May 1, 2011

Big Foundations' Africa Partnership Offers Lessons for U.S. Universities

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Akin Akintunde for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

Women work in a computer lab at Nigeria’s Bayero U., which received more than $8-million from the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa. The project is credited with improving information technology and helping universities enroll more women.

By Ian Wilhelm

After 10 years and hundreds of millions of dollars, a major philanthropic effort to de­velop African higher education ended last year, leaving behind a string of accomplishments and some lessons on how American universities can help their African counterparts.

Consisting of seven American foundations, the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa pro­vided $440-million to institutions and scholars in nine countries, making it one of the largest international efforts to assist