanda in 2001. Prof. Charles has been working in education sector since November 2002. Prof. Charles has over 19 years of experience in academia, research, grants development and management and consultancy. Prof. Charles is Associate Professor of Econometrics in Department of Applied Statistics and Director of African Center of Excellence in Data Science (ACE-DS) at the College of Business and Economics, University of Rwanda (UR). Before serving as the Director of African Center of Excellence in Data Science (ACE-DS), he had been the Head of Department of Applied Statistics between June 2015 and August 2017, and he served as Vice Dean for Administration and Finance in the Faculty of Economics and Management at the former National University of Rwanda between November 2008 and July 2011. In 2015, Prof. Charles has participated as Principal Investigator (PI) in the development of grant proposal submitted to the World Bank for the establishment of the African Center of Excellence in Data Science (ACE-DS) and the University of Rwanda won a grant of 4.5million USD. Prof. Charles has also won a grant of 1,25 million CAD as MPI (Multiple Principal Investigator) financed by International Development Research Centre (IDRC) for conducting research on “Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Data Science Techniques in Harmonizing, Sharing, Accessing and Analyzing SARS-COV-2/COVID-19 Data in Rwanda”, 01/10/2020-30/09/2022. Prof. Charles has also worked as Project Manager of NPT/RWA/053 project cooperation between NUFFIC, Netherlands and National University of Rwanda. Prof. Charles research interests lie in the domain of econometrics, quantitative economics, policy analysis, data management and Data analysis using different statistical techniques and software’s. Prof. Charles has experience in supervision of Masters and PhD students in their theses..

Publications

  • Nishimwe, A., Ruranga, C., Musanabaganwa, C., Mugeni, R., Semakula, M., Nzabanita, J., Kabano, I., Uwimana, A., Utumatwishima. J. N., Kabakambira, J. D., Uwineza, A., Halvorsen, L., Descamps, F., Houghtaling, J., Burke, B., Bahati, O., Bizimana, C., Jansen, S., Twizere, C., Nkurikiyeyezu, K., Birungi, F., Nsanzimana, S. and Twagirumukiza, M. (2022). Leveraging artificial intelligence and data science techniques in harmonizing, sharing, accessing and analyzing SARS-COV-2/COVID-19 data in Rwanda (LAISDAR Project): study design and rationale. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making 22, 214 (2022). View this paper
  • Maniriho, A., Musabanganji, E., Nkikabahizi, F., Ruranga, C., and Lebailly, P. (2021). Analysis of the Determinants of Household Expenditures in Rwanda. UKH Journal of Social Sciences 5 (1): 8-17, June 2021.View this paper
  • Ruranga, C. and Hacker, S. (2020). The Determinants of Households Having Savings Accounts in Rwanda. Rwanda Journal of Social Sciences, Humanities and Business (ISSN 2708-759X (Print); ISSN 2708-7603(Online), 1 (1): 6-19, July 2020.
  • Byombi, K. V. and Ruranga, C. (2020). The effect of short-term bank loan financing on financial performance of manufacturing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Rwanda. EPRN Rwanda research paper series, Vol. 3: 21-41, June 2020.
  • Musabanganji, E., Ruranga, C., and Maniriho, A. (2019). Migration decisions among rural households in Rwanda: what does the push-and-pull model reveal? AGROFOR International Journal, 4(3): 68-75.
  • Musabanganji, E., Ruranga, C., Nzabanita, J., Nkikabahizi, F., Ndizeye, I., and Lebailly, P. (2019). Productivity and Competitiveness of Rwandan Agriculture: A Case Study of the Maize sector. AGROFOR International Journal, 4(1): 32-40.
  • Byombi, K. V. and Ruranga, C. (2019). The effect of trade credit on financial performance of manufacturing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Rwanda. EPRN Rwanda research paper series, Vol. 2: 80-92, April 2019.
  • Ruranga, C.; Mugenzi, M. and Mutabazi, A. (2018). Spatial price transmission analysis in beans and rice markets of Rwanda. Rwanda Handbook of Economic and Social Policy, Chapter 13, Vol. 1, Pages 397- 419, ISSN 1403-0462, 
ISBN 978-91-86345-78-5, Jönköping International Business School, January 2018.
  • Ruranga, C. and Mutabazi, A. (2015). Food Prices Transmission in Rwanda: Econometric Analysis. Rwanda Journal, Series B: Social Sciences (ISSN 2305-2678 (Print); ISSN 2305-5944), 2 (1):019-029.View this paper
  • Ruranga, C.; Mugenzi, M. and Mutabazi, A. (2018). Spatial price transmission analysis in beans and rice markets of Rwanda. Rwanda Handbook of Economic and Social Policy, Chapter 13, Vol. 1, Pages 397- 419, ISSN 1403-0462, 
ISBN 978-91-86345-78-5, Jönköping International Business School, January 2018.
  • Ruranga, C., Ocaya, B. and Kaberuka, W. (2014). VAR Analysis of Economic Growth, Domestic Investment, Foreign Direct Investment, Domestic Savings and Trade in Rwanda. Greener Journal of Economics and Accountancy (ISSN: 2276-7762), 3 (2): 030-041; July 2014.
  • Ruranga, C., Ocaya, B. and Kaberuka, W. (2014). Analysis of Rwandan Economic Performance Before and After the 1994 Genocide. African Journal of Economic Review (ISSN 1821-8148), 2(2): 001-018; July 2014.
  • Ocaya, B., Ruranga, C. and Kaberuka, W. (2013). Foreign Direct Investment and Economic Growth in Rwanda: A Time Series Analysis, Journal of Business Management and Corporate Affairs (ISSN 2354-3469), 2(1): 11-18; January 2013.
  • Ocaya, B., Ruranga, C. and Kaberuka, W. (2012). Dynamic Relationship between Gross Domestic Product and Domestic Investment in Rwanda, World Journal of Education (ISSN 1925-0746(Print), ISSN 1925-0754(Online)), 2(6): 79-90. December 2012.
  • Ruranga, C. (2011). Analyse des déterminants de l’épargne nationale du Rwanda. African Union Commission (AUC), Proceedings of the Second Congress of African Economists, ISSN number: 1993-6177, Vol. 1: 17-35, November 2011. View this paper

Other Contributions

President of the Board of Directors and Legal Representative of Economic Policy Research Network (EPRN) since October 2018. Member or chairperson of different committees at the university, some of those committees are Chairperson of the International Accreditation Committee for the MSc. Economics, Member of CBE Research Screening and Ethics Clearance committee, Member of UR Postgraduate studies committee, Representative of CBE Academic Staff in UR Senate and Member of College disciplinary committee.