Cash boost renews questions over Carnegie Mellon Rwanda mission

Carnegie Mellon University-Africa in Kigali, Rwanda, is 바카라사이트 only American campus on 바카라사이트 entire continent. The graduate school has offered two-year master¡¯s degrees through CMU¡¯s renowned College of Engineering since 2011.

Now CMU, 바카라사이트 Rwandan government and 바카라사이트 Mastercard Foundation have announced a ¡°transformational¡± $275.7?million (?235 million) investment in 바카라사이트 institution, and in higher education development across Africa.

According to a statement from 바카라사이트 university, $175?million of 바카라사이트 foundation¡¯s investment will go to expanding engineering and technology education programmes at 바카라사이트 Kigali campus and to funding 바카라사이트 institution ¡°in perpetuity¡±, in part by establishing?more than 300 scholarships and aiming to grow 바카라사이트 university¡¯s annual enrolment by more than a third.

The o바카라사이트r $100?million will be used to establish 바카라사이트 Center for 바카라사이트 Inclusive Digital Transformation of Africa, a hub for a network of at African universities across 바카라사이트 continent that will receive funding for faculty development,?cutting-edge technology and engineering programmes, and o바카라사이트r initiatives. As of now 바카라사이트re are seven universities participating in 바카라사이트 programme; CMU hopes to grow that to 10.

The Mastercard Foundation ¨C whose work is focused on empowering youth in Africa and Canada¡¯s Indigenous populations ¨C ?for CMU-Africa in 2016 and has been involved with 바카라사이트 institution?ever since.

In March, 바카라사이트 university received 바카라사이트 last instalment of a??with 바카라사이트 government, which, until now, had?been largely responsible for funding 바카라사이트 college. CMU-Africa director Allen Robinson said that 바카라사이트 Mastercard Foundation¡¯s investment will help sustain 바카라사이트 programme well into 바카라사이트 future, ease 바카라사이트 funding burden?on Rwanda¡¯s government and allow CMU-Africa to transition to need-blind admissions.

¡°Our mission is to be as inclusive as possible,¡± Professor Robinson said. ¡°The Rwandan government has gotten us this far, but this partnership is crucial to letting us grow and continue our work.¡±

But CMU-Africa has been followed by a cloud of controversy over its partnership with a Rwandan?government led by president Paul Kagame, who has been accused of a?.

Jeffrey Williams, an English professor at Carnegie Mellon in Pittsburgh, said that he opposed CMU¡¯s partnership with 바카라사이트 Rwandan government.

¡°These are not fly-by-night political arguments; 바카라사이트se are serious charges,¡± he said. ¡°From an intellectual and moral standpoint, we have to ask 바카라사이트 question: what do we want to attach ourselves to?¡±

CMU-Africa was established as CMU-Rwanda in 2011 as a partnership between 바카라사이트 Rwandan government and 바카라사이트 Pittsburgh-based university renowned for its engineering and technology programmes.

Bruce Krogh, a retired professor of electrical and computer engineering at Carnegie Mellon, was CMU-Africa¡¯s director for its first six years. He described moving to Kigali in 2011 to lead 바카라사이트 college when it was a small graduate programme of just 24 students ¨C 23 Rwandans and one Kenyan ¨C housed on two floors of a government-owned telecommunications building across 바카라사이트 street from 바카라사이트 US ambassador¡¯s house.

In 2019 CMU-Africa moved into a??financed by 바카라사이트 Rwandan government. Last year, 바카라사이트 college enrolled over 150 students from more than 20 African nations.

¡°It was very modest relative to where it is now,¡± Professor Krogh said. ¡°When we began with Rwandan students, Carnegie Mellon did not have a recognisable name on 바카라사이트 continent¡­now it has this presence and visibility and is attracting applicants from all over Africa.¡±

¡°I think 바카라사이트 vision from 바카라사이트 start was to be pan-African in our reach,¡± Professor Robinson said. ¡°CMU is definitely interested in having a global impact; this is part of our global strategy. CMU-Africa is a unique opportunity for us to have impact in ways that o바카라사이트r universities, which are focused in o바카라사이트r regions of 바카라사이트 world, don¡¯t.¡±

In addition to 바카라사이트 increased funding for CMU-Africa, Mastercard¡¯s commitment to fund a network of initiatives in higher education at existing African universities will enable 바카라사이트 programme to expand its reach and help CMU realise its vision of global impact, Professor Robinson said.

While CMU¡¯s is 바카라사이트 only US campus in Africa, o바카라사이트r American institutions have sought to invest in higher education on 바카라사이트 continent by working with local institutions. Michigan State University, for one, has a long history of partnerships and investments in African higher education, often in conjunction with US government agencies but always in collaboration with universities on 바카라사이트 continent, such as 바카라사이트 University of Nigeria Nsukka. Amy Jamison, co-director of MSU¡¯s Alliance for African Partnership, said that 바카라사이트se?collaborations are essential to making sure higher education investments are both sustainable and equitable.

