TSU Regent Ron Price, of Dallas, presented recently at the “Diaspora for Development: Leveraging Africa’s Sixth Region to Realize the Continent’s Promise,” hosted by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the African Union, and the Office of HBCU Development.
Price’s presentation was part of a panel discussion called “Academic Perspectives,” in conjunction with Dr. Fikru Boghossian of Morgan State University and Dr. Lamin Drammeh of South Carolina State University.
The panel focused on the International Distance Learning Initiative (IDLI). The goal of IDLI, which includes TSU and several other HBCUs, is to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning, and strengthen academic and sociocultural goals among universities across the African continent and beyond to advance educational outcomes for all persons of African descent. Through IDLI, distance learning courses taught by professors at HBCUs are accessible to universities across Africa.
The panel, which was available both in person (at The Permanent Observer Mission of the African Union to the United Nations in New York City, NY) and virtually, addressed questions such as:
· What are some positive lessons learned from the IDLI initiative in the past three years?
· How can the IDLI be improved for the future?
· Is it possible to scale it up (with more HBCUs and students) and if so, how?
· How can HBCUs and UNDP broaden their collaboration on educational support to Africa?
For more information on the UNDP’s work involving Africa, visit www.undp.org/africa.
Source: Texas Southern University
