The U.S. Agency for International Development and a Washington-based group, Higher Education for Development, awarded grants of up to $1.1-million on Wednesday to partnerships between 11 American universities and 11 African counterparts that aim to deal with some of Africa's biggest developmental challenges.
The programs were developed through the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities' Africa-U.S. Initiative. The association lobbied for funds, which were then distributed by U.S. AID and Higher Education for Development.
The programs that received awards on Wednesday were part of a group of 33 universities that received $50,000 last year to plan projects. Congress then appropriated a total of $15-million to support the 11 projects selected on Wednesday, which will actually be carried out.
The grants are part of an effort to strengthen higher education in sub-Saharan Africa and develop the region's economy. The projects focus on regional and national economic-development issues such as teacher preparation, HIV/AIDS research, food security, and agriculture. For example, one partnership, between Ethiopia's Addis Ababa University and the University of Connecticut, will develop a water-resources engineering program. Another partnership, between Brown University and the University of Ghana, aims to develop a National Educational Center of Excellence in HIV/AIDS. Each partnership has developed a five-year strategic plan and a 10-year long-term vision.
Comments
1. edc44 - September 08, 2010 at 04:16 pm
Wait until the Drudge Report and Fox get this one....
2. internal - September 10, 2010 at 08:36 am
I have to ask, when you look at all of the millions of dollars over many decades that have been thrown at this issue (poverty etc. in Africa) and after looking at all the other countrys and all the churches who have sent assistance to this cause/issue, WHY don't we ever seen improvement in this nation????? Sometimes small improvements are touted, but with all that has been done and all that is STILL being done. What exactly is being accomplished???? It is a never ending issue. This issue may never be resolved. Maybe someone should go back to the table and have the guts to say this is not working let's take another look at what we KEEP doing (throwing American and other's tax dollars at an issue that is not going to be resolved this way). If what you KEEP doing is not working then try something else. Money is not the cure all of Africa's issues.
3. dibaba - September 15, 2010 at 03:53 am
The African situation is sad and pathetic. It is however worth noting that the world can never assist Africa in solving its problems as long as it has invested interest in the disorder that is out there. Assisting, not prescribing and corrupting, through education, fair trade and not offering free grants can go a long way.