ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast, March 20, 2024 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- During spring break from Yale, President Peter Salovey visits Africa, his third visit to the continent as leader of the university, reinforcing Yale’s commitment to global collaboration and broadening the University’s scope to foster educational partnerships.
This trip, which includes visits to Ivory Coast and Rwanda, marks the expansion of this action aimed at cultivating new and continued collaborations with French-speaking African countries, with a focus on issues of importance worldwide. These issues include environmental preservation, economic growth and access to higher education.
“I am delighted to travel to Rwanda and Ivory Coast this week to mark a decade of Yale’s increased engagement in Africa,” said Mr. Salovey. “My goal is to broaden our scope for continued and new collaborations, and as this is my first time in a French-speaking African country, this trip highlights the importance of engaging deeply on the continent. »
“The discussions I had on this trip with institutional partners and alumni help us understand how Yale might continue to build networks and implement teaching and research initiatives with colleagues from across the spectrum. Africa to meet global challenges. »
Strengthening educational and cultural ties in Ivory Coast
Mr. Salovey arrived in Abidjan, the capital of Côte d’Ivoire, on Friday, where he met government ministers and officials of the African Development Bank, highlighting the importance of the trip in fostering collaborations on education and economic development initiatives. A reception followed, which was an opportunity to network and strengthen ties between Yale and its Ivorian counterparts and former students.
Mr. Salovey participated in a roundtable discussion with students from the International Community School of Abidjan, organized by the United States Embassy. During this meeting, Yale’s president answered their questions, gave them an overview of Yale’s educational philosophy, and encouraged them to be lifelong learners.
The visit also included a meeting with local university presidents that focused on strengthening educational exchanges and partnerships between Ivorian institutions and Yale.
Collaboration on environment and education in Rwanda
Earlier in the trip, Salovey traveled to Rwanda to meet with those involved in Yale’s environmental and educational initiatives there. During a visit to the Kigali genocide memorial, Mr. Salovey paid tribute to the victims of the Rwandan genocide. The visit highlighted the importance of remembering the past in informing efforts to prevent future conflicts, he said, emphasizing Yale’s commitment to the study and promotion of human rights .
The same day, Mr. Salovey raised the issue of environmental research in meetings with Jeanne d’Arc Mujawamariya, Rwanda’s environment minister, and other Rwandan environmental officials. He explored opportunities for collaboration between Yale and Rwanda on sustainable development and conservation projects, emphasizing the role of academic institutions in addressing global environmental issues.
The Yale delegation was joined by representatives from the Yale School of the Environment (YSE) on an expedition to Volcanoes National Park, located in northwest Rwanda, to directly observe the country’s conservation efforts, thereby reinforcing Yale’s commitment to biodiversity conservation.
YSE, which offers Yale master’s and doctoral students the opportunity to travel to Rwanda to study wildlife conservation, has learned from several highly successful projects by the Rwandan government, the European Union and public-private initiatives.
“This year, for the first time, through a partnership between the YSE, the University of Rwanda and the Smithsonian Institution, we will be able to invite an equal number of Rwandan master’s or doctoral students to participate in a part of the study tour, to learn regarding the parks’ exceptional biodiversity, their management and their relationships with the communities on their borders,” said Amy Vedder, senior lecturer at the Yale School of the Environment, who participated to the president’s visit. “We look forward to networking and learning together, knowing that such an experience can contribute significantly to leadership development here in Rwanda, as well as with our recruited students from around the world.” »
Subsequently, Mr. Salovey observed the work of a group of women’s cooperatives to learn more regarding their essential role in adapting rural areas to climate change, illustrating the university’s commitment with its partners to support community-led environmental initiatives.
In Rwanda, Mr. Salovey also delivered a welcome speech describing Yale’s contribution to transforming research into policy in Africa during a policy dialogue titled “Collaboration through Research: Pathways to Evidence-Based Policy. evidence in Rwanda.”
The event brought together researchers from Yale’s Economic Growth Center (EGC), Yale Inclusion Economics, and the International Growth Center, and featured presentations by Yale professors Lauren Falcao Bergquist of Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs and the Yale School of Arts and Sciences, and Kevin Donovan of the Yale School of Management. Falcao Bergquist and Donovan, both members of the economics faculty and affiliates of the EGC, spoke regarding their research on industrial policies aimed at boosting exports and investments in rural infrastructure to mitigate the effects of change climatic.
Highlighting the importance of research-policy partnerships in Rwanda and the mutual benefits of academic collaboration, the event was chaired by Rwanda’s Minister of Trade and Industry, Jean-Chrysostome Ngabitsinze. The event also provided an opportunity for participants to engage with Rwandan counterparts and organizations, such as Bridges to Prosperity, which helps build bridges to improve the lives of rural communities, to discuss the research and pathways to impact in Rwanda to address economic and environmental challenges. To learn more regarding policy dialogue, visit the EGC website.
The visit also included a meeting with Eric Kneedler, the U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda, who provided an overview of the country and discussed the importance of increased collaboration between U.S. and African institutions.
Fostering global partnerships for a sustainable future
The visit to Ivory Coast and Rwanda illustrates Yale’s commitment to strengthening global partnerships in education, environmental protection and economic development, Salovey said. In addition to highlighting the university’s commitment to addressing global challenges, the trip also highlighted the potential for academic institutions to contribute significantly to international diplomacy and collaboration.
In his inaugural address as Yale president in 2013, Mr. Salovey launched an initiative to strengthen ties between Yale and Africa by encouraging new directions in research on Africa, identifying new partnerships and deepening existing partnerships, while transforming educational experiences and career opportunities for students at Yale and in Africa. Throughout his tenure, Yale has continued to leverage the power of global partnerships and networks across the continent to create new knowledge in science, public health, business and other disciplines , and to improve living conditions around the world.
As Yale continues to build and strengthen these partnerships, Salovey said the impact of these collaborations on the African continent should be felt far beyond the immediate participants, to foster a more interconnected and global academic community. supporting each other.
Distributed byAfrican Media Agency (AMA)for Yale
To learn more regarding Yale and Africa, visit the Yale and the World website
Source : African Media Agency (AMA)
2024-03-20 11:29:33
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