By: Maria-Paula
U.S. senators, Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tim Scott (R-S.C.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) recently introduced the HBCU Africa Partnerships Act to encourage the growth of research partnerships between Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and federal agencies with the aim to advance development in sub-Saharan Africa.
According to education experts, HBCUs and other minority serving institutions play a critical role in ensuring that students of all races, ethnicities, and backgrounds have access to high quality educational opportunities. The institutions have a long and rich history in educating and facilitating relationships between members of the African diaspora in the United States and throughout the world including Europe and the Western Hemisphere like Asia and the African continent.
“HBCUs like Delaware State University can play a critical role in helping the United States connect with members of the African diaspora and further build our partnerships with allies and partners across the African continent,” said Coons. “I’m excited to introduce this bipartisan bill to promote and expand collaborations between HBCUs and federal agencies across many fields of research. This legislation builds on the historic contributions of HBCUs to U.S. international relations and ensures that they will continue to have a strong impact on our nation’s foreign policy and security.”
HBCU alumni have over the years made important contributions to relations between the United States and Africa in the areas of democracy, political governance, food, agricultural security, education, human capital, youth development, public health, and infrastructure.
Scott on the other hand criticized malign actors like China who he said continue to expand their influence across sub-Saharan Africa, jeopardizing America’s national security interests and exploiting African communities.
“Our HBCUs are producing top-tier researchers and academics who are working to find solutions to global challenges. Encouraging greater collaboration between HBCUs and African partners will strengthen our relationships and combat authoritarian influence, while helping to fortify the foundations that enable free-market economies to flourish,” he said.
The United States Government partnerships with HBCUs and other United States colleges and universities, the Department of State’s educational and cultural exchange programs has borne many positive attributes for both the US and Africa. The Young African Leaders Initiative, which supports United States Government efforts to invest in the next generation of African leaders and USAID’s Minority Serving Partnership Initiative to facilitate research partnerships and engagements with minority-serving institutions look forward to more gains if the bill introduced to the Senate will be voted law.
“HBCUs are a vital asset to our higher education system and our country overall. These institutions and the talent they attract can play an important role in America’s efforts to partner with other countries around the world. This legislation would help us build the relationships between our HBCUs and federal agencies, like the State Department and the U.S. Agency for International Development, that we need to help make happen, and to strengthen America’s partnerships in sub-Saharan Africa and beyond,” said Senator Kaine.
Delaware State University fraternity expressed their excitement about Coons’ introduction of the HBCU Africa Partnerships Act. Through the university president Tony Allen PhD, the institution shared the view that the introduced legislation will create abundant possibilities for America’s HBCU researchers, faculty, and students to connect with their counterparts in the sub-Saharan countries of Africa.
“Delaware State University’s outreach and community service capabilities already extend across the local, regional, national, and global spectrum, but it would be tremendously meaningful for our community to share research and technical expertise on the African continent – the cultural and ethnic root of most of our campus community,” added Allen.
Amongst the HBCU Africa Partnerships Act expectations are:
· Expansion of partnerships and student exchange programs at HBCUs to build up the capacity and expertise of students, scholars, and experts from sub-Saharan Africa in key development areas, including food systems, agriculture, nutrition and farming, democracy, and public health.
· Authorization of the State Department to establish a short-term exchange program for African students, scholars, and experts to spend a semester or academic year at an HBCU.
· Directing the State Department to develop and increase educational grant opportunities, agency partnerships, outreach and communications at HBCUs.
The full text of the legislation can be viewed at Bill to strengthen HBCUs role in US-Africa partnership.
