Catherine Sikubwabo Honeyman

Catherine Sikubwabo Honeyman, a graduate student in the department of Educational Policy Studies, first traveled to Rwanda in 2002 as an observer of the pilot phase of Rwanda’s transitional justice system. During that trip, Honeyman also became interested in the role education systems can play in promoting social and economic change. In the past year she has turned her attention to the frustrations of young Rwandans who are gaining increasing access to education but finding very limited opportunities to earn a livelihood once they complete their studies. As this challenge grows in many countries around the world, entrepreneurship education has gained prominence as a means for encouraging students to pursue self-employment. Recognizing this approach as potentially beneficial, Honeyman also sees the need to examine more carefully the assumptions behind entrepreneurship education policies in order to better understand the actual long-term effects such programs may have once implemented. This summer, Honeyman will use the SKJ grant to undertake preparatory research on this issue, investigating the reasons why policymakers in Rwanda chose to include entrepreneurship education in their most recent Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy paper.

Read on about Catherine’s fellowship experience here.