While the opening of Indiana University’s Ghana Gateway in Africa heralds a new era of cooperation between the continent and IU, the university already has a long history of engagement with Africa.
IU Global (Office of the Vice President for International Affairs) has been working in many African countries for the past 40 years. From 1992 to 1995 he collaborated with Hanya University in South Africa, one of his earliest partnerships on the African continent. Since then, partnerships with several higher education institutions in Africa have been established.
“The IU Gateway Office in Africa will play an important role in fostering and maintaining connections with current partners and expanding collaborations across Africa,” said Teshom Alemne, IU’s Vice President of International Research and Development. ” he said. “It will bring together university faculty, researchers, administrators, NGOs, government agencies, and many other stakeholders.”
A particular focus at IU is collaboration focused on institutional development, including activities such as improving academic programs and curricula, encouraging faculty development, and conducting collaborative research. For example, in recent years, the IU Office of International Development has implemented collaborations to develop Africa’s next generation of entrepreneurs, strengthen Africa’s research capacity, and support young leaders on the continent.
Developing civic leadership skills in young leaders
IU is a supporter of the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders, the flagship program of the U.S. government’s Young African Leaders Initiative.
Through this initiative, IU has hosted a total of 150 young leaders from more than 30 African countries, strengthened their capacities in civic engagement and leadership, and connected them to Indiana. During their time at IU, fellows gave presentations, discussed their perspectives and passions at courses and networking events, and shared their life experiences at social activities such as meals with IU faculty and staff families.
“The Mandela Washington Fellows’ presence on campus has had a lasting impact on faculty, staff, students, and raised IU’s profile in more than 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa,” Alemne said. “This program advances IU’s global engagement strategy and increases interest in Africa. It has fostered people-to-people relationships and strengthened mutual understanding.”
IU’s participation in the Mandela Washington Fellows Program ran from 2016 to 2022. The program’s lasting legacy at the university is evident in recent collaborations. For example, students at the IU Bloomington School of Public Health worked with a clinic in Kenya through the Hijabi Mentorship Program. The program focuses on the empowerment and education of women and girls and is an organization founded by visiting Mandela researcher Nima Nzani Kassim. IU in 2019.
Business entrepreneurship and leadership
IU collaborated with Ivy Tech Community College and The Mill to lead a two-year project in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Funded by the U.S. Embassy, the Partnership for Business Entrepreneurship and Leadership Transformation (PiBELT) is improving entrepreneurial capacity in Ethiopia.
“This initiative is an opportunity for two Ethiopian universities, Debre Markos University and Bahar Dar University, to leverage their expertise to develop a business and entrepreneurship incubation center and inculcate these skills in African youth. ,” Alemne said. “Ethiopian university students who participated with local youth developed skills on how to develop business ideas into startups, reduce unemployment, create jobs, and improve economic activity.”
Under this project, IU and its partners developed pre-acceleration and accelerator training modules on topics such as customer development. customer work. “Insight/Perspective/Idea” prototyping. Revenue; Marketing and Sales; Team Building. Instant creation of business plans and proposal materials. Product development; Business development. marketing and sales; and investor pitches.
After the training and pitch competition, 22 business ideas were awarded seed money to start their businesses and prototypes. Funded projects include wheelchair production, animal feed, plastic recycling, seeding machines, mead production, waste treatment and filtration, e-learning platforms, ice cream shops, and more.
In addition, the Department of International Development welcomes these Entrepreneurship Center administrators and other administrators Bahar Dar and Debre Marcos to Bloomington, including The Mill, Bloomington Economic Development Corporation, Learn from IU innovation and commercialization experts. Offices and Ivy Tech Gail & Bill Cook Entrepreneurship Center.
The PiBELT project, which ended in 2022, recently inspired spin-off projects. Led by the Debre Marcos and Bahar Dar Business Incubation Center and supported by the U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia, the spin-off supports the development of women as entrepreneurs in the community, Alemne said. Ta.
Strengthening research capabilities
Finally, IU, through the Department for International Development, is a core partner in a project titled Long-Term Support and Services for Research: Partnering with University-Led Solution Engines. The project, known as LASER PULSE, focuses on strengthening the research capacity of higher education institutions around the world, including in sub-Saharan Africa.
Participants at the 2019 LASER PULSE Research for Development conference in Kampala, Uganda. Photo courtesy of Indiana University Office of International Relations.
LASER PULSE, which has $70 million in funding from USAID, is a consortium led by Purdue University and also includes Makerere University in Uganda, the University of Notre Dame, and Catholic Relief Services.
“LASER PULSE’s main focus is to work with research institutions and collaborate with experts to help design and implement research projects, so that research results can create real impact.” Alemneh said. “It is important to bring together partners such as NGOs, government agencies and community organizations early in the research design process to ensure problem identification and final research results are translated into practice.”
Under this project, IU led communications efforts supporting research translation partnerships around the world. IU also led international research and development workshops in Uganda and Ethiopia.
Alemne said the wide range of projects supported through the IU Office of International Development has the potential to transform higher education institutions and improve people’s lives.
“Whether it’s new skills gained by a young Ethiopian entrepreneur or new knowledge gained by a Mandela Washington Fellow, these experiences are life-changing for them as individuals and for their communities,” he said. said. “And in the case of experience sharing and capacity building programs in translational research, it means re-envisioning the entire role of university researchers in making a difference on the ground.
“Ultimately, IU has the expertise and experience to lead and effect change in these countries, and the opening of the Ghana Gateway will strengthen our efforts. It is what drives us.”
