Course Description
This course introduces learners to the principles and practices of Agribusiness Management and Cooperative Management with a strong Rwanda-focused context. It equips students with managerial, financial, organizational, and policy-oriented skills required to effectively manage agribusiness enterprises and cooperative organizations in Rwanda’s socio-economic environment. Emphasis is placed on agribusiness value chains, cooperative principles (Rochdale principles), governance, financing, and the role of cooperatives in national development in line with Rwanda’s agricultural transformation and cooperative policies.
Course Summary
The course is organized into two units delivered through intensive weekend sessions. Unit 1 (Agribusiness Management) focuses on the planning, organization, marketing, financing, risk management, and sustainability of agribusiness enterprises, with examples drawn from Rwanda’s agricultural sector and value chains. Unit 2 (Cooperative Management) examines the origins and principles of cooperatives, types and organizational structures, cooperative business operations, financing and control, and the legal and policy framework governing cooperatives in Rwanda. Special attention is given to the contribution of cooperatives—particularly agricultural cooperatives and SACCOs—to rural development, financial inclusion, poverty reduction, and social cohesion in Rwanda. The course also addresses contemporary challenges facing cooperatives and agribusinesses, as well as cross-cutting issues such as youth and gender inclusion, persons with disabilities (PWDs), HIV/AIDS awareness, and sustainable environmental management. Through lectures, case studies, group work, and assessments, learners acquire practical competencies applicable to real-world agribusiness and cooperative settings in Rwanda.
This course introduces learners to the principles and practices of Agribusiness Management and Cooperative Management with a strong Rwanda-focused context. It equips students with managerial, financial, organizational, and policy-oriented skills required to effectively manage agribusiness enterprises and cooperative organizations in Rwanda’s socio-economic environment. Emphasis is placed on agribusiness value chains, cooperative principles (Rochdale principles), governance, financing, and the role of cooperatives in national development in line with Rwanda’s agricultural transformation and cooperative policies.
Course Summary
The course is organized into two units delivered through intensive weekend sessions. Unit 1 (Agribusiness Management) focuses on the planning, organization, marketing, financing, risk management, and sustainability of agribusiness enterprises, with examples drawn from Rwanda’s agricultural sector and value chains. Unit 2 (Cooperative Management) examines the origins and principles of cooperatives, types and organizational structures, cooperative business operations, financing and control, and the legal and policy framework governing cooperatives in Rwanda. Special attention is given to the contribution of cooperatives—particularly agricultural cooperatives and SACCOs—to rural development, financial inclusion, poverty reduction, and social cohesion in Rwanda. The course also addresses contemporary challenges facing cooperatives and agribusinesses, as well as cross-cutting issues such as youth and gender inclusion, persons with disabilities (PWDs), HIV/AIDS awareness, and sustainable environmental management. Through lectures, case studies, group work, and assessments, learners acquire practical competencies applicable to real-world agribusiness and cooperative settings in Rwanda.
- Teacher: Dr.Alexis HAVUGIMANA
- Course creator, Teacher: Aimable MWISENEZA
- Teacher: Jean Claude HARINDIMANA
COURSE SUMMARY: FUNDAMENTALS OF ECONOMICS
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles of economics, focusing on how individuals, firms, and governments make choices in the presence of scarcity. It equips learners with analytical tools to understand economic behavior, market operations, production decisions, and consumer choices.
Chapter One: The Study of Economics
This chapter introduces economics as a social science concerned with the allocation of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited human wants. It explains key economic concepts, branches of economics, and the evolution of modern economic thought. Learners explore economic theories, models, and methods of economic investigation, including positive and normative economics. The chapter also examines different economic systems, fundamental economic problems, opportunity cost, specialization, trade, efficiency, and the production possibility frontier.
Chapter Two: Price Theory
This chapter explains the concept of price and its role in the economy. It examines how prices are determined in the market through the interaction of buyers and sellers. Learners are introduced to the meaning of markets and different types of markets, laying the foundation for understanding price mechanisms.
Chapter Three: Demand and Supply
This chapter focuses on the core forces of the market: demand and supply. It examines decision-making units such as households and firms and explains the circular flow of economic activities. Learners study demand theory and supply theory, including demand and supply curves, factors affecting them, and the difference between movements along and shifts of the curves.
Chapter Four: Price Determination
This chapter explains how market equilibrium is achieved through the interaction of demand and supply. It explores situations of excess demand and excess supply and how price adjustments restore equilibrium in the market.
