Carnegie Mellon University, MasterCard Foundation in joint drive to educate African tech leaders

Carnegie Mellon University in Kigali and The MasterCard Foundation Monday announced a new partnership aimed to boost the education of Africa's next generation of technology leaders and entrepreneurs.

The partnership, with 10.8 million U.S. dollars commitment from The MasterCard Foundation, will be established at Carnegie Mellon University's College of Engineering program in Kigali, Rwanda.

It is set to benefit 125 academically talented but economically disadvantaged students from Sub-Saharan Africa as part of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program.

Carnegie Mellon University joins a global network of 23 Scholars Program partners, comprising educational institutions that are committed to developing Africa's young leaders.

It is hoped the scholars will use their knowledge and skills to lead change in their communities and contribute to meaningful transformation across the continent, according to officials.

"We are excited to partner with Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda, an exceptional institution committed to training the next generation of African engineers, innovators and entrepreneurs to meet pressing global challenges," said Reeta Roy, president and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation.

"Investment in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics] education is pivotal to Africa's future and will ensure that African nations have the opportunity to identify, develop and deploy their wealth of talent."

Since 2011, Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda has contributed to enhancing the quality of the engineering workforce in Africa, officials said.

The effort is credited for addressing the critical shortage of information and communication technology (ICT) skills required for Africa to compete in the Fourth Industrial Revolution where physical, cyber and biological systems converge through information, computing and communication technologies to transform the lives and livelihoods of citizens around the world.

"With this generous support from The MasterCard Foundation, we can multiply the impact of our program in Rwanda and educate a new cohort of exceptional engineers who will become catalysts for Africa's digital transformation," said CMU President Subra Suresh.

Officials said talented graduates of Carnegie Mellon in Rwanda play a strategic role in Africa's trajectory, leveraging ICT to digitally leapfrog socio-economic development across the continent.

"With transformative support from The MasterCard Foundation, Carnegie Mellon will be able to multiply its impact on higher education and the ICT sector in Africa, as part of the Rwanda Government's vision to create a Regional Center of Excellence in ICT and to serve as a technological hub for the region,"

According to a statement, by offering globally recognized degree programs in ICT to 125 students from lower-income families in Africa, Carnegie Mellon will have impact in three ways: first, dramatically expand future career options for each of the Scholars; it will be an essential educational and research resource underpinning growth and development of the technology sector in Africa; and alumni and faculty will benefit from Carnegie Mellon's resources for supporting entrepreneurship and innovation.

The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at Carnegie Mellon University in Rwanda will attract a diverse mix of Scholars from Rwanda and the rest of Sub-Saharan Africa, with a priority on increasing the enrolment of women, the statement said.

The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program is expected to provide holistic student support, including comprehensive scholarships, leadership development, volunteerism and industry-driven career services - developing highly skilled, transformative leaders to catalyze Africa's digital transformation.

Rwanda's Minister of Education Papias Musafiri said the partnership would play a pivotal role in bridging skills gaps in engineering sector in the country.

The program will start in fall 2016 and conclude in 2023. Endit