# Jean De Dieu Uwihanganye

Jean De Dieu Uwihanganye (born 8 January 1987), is a Rwandan Engineer and Politician.
Jean De Dieu has been serving as the high commissioner of Rwanda to Singapore, Australia, New Zealand Since July 2019 and ambassador to Indonesia from May 2023. He resides in Singapore. From August 2017 to July 2019, he was Minister of State for transport in Rwanda Ministry of Infrastructure in the Cabinet of Rwanda. Prior to his Cabinet appointment, Jean De Dieu served as director of business planning and development at NPD Ltd, a construction company in Rwanda since January 2016 until July 2017.
As an Engineer by qualifications, Jean De Dieu was able to earn first class honors for both his graduate and postgraduate degrees. He completed this while pursuing a bachelor's degree in civil engineering at National University of Rwanda in Rwanda and a master's degree in construction project management at University of Manchester in England. Between January 2014 and August 2017, Jean De Dieu served as a part-time lecturer for project management courses at the University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK).

## Early life and education

Jean De Dieu was born on 8 January 1987; he grew up and completed his secondary education at Petit Séminaire Rwesero in Gicumbi, Rwanda. Since 2007, Jean De Dieu attended formerly National University of Rwanda now University of Rwanda, in Rwanda, he graduated with Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering in 2011. In 2012, Jean De Dieu enrolled in the University of Manchester in England to pursue a postgraduate degree, and he earned master's in construction project management there in 2013. Later in 2022, Jean De Dieu also enrolled in Nanyang Technological University for another postgraduate degree in Business Administration.

## Career

Following graduation from Petit Séminaire Rwesero in 2006, Jean De Dieu worked for a year as a mathematics, physics, and chemistry teacher at Lycée Muhura St Alexandre Sauli in Gatsibo, Rwanda. Jean De Dieu worked as a journalist at Radio Salus Rwanda, a Butare based radio station connected to the University of Rwanda, from 2007 to 2011 when he was a student at the National University of Rwanda. He was using Henri Jado as Pseudonym names while working as a journalist. Between January 2011 and August 2012, he was communication manager for GirlHub Rwanda, renamed to the Girl Effect, is a girl's life improving initiative which hosts Ni Nyampinga project in Rwanda, formed by collaboration between DFID and the Nike Foundation. He also worked for a year at Radio 10 Rwanda in Kigali between 2011 and 2012 before relocating to England to pursue postgraduate studies at University of Manchester. While in Manchester, he was project manager at Girl Impact Map, mapping tool affiliated to Girl Effect.
In 2014 after graduating with master's in construction project management, Jean De Dieu joined the NPD Ltd, Rwanda based construction firm, he served as director of construction and engineering services. In October 2015, subsequently, he was promoted to position of director of business planning and development at the same company. The role he served until his cabinet appointment as the Minister of State for transport in the Rwanda Ministry of Infrastructure in Cabinet of Rwanda in August 2017. In addition, he worked at the University of Lay Adventists of Kigali (UNILAK) as a part-time lecturer for project management courses in master's program between since 2014 until 2017. On 30 August 2017, President Paul Kagame appointed Jean De Dieu as Minister of State for transport in Rwanda Ministry of Infrastructure in the Cabinet of Rwanda. At age of 30 years, Jean De Dieu was the youngest both as Minister and diplomat in the cabinet of Rwanda at the time of his appointment. He served in this position until July 2019 when he was assigned to high commission of Rwanda to Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and from May 2023 he is also ambassador of Rwanda to Indonesia.

## Recognitions

Jean De Dieu appeared on the list of 2019 most influential young Africans by African youth Awards.