Coming Home to Lead

From Early Student to Academic Dean, John Musavuli’s Journey Brings Him Back to the Community That Formed Him

John Musavuli’s story is inseparable from the growth of UCBC itself. As a member of one of the university’s earliest cohorts, he has grown alongside the institution: first as a student, then a chaplain, then a faculty member and now Academic Dean. His journey keeps circling back to the one place with an integrative vision of education built on relationships. As he puts it: “UCBC is my home.”

That sense of home began during his early years as a student. John remembers how his professors erased the traditional divide between faculty and students. They walked with students, encouraged them and modeled a kind of academic community he had never seen before. Their example formed in him a conviction that quality education begins with genuine human connection, a model he now strives to embody in his own teaching.

Today, John sees that same relational ethos taking root in his own classroom. Even in a notoriously challenging subject like Greek, he has found that students discover joy because they feel seen, encouraged and supported. For John, this is not accidental; it is part of UCBC’s DNA.

Equally formative has been UCBC’s commitment to integrating faith and learning. Moments like offering their studies to God in chapel shaped John’s belief that academic excellence and spiritual devotion are not competing commitments but mutually strengthening ones. This holistic vision now guides his leadership as Academic Dean, especially as UCBC strives for excellence within the difficult realities of higher education in Congo.

John’s pride in being “part of this family” is more than a sentiment. It captures a calling shaped over years, a commitment to the community that formed him and a deep pride in a university striving to raise leaders of integrity for Congo’s future. Through the faithful support of partners, that home continues to grow, and John continues to help lead it forward.