Elizabeth Dearborn Hughes

Davis College educates future leaders to champion opportunity and sustainability in solving the world’s most pressing challenges. We offer an academic experience for students who are unafraid to challenge the status quo and passionately pursue innovative ideas. The Davis College model is a unique hybrid of a liberal arts education with applied and technical curricula, combining competency-based academic programs with a customized, data-driven learning model to actualize practical experience and equip students with the tools needed to thrive in the fastest growing sectors of the economy. Every element of Davis College has been intentionally designed to create a radically different educational experience, replacing traditional education methods like large group lectures and rote memorization with customized resources and activities to address the unique needs of each student, including group projects, tailored academic support, career coaching, and community service projects. Our campus for female leaders, Akilah, opened in Rwanda in 2010. As East Africa’s pre-eminent higher education institution for women, Akilah’s graduates have launched careers in finance, clean energy, eco-tourism, agribusiness, conservation, technology, and more. The Akilah experience combines the Davis academic model with an intensive focus on women’s leadership. Akilah graduates join a distinguished network of the region’s female leaders and entrepreneurs, facilitating access to unique mentorship and career opportunities, and changing the way women participate in the economy as innovators, technologists, and changemakers.

As the only women's college in Rwanda, the Akilah Institute offers accredited diplomas in Information Systems, Hospitality Management, and Entrepreneurship/Business Management. 90% of our graduates launch their careers within 6 months of graduation and earn 12x the national median income. Our unique competency-based education model ensures graduates have the technical and leadership skills that are aligned with the career opportunities in the fastest growing sectors of the economy.