Chapter Five: Price Ceiling and Price Floor
This chapter examines government intervention in markets through price controls. Learners study price ceilings and price floors, their objectives, and their effects on market equilibrium, including shortages and surpluses.
Chapter Six: The Theory of Elasticity
This chapter introduces elasticity as a measure of responsiveness. It covers price elasticity of demand and supply, types of elasticity, methods of calculation, and determinants of elasticity. The chapter also examines income elasticity and cross elasticity of demand and their economic significance.
Chapter Seven: Theory of Consumer Behaviour
This chapter analyzes how consumers make choices to maximize satisfaction. It introduces the concept of utility, including total and marginal utility, and the law of diminishing marginal utility. Learners also study indifference curve analysis as an alternative approach to consumer behavior.
Chapter Eight: Theory of Production
This chapter focuses on how goods and services are produced. It explains the meaning and purpose of production, types of production, and factors of production. Learners study production functions, production processes, cost concepts, and the laws of production, including the law of diminishing returns and optimum factor combination.
Overall Course Outcome
By the end of the course, learners will be able to:
Understand fundamental economic concepts and principles
Analyze market behavior using demand, supply, and price mechanisms
Evaluate the impact of government interventions in markets
Apply elasticity concepts to real-world economic issues
Explain consumer and producer decision-making processes
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the principles of economics, focusing on how individuals, firms, and governments make choices in the presence of scarcity. It equips learners with analytical tools to understand economic behavior, market operations, production decisions, and consumer choices.
Chapter One: The Study of Economics
This chapter introduces economics as a social science concerned with the allocation of scarce resources to satisfy unlimited human wants. It explains key economic concepts, branches of economics, and the evolution of modern economic thought. Learners explore economic theories, models, and methods of economic investigation, including positive and normative economics. The chapter also examines different economic systems, fundamental economic problems, opportunity cost, specialization, trade, efficiency, and the production possibility frontier.
Chapter Two: Price Theory
This chapter explains the concept of price and its role in the economy. It examines how prices are determined in the market through the interaction of buyers and sellers. Learners are introduced to the meaning of markets and different types of markets, laying the foundation for understanding price mechanisms.
Chapter Three: Demand and Supply
This chapter focuses on the core forces of the market: demand and supply. It examines decision-making units such as households and firms and explains the circular flow of economic activities. Learners study demand theory and supply theory, including demand and supply curves, factors affecting them, and the difference between movements along and shifts of the curves.
Chapter Four: Price Determination
This chapter explains how market equilibrium is achieved through the interaction of demand and supply. It explores situations of excess demand and excess supply and how price adjustments restore equilibrium in the market.
Chapter Five: Price Ceiling and Price Floor
This chapter examines government intervention in markets through price controls. Learners study price ceilings and price floors, their objectives, and their effects on market equilibrium, including shortages and surpluses.
Chapter Six: The Theory of Elasticity
This chapter introduces elasticity as a measure of responsiveness. It covers price elasticity of demand and supply, types of elasticity, methods of calculation, and determinants of elasticity. The chapter also examines income elasticity and cross elasticity of demand and their economic significance.
Chapter Seven: Theory of Consumer Behaviour
This chapter analyzes how consumers make choices to maximize satisfaction. It introduces the concept of utility, including total and marginal utility, and the law of diminishing marginal utility. Learners also study indifference curve analysis as an alternative approach to consumer behavior.
Chapter Eight: Theory of Production
This chapter focuses on how goods and services are produced. It explains the meaning and purpose of production, types of production, and factors of production. Learners study production functions, production processes, cost concepts, and the laws of production, including the law of diminishing returns and optimum factor combination.
Overall Course Outcome
By the end of the course, learners will be able to:
Understand fundamental economic concepts and principles
Analyze market behavior using demand, supply, and price mechanisms
Evaluate the impact of government interventions in markets
Apply elasticity concepts to real-world economic issues
Explain consumer and producer decision-making processes
- Course creator, Teacher: Marthe UWINGENZI
- Teacher: Jean Baptiste BIZIMUNGU
- Teacher: Edwin Dr SAKAR NANTU
- Course creator, Teacher: Faustin Dr.KIGABO
- Course creator, Teacher: Aimable MWISENEZA
- Teacher: Jean Claude HARINDIMANA
This course is necessary for knowing how the laws are developed, why the laws are created, the relationship between laws and politics, the relationship between laws and public policy, the role of laws in administering communities. This course helps the students to understand and knowing the main concepts such as, Courts, evidence, sanctions, culpability, reliability, etc
- Teacher: ALFRED UWITONZE