How can African graduates be more prepared to compete in the global marketplace? How do we secure research funding for African faculty who aspire to push forward the frontiers of knowledge?

These are two questions to be asked by Cornell President David Skorton and by Silas Lwakabamba, rector of the National University of Rwanda, as co-chairs of the new advisory board of the Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative. The initiative was launched last year by organizations in Africa and the United States with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Said Skorton: "Higher education is a global aspiration. As fellow leaders in higher education, we need to collaborate with our African colleagues who are determined to secure that same dream for their young students at home. Strengthening local institutions of higher education to develop greater human capacity and generate new knowledge is essential to secure a real opportunity for young Africans to participate fully in the global economy."

Lwakabamba added: "Africans across the continent have been yearning for stronger universities and polytechnics, and our institutions have been working hard to meet the exploding demand for postsecondary education. Partnerships with institutions in the United States and other parts of the world are essential for the development of our own institutions."

The initiative, established to advocate for increased U.S. involvement in the development of higher education in Africa, was founded with a contribution of $1 million from USAID to fund 20 planning grants of $50,000 to support collaborations between African and U.S. institutions. The grants will be managed by USAID's Higher Education for Development Program with assistance from the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges and other partners.

The advisory board, consisting of experts in several fields, including higher education, in Africa and the United States, will provide leadership for developing a more accessible higher education system for the African continent.

The American Council on Education is providing administrative and financial support.