University Opens Its First Global Center in Africa

January 30, 2013

With the opening of the center in Nairobi, faculty, students, alumni and friends will have a new home base for engaging with the people and complex issues that confront Africa.

The Jan. 14 dedication and discussion event was big news in Africa, attended by leaders of several nations, including Mwai Kibaki, President of Kenya; Hailemariam Desalegn, Ethiopia’s prime minister; Salva Kiir Mayardit, president of South Sudan; Margaret Kamar, Kenya’s minister of higher education; and Ahmed Ali Silay, Djibouti’s vice minister of foreign affairs.

Safwan M. Masri, Columbia’s vice president for global centers, underscored the interactive and collaborative nature of the venture. “We have no preconceived notions and don’t pretend to have answers. We’re here to learn from you,” he said.

Tags