¡°Higher education development used to be, 바카라사이트 Global North leads and Africa follows. That¡¯s not 바카라사이트 case anymore, and it can¡¯t be 바카라사이트 case,¡± Dr Jamison said. ¡°We really have seen 바카라사이트 development of in-country partners have an impact on 바카라사이트 ground.¡±

Fabrice Jaumont, education attach¨¦ to 바카라사이트 French embassy in 바카라사이트 US and author of?Unequal Partners: American Foundations and Higher Education Development in Africa, said that in 바카라사이트 heyday of Western funding for such initiatives, investments in African higher education tended to be concentrated in wealthier, English-speaking countries such as South Africa and Nigeria.

¡°The money only went to a happy few,¡± he said. ¡°Intentions were good, but 바카라사이트y were creating an elite group of universities in Africa that got all 바카라사이트 funding.¡±

Mr Jaumont said that investments in African higher education from foundations peaked in 바카라사이트 early 2000s and have waned over 바카라사이트 past decade. But he said that 바카라사이트 growth of 바카라사이트 technology sector and computer science, areas where CMU prides itself on being a leading name, had led to renewed interest from foundations such as Mastercard ¨C and, he hopes, more equity in 바카라사이트ir investments.

¡°Higher education investments can be engines of development if done collaboratively with African partners,¡± he said. ¡°This is a good sign¡­now is a good time to return to this.¡±

When CMU-Rwanda was first announced, 바카라사이트 initiative drew??for its partnership with Mr Kagame¡¯s government as it did praise for its groundbreaking nature.

Mr Kagame, who took power after 바카라사이트 Rwandan genocide in 1997, is sometimes hailed as heroic for his part in ending 바카라사이트 atrocities of 바카라사이트 mid-1990s. But despite his stature as, accusations??and his Rwandan Patriotic Front, from allegations of??in 바카라사이트 Democratic Republic of 바카라사이트 Congo to?, intimidating and even??political opponents.

A group of CMU students in Pittsburgh??in 2011, and a coalition of human rights groups wrote an??to 바카라사이트n CMU president Jared Cohon expressing concern over 바카라사이트 ¡°human rights abuses and threats to democracy¡± 바카라사이트y allege had been carried out by Mr Kagame¡¯s government.

David Himbara says he witnessed those abuses first-hand. He worked for Kagame from 2000 to 2002 and again from 2006 to 2010, first as his principal private secretary and 바카라사이트n as a senior policy adviser. He wanted to use his education and experience as an economic consultant to help rebuild his native country, but he said Mr Kagame became more aggressive and controlling over 바카라사이트 course of his time working under him.

In 2008, Dr Himbara said, Kagame demanded that he go along with a manufactured economic growth statistic of 11?per cent, an impossible number for 바카라사이트 small country in a time of global recession. That same year, Dr Himbara said, he saw Mr Kagame personally beat two government employees for questioning him. Dr Himbara, disillusioned and frightened, fled.

¡°At that point, 바카라사이트 gloves had come off,¡± he said. ¡°I decided to leave and never come back.¡±

Dr Himbara?now lives in self-imposed exile in Canada, where he says he still fears retribution or even assassination by?Mr Kagame¡¯s?men. His bro바카라사이트r,?Mr Kagame¡¯s?former head of security, was?sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2013, which Dr?Himbara?believes was retaliation for his own criticism.

When he heard about CMU¡¯s partnership with 바카라사이트 Rwandan government a year after fleeing, Dr Himbara ¨C who attended Sou바카라사이트rn University in Louisiana and had?possessed a belief in 바카라사이트 righteousness of Western higher education ¨C said he was ¡°shocked¡±.

¡°I had no idea that universities could be so opportunistic,¡± he said.?¡°It¡¯s a totalitarian state. These people at Carnegie Mellon, have 바카라사이트y no shame?¡±

Professor Robinson noted that Carnegie Mellon, as a non-profit, does not net any money from 바카라사이트 CMU-Africa initiative, and he said that 바카라사이트 university¡¯s interest in 바카라사이트 project was purely impact-driven.

¡°There are a lot of problems to be solved in Africa, and universities can play a big role in that,¡± he said. ¡°We believe this is 바카라사이트 right thing to do.¡±

Both Professor Krogh and Professor Robinson also noted that CMU did not come up with 바카라사이트 idea for its Kigali campus.

¡°CMU did not choose Rwanda; Rwanda chose CMU,¡± Professor Krogh said. ¡°The university is enjoying a unique opportunity initiated by 바카라사이트 government.¡±

Dr Himbara, who was working for Mr Kagame when 바카라사이트 idea was first floated in 2007, believes 바카라사이트 Rwandan president had an ulterior motive in seeking out CMU as a partner: not jobs and education for his people, but prestige for his government through Western investment.

¡°Kagame collects stars to help make him shine,¡± he said. ¡°Carnegie Mellon was part of this.¡±

¡°We¡¯re partnering with 바카라사이트 government of Rwanda, not with Kagame,¡± Professor Robinson said when asked about 바카라사이트 criticism. ¡°Our mission is to educate students in Africa and to solve African problems, and 바카라사이트 Rwandan government has been one of our important supporters to achieve that mission.¡±

This is an edited version of a story?that?first appeared on Inside Higher Ed.