Kenyan President Signs New STEM Education Agreement With HBCUs

Kenyan President William Ruto made Atlanta his first stop during his official state visit to the United States, focusing on advancing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. 

During his visit to Spelman College, a historically Black college for women, Ruto signed a framework agreement to establish educational exchanges between Kenyan universities and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the US.

Boosting STEM Education 

The agreement, signed by representatives from Spelman and Morehouse Colleges, Clark Atlanta University, and Howard University, aims to enhance STEM education in both countries.

“We still have details to work out in terms of the partnership, but you know, what we really hope is that our students have the opportunity to go and learn in Kenyan schools, and Kenyan students will have the opportunity here,” Spelman President Dr. Helene Gayle told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“Our faculty will have opportunities to do research together and really build out partnerships in this very important area of STEM and technology.”

During President Ruto’s Spelman visit, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) also announced a $32 million investment to promote STEM education in Kenya. 

Historical and Ongoing Collaborations: The Airlift Program Legacy

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that the connection between Kenyan education and American institutions dates back over 60 years to the airlift program.

The program, spearheaded by Kenyan leader Tom Mboya and supported by then-U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy, allowed young Kenyans to study at American colleges and universities.

The idea was for them to acquire the necessary skills and return to help build post-colonial Kenya.

Hundreds of Kenyan students benefited from the program, Barack Obama Sr., the father of the future US President Barack Obama. 

“By following in the footsteps of the historic airlift, we shall empower a new generation of disruptive thinkers, ambitious visionaries, and innovative problem solvers,” President Ruto remarked at Spelman. 

President Ruto will continue his US visit by meeting with President Joe Biden in Washington, DC. This will mark the first state visit by an African leader during the Biden Administration.