Spending Bill Contains Money for U.S.-Africa Partnerships

A federal spending bill for the 2010 fiscal year, signed into law in December, contains $15-million for partnerships between African and American universities. The funds will go to expand collaborations focused on strengthening higher education in sub-Saharan Africa as a way to develop the region’s economy. The U.S. Agency for International Development and a Washington-based group, Higher Education for International Development, last year announced an initial round of grants to 20 African and 20 American colleges for projects in crucial fields such as agriculture, health care, and teacher training.