EMS African Initiative

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EMS African Initiative
By The Task Force Presented to the EMS
Faculty November 5th 2002
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Task Force Members
EGEE3 GeoSc7 Alumnus1 Geog5 Deans off.2 EMS
Lib.2 MatSc4 Meteo1 Env Inst1
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Deans Charge
Evaluate the viability benefits of creating a
college initiative with a focus on Africa,
something like Earth and Mineral Science and
Engineering of Africa
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Specifics Scope and Character

• Define the role of the initiative in
• Educational innovations
• EMS Research interests
• College-wide faculty and student diversity
• A welcoming EMS culture

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Task Force Deliberations

• Working groups
• Undergraduate education
• Research graduate education
• Symposium Seminar series
• Structure
• Expected product white paper

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Recipe for Success

• Create a world-renowned Center for African
  science and Engineering (CASE)
• with
• Strong research and education components
• Collaboration within PSU w/ HBCUs
• Strong linkage to African institutions

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Why a Center?

• Stimulate systematic collaboration among
  scholars (EMS, PSU, HBCUs African institutions)
  
• Develop interdisciplinary initiatives on
  African science engineering issues to have
  curricular and research impacts

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Why a Center?

• Provides an enabling environment to encourage and
  nurture diversity through
• Close cross-cultural interactions
• Strengthening of undergraduate curricular in
  participating institutions, a ready pool for grad
  students recruitment

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Immediate actions

• Create new minors
• Discussions of research initiatives
• New methods delivering programs
• Create governance structure
• Explore funding opportunities
• Seek candidates for new hires

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Undergraduate Education

• Create a two-track minor degree program
• Human Dimension of African Development
• Technology for African Development
• Clientele Liberal Arts, Sciences Engineering
• CAUSE Seminars on issues facing African science
  engineering

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Research Grad. Education

• Define 3-4 thematic research foci
• Research teams around each one
• Seek external funds
• Possible funding sources
• NSF, USAID, World Bank, ECA, etc.

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Center Structure Governance

• Director Asst. Director Adv. Board
• Members drawn from faculty of EMS other
  colleges
• Anchored in both energy and environmental
  institutes other colleges through Advisory
  Board

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Center Structure Funding

• Permanent operating funds
• Bulk from EMS, EI, Env. Inst.
• Contributions from other colleges
• Additional support (external sources)
• Project funds
• External grants support of initiatives

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Specifics Sustainability Strategy

• How to support the initiative
• Internal sources (PSU EMS)
• External sources (Foundations, NSF, etc.)
• Integrate into EMS Strategic Plan
• Design an enabling governing structure

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Current Activities

• PSU Africana Center proposal
• Focused on symposium on African Science
  Engineering issues
• Purpose define refine center focus
• Discourse w/ PSU groups w/ interest in Africa
• Discourse w/ external interested groups (World
  Bank, NSF, ECA, Foundations, HBCUs, African
  Universities)

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Planned Exploratory activities

• Research, teaching and service opportunities
• Future strategic faculty hires
• Resources for planned efforts