Brookdale Community College signed a memorandum of understanding this week with Africa Universities Fund, Inc. (AUF) that expands Brookdale’s educational offerings and training opportunities to a worldwide audience.
This partnership will facilitate the enrollment of Nigerian students to Brookdale’s academic and certificate programs both in-person and online. The agreement supports students enrolling in “future of work” STEM fields such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, robotics, 3D printing, data science, and other areas that strengthen young people’s skills in the digital economy.
“We are excited to be able to bring Brookdale Community College education around the world,” said Dr. David M. Stout, president of Brookdale Community College on Feb. 22. “This is the first time that we are going across the ocean to leverage the reach and power of online remote learning, which will be beneficial not only to the students of Nigeria but also tremendously beneficial to our students. This will give them the opportunity to have connections and live interaction with people from another country who share similar goals and dreams.”
AUF is a nonprofit organization that strives to inspire, nurture and harness the skills, creativity, and employability of millions of young people in Africa by creating awareness and advancing opportunities for skills-based teaching and learning at the higher education level.
AUF plans to equip The Future of Work Africa Learning Center in Port Harcourt, Nigeria. This center will provide a remote live learning center for students enrolled in Brookdale’s online courses and additionally serve as a resource center for information about U.S. higher education and Brookdale in particular.
“I want to extend my appreciation to the board of trustees for supporting our mission and to Dr. Stout for his leadership,” said Dr. Joe Madu, founder and president at USAfrica Chamber of Commerce and chairman of the AUF board of directors. “Additionally, I am grateful to Dr. Janice Thomas, director of the International Education Center and Mr. Ed Johnson, executive director of Governmental Affairs and Community Relations at Brookdale, for their untiring efforts to build bridges and break barriers and be a source of light.”
Through partnerships and collaboration with higher education institutions, AUF is committed to extending critical resources and opportunities to empower young people in Africa by democratizing access to education and training in science and technology.
“If we can have people trained in the new Data Science Option that Brookdale offers, then they would be able to contribute to their country and families,” said Chijike K. Ndukwu, M.Sc., MS., secretary-general of AUF. “Providing the best higher education opportunities in the world, especially American education, to young people from Africa is an element that reaffirms the economic, cultural, and social bond that exists between Africa and the United States of America.”
“This is a very great idea, and I want to thank your school for letting us use your platform and your expertise and staff and for reaching out to make a difference in other parts of the world,” said Magdalene Venn, board member of AUF.
