ASSA-UR

INTRODUCTION

This short report highlights the very important activities accomplished by ASSA during the first semester of the academic year 2015-2016, challenges met, and activities we are preparing for the next semester.

ACHIEVEMENTS

This part will be composed by 4 main parts: advocacy, trainings, sports and entertainment, participation, other daily activities.

ADVOCACY

As usual we make advocacy for our members, in these 3 last months the main one we did is that the deadline for registration for NISR infographics was postponed so that UR students generally and ASSA members may register at in the competition. Other advocacies include searching for lab for trainings.

TRAINING

As an academic association our main purpose is capacity building via trainings in these first 3 months we focused on SPSS trainings and training about infographics.

a. INFOGRAPHICS

On October 3^rd 2015.30 team which were registered for NISR infographics competition 2015 were trained about infographics and design this activity has been done by vision statisticians (winners of the 2014 infographics competition and experts in data visualization) as the results for this trainings, 6 teams were selected among top 18 and got a 3 days training about infographics at MUSANZE, the activity in which top 18 teams shared their experience and skills about statistics and design. Apart from the trainings three teams got certificates because they were among top 15.

Top 18 teams sharing experience at MUSANZE ASSA members actively participated

b. SPSS

For students in applied statistics and other statistics practitioners to collect ,analyse , present and report results statistical softwares are needed. ASSA provides trainings about statistical softwares in these last 3 months we trained a group of 56 persons about SPSS (Statistical Package For Social Sciences) the activity that was fruitful for participants.

Photo 1 spss training for ASSA members and others university students

c. STATISTICAL AWARENESS SEMINAR FOR FIRST YEAR’ S STUDENTS

This was the opportunity to talk to new members of ASSA about statistics, required skills for statisticians as well as opportunities for those in this field. They also got opportunity to know more about ASSA, and the future expectations of their association (the event took place on December 17^th 2015).

d. TRAINING OF TRAINERS BY NISR ABOUT DEVINFO AND NADA

Period: January18^th to 23^rd 2016

Place: KOICA ROOM 014 UR HUYE Campus

Trainers: A team from NISR.

Trainees: 50 members of ASSA including 1 member of RPSA and 1member of URSU Guild council.

Topics: DevInfo, NADA and how to organize a training.

Training objective: Training of trainers (training until the trained get able to train others).

Partnership of: ASSA UR, UR-CBE, UR-CASS,NISR and UNICEF Rwanda.

Facilitation: UR-CASS, UR-CST.

Result: trained team is will to share knowledge to the university and needs facilitation in form of infrastructures (Computer labs).

Photo 3 a group photo after the training of trainers

SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

With the aim of relaxing and friendship among members, friendly games between classes have been organized, and in December ASSA football championship started between teams.

We do not only play within the association but we also play with other classes out of statistics.

Photo 4 ASSA championship , the most entertaining event for statistics students

Participations

ASSA members participated in very many events in University of Rwanda as well as some important activities organized by NISR, EICV4 launch and African Statistics Day 2015 (ASD), in which we had winners, this was the opportunity for ASSA members to discuss with experts about the future of statistics in our country.

Photo 5 African Statistics Day 2015, the event in which ASSA members participated actively

OTHER DAILY ACTIVITIES

Among achievements in our daily activities provide advice to ASSA members, and other students in our academic environment in first monthly general assembly we got chance of being visited by NISR staff members including Ruben MUHAYITETO and Dominique HABIMANA, the director of Statistical Methods Research and Publication department (SMRP).

CHALLENGES

The main challenge we met is the fluctuation of academic calendar.

WHAT IS COMING FOR THE NEXT SEMESTER?

In this coming semester we are expecting many activities namely:

Statistics week (in which many things will be accomplished),

Training about DevInfo and NADA

Statistics awareness seminars for continuing students,

Internship for 3^rd year Students,

Trainings about statistical softwares (stata,Cs Pro),

Election and handover,

Induction for new members of committee.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT