As part of the agreement, the RRA will provide AIMS graduates with internships and employment opportunities. RRA will also open up an opportunity for the application of academic research to optimize Rwanda’s customs and tax administration.

An AIMS graduate, Belle Fille Murorunkwere, currently working at the RRA as a Senior Statistics Analyst has already brought the partnership between AIMS and RRA to life.

Murorunkwere graduated from the University of Rwanda with a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics and Statistics in 2015. Her keen interest in applied mathematics inspired her to pursue a Master’s degree programme at AIMS-Rwanda Centre in Kigali.

“I am passionate about mathematics and its applications. This made me choose AIMS where I got to know how to solve different problems using mathematics and programming,” she said.

At AIMS-Rwanda, Murorunkwere specialized in mathematical sciences with a high concentration in programming in R and Python. R is mainly used for statistical analysis while Python provides a more general approach to data science. Murorunkwere’s Master’s degree research focused on showing the effects of aspirin on different sub-groups of men and women.

“I was able to apply mathematical methods and see the different effects that the aspirin drug had on men and women,” she said

In her current role as a Senior Statistics Analyst, Murorunkwere handles RRA’s big data files employing R programming language to analyze trends and patterns of the data.

Murorunkwere was initially offered a six-month internship at RRA and her performance impressed the management that they offered her a permanent role and bigger responsibilities including compiling data for the Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool-Trust Fund (TADAT-TF).

Tax Administration Diagnostic Assessment Tool-Trust Fund (TADAT-TF)

The Republic of Rwanda is a member of the TADAT-TF which was launched in December 2013 by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) together with other development partners to strengthen the ability of tax systems to mobilize domestic revenues.

Murorunkwere is responsible for compiling data for TADAT-TF assessment. The accuracy, relevance and completeness of the data compilation is key to ensuring Rwanda’s compliance with the TADAT-FT process.

As a result of Murorunkwere’s performance, RRA is increasingly looking to AIMS graduates to fill the personnel gaps that exist at the institution.

Giving back to society

Murorunkwere, a former Mastercard Foundation scholar at AIMS  is currently pursuing her doctoral studies in data science research that she is undertaking in parallel with her work at the Rwanda Revenue Authority.

Outside her work and studies, Murorunkwere enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience with young people to encourage them to follow her path.

“I share my knowledge and encourage young people to venture into mathematics. I try to show them how it is related to our daily life and how it can solve real problems,” she said.