Africa-U.S. Higher Education Collaboration Initiative: Empowering African Higher Education for Africa's Transformation. A Discussion Paper for the Africa Region Post-Summit Workshop. Working Paper

Overview & Synopsis

This paper examines how higher education can contribute to Africa's transformation, reviews the challenges and priorities for higher education institution building, and introduces a proposed partnership program among African and U.S. higher education institutions to strengthen African higher education. In July of 2007 the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC) and the Partnership to Cut Hunger and Poverty in Africa, and the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA) in partnership with Higher Education for Development (HED), and the American Distance Education Consortium (ADEC) came together to form an initiative to strengthen African higher education capacity in science end technology for development in partnership with U.S. institutions of higher education. At this stage, the Initiative has identified several broad goals and capacity building priorities based on initial research and stakeholder consultations with leaders in Africa and the United States. The primary goals of the Africa-U.S. Higher Education Collaboration Initiative are to enhance and empower higher education institutions in Africa and the U.S. to contribute more effectively to African development and transformation and to increase the competency of U.S. higher education institutions in global affairs related to Africa. (Contains 2 tables and 11 footnotes.)