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Partnership for Higher Education in Africa
In 2000, the Rockefeller Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and Carnegie Corporation of New York, launched the Partnership for Higher Education in Africa to coordinate their support for higher education in Africa.
News updates:
Kresge Foundation Joins Partnership for Higher Education in Africa
The Partnership aims to:
- Generate and share information about African university and higher education issues;
- Discuss strategies for supporting universities;
- Support universities seeking to transform themselves;
- Encourage networking among innovative African university leaders and higher education experts;
- Distill and share lessons learned from grantmaking; and
- Advocate for wider recognition of the importance of universities to African development.
In creating the Partnership, the foundations embarked on a unique journey that has opened new vistas. While maintaining each foundation’s unique strategic focus, the four foundations agreed to work together toward accelerating the processes of comprehensive modernization and strengthening of universities in selected countries. In its first five years from 2000 through 2005, the Partnership's most significant focus was on the development of universities' physical infrastructure and human and organizational capacity. Information technologies and connectivity to the Internet were at the core of these efforts.
The Partnership currently supports programs in:,
Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda.
The Partnership has grown since its inception in both the number of Partnership foundations and Partnership countries. In April 2005, the Partnership foundations increased from four to six with the addition of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. By the end of 2005, Kenya became the seventh Partner country and in early 2006, Egypt and Madagascar were added to the list. To date, the Partnership supports 49 universities within nine countries; 25 universities receive significant funding for systematic transformation of the university as a whole.
On September 16 2005, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Anna joined the Presidents of the Partnership foundations at the relaunch of the Partnership in announcing a $200 million commitment by the foundations over the next five years to further strengthen higher education in the selected African countries. The Secretary-General characterized African universities as necessary contributors to the continent’s future development, governance and peace.
For further information about the Partnership, visit their Web site at http://www.foundation-partnership.org/, or contact:
Suzanne Grant Lewis
Coordinator
Partnership for Higher Education in Africa
IGEMS, NYU Steinhardt School of Education
726 Broadway, Room 532
New York, NY 10003
Tele: +1(212) 998-5514
Fax: +1(212) 995-4510
Web: http://www.foundation-partnership.org
Email: Sue.Grant.Lewis@nyu.edu