University of Westminster hosts British High Commissioner to Rwanda and alumna H.E. Alison Thorpe

Launched last month at the King’s Birthday Party in Kigali, the programme supports leading Rwandan fashion entrepreneurs with the potential to scale their enterprises and enter new overseas markets. Its mission is to champion Rwanda-led fashion entrepreneurship while giving Westminster students invaluable, real-world industry experience.

It is being delivered by the University in partnership with the British High Commission in Rwanda, the Rwanda High Commission in the UK, the British Council and Inzira Creative Partners in Rwanda.

The meeting focused on preparations for the 2026 phase of the programme which will provide entrepreneurial capacity building, market access, investor exposure and international visibility leading to a London showcase, dubbed Rwanda Fashion Week.

Attendees included representatives from Westminster Business School (WBS), the College of Design, Creative and Digital Industries (DCDI) and the Centre for Education and Teaching Innovation (CETI) as well as colleagues from the Development, Marketing and Communications and Global Engagement teams. H.E. Alison Thorpe was joined by Antonia Strachey, the programme’s lead at the British High Commission in Rwanda.

The group heard from H.E. Thorpe, who shared her vision and expectations for the programme. Together they discussed key objectives for the programme and considered how the University’s new home for careers and enterprise, Zone29, can serve as a central venue for Rwanda Fashion Week. Zone29 is due to open in Spring 2026 and will provide students and graduates with access to work-related programmes, opportunities and experiences, and connect students from all backgrounds to industry professionals to build the confidence and networks they need to succeed. 
They also discussed wider collaboration opportunities across Rwanda’s creative sector and identified potential next steps for strengthening the partnership.

Building on the earlier live assessments linked to the programme, Westminster students will continue to play a central role through a series of live, practice-based assessments embedded across multiple disciplines, including those studying on the Fashion Business Management with Professional Experience BA Honours course and a range of Business and Management courses.

For example, Fashion Business students on the University’s Visual Merchandising and Styling module will work directly with the entrepreneurs to demonstrate how their brand collections can be presented in London at the Best of Both Boutique, a Brixton venue set to host Rwanda Fashion Week.

Students enrolled in the new Co Creating Rwanda’s Future Vertical Integrated Project will contribute digital artefacts for the 2026 showcase event, with potential outputs including a podcast featuring the entrepreneurs, the students, the faculty and key diplomatic and partner stakeholders involved in the programme.

Meanwhile students taking the Entertaining London module will be developing strategic plans for the delivery of Rwanda Fashion Week.

H.E. Thorpe said: “The link between a UK higher education institution and the creative industry sector in a low-income country is exactly the type of innovative partnership the FCDO is seeking to champion under the government's new Africa Approach. This project has been one of the highlights of my year in Rwanda in 2025, bringing some pizzazz and glamour to my time as High Commissioner. For 2026 I am looking forward to seeing these connections between the University of Westminster and the designers deepen and mature. And this project is made even more special given I am an alumna of the University of Westminster myself.”

The Rwanda Academic Lead is Darrell Kofkin, Senior Lecturer in Entrepreneurship in the School of Organisations, Economy and Society, who is co-leading this programme with Antonia Strachey from the British High Commission in Rwanda.

Kofkin said: “The boundaryless nature of this programme is where the innovation truly lies. It builds on our development work in Rwanda since 2017 and exemplifies how global knowledge exchange can create transformative opportunities simultaneously for both Rwandan entrepreneurs and Westminster students. By breaking down traditional silos across higher education, government, industry, NGOs, funders and geography, we are co-creating a model for inclusive, sustainable growth that can serve as a case study for others to learn from.”

Dr Andrew Pitchford, Head of CETI, where the programme is anchored, added: “It is amazing to see what can be achieved when a university works creatively and collaboratively with its partners. This is a unique project which is creating genuine value for all stakeholders.”

The Rwanda Fashion Entrepreneurs Programme directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 4: Quality Education, 10: Decent Work and Economic Growth and 17: Partnership for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Find out about the School of Organisations, Economy and Society and School of Arts at the University of Westminster.

Learn more about the Ignite Fund and how to support aspiring professionals.

Discover the University of Westminster’s new home for careers and enterprise, Zone29.