Howard University has for many years had close working relationships with countries throughout Africa and the Caribbean, and in the past four years has conducted 17 USAID or Africa-related projects for a total amount of approximately $2M. Howard, an historically black institution of higher education, has pedagogical and organizational expertise in extending educational access to underserved populations; creating off-grid and wireless technology access solutions; increasing e-governance; encouraging women to participate in technology and helping them achieve equitable access; creating local IT-related businesses; using the Internet for development activities; and utilizing information technology in disaster relief. Howard has conducted a series of forums designed to develop relationships between American and African universities with the objective of their developing joint postbaccalaureate degree programs. These symposia, which began last year, have resulted in the participation of 40 American institutions, and 46 African institutions in 21 countries. Examples of such collaboration include a revamping of the engineering curriculum at South African technikons, and a team involving the Graduate School, the Department of Systems and Computer Science, and the School of Education are preparing to carry out a project to develop the IT capacity throughout Malawi and its higher education and basic education systems.
