by Rebecca Wagner, Director of External Relations
This month, United College was represented over 8,000 km across the North Atlantic Ocean. Our principal Rick Myers and Chancellor the Rt. Honorable Michaelle Jean travelled to the African Development University (ADU) institution located in Niamey, the capital of Niger. Here, United College signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Development University (ADU) to explore mutually beneficial academic collaboration. This relatively new institution aspires to prepare young Africans to take leadership roles in their continent’s development by providing them with relevant professional education (in both French and English) in the setting of a liberal arts college.
United College is connected to ADU through a common Chancellor. The Rt. Honorable Michaelle Jean was installed as the third Chancellor of United College in October of 2020. Several months later, ADU President Kader Kaneye approached Mme. Jean with a request to take on the same role at ADU. Keen to do so, she asked United College Principal Richard Myers whether it would be appropriate for her to be the Chancellor of two different institutions at the same time.
As we are located in different hemispheres, I didn’t see why it would be a problem. In fact, I suggested that our common interest in development issues might make ADU an interesting academic partner for United College.
Once installed at both institutions, Mme. Jean was nicely positioned to facilitate the connection between them. When asked to preside over ADU’s first convocations ceremony, she requested that Dr. Myers accompany her to Niamey for the event and the visit provided an excellent opportunity for the leaders of the two institutions to learn more about each other.
The main programs at ADU are law, accounting/business, and artificial intelligence. The university also operates a social enterprise incubator called the Ilini Innovation Lab (IILAB). The director of the IILAB is already in touch with GreenHouse Director Tania Del Matto to explore ways in which the two incubators might collaborate on projects of mutual interest.
We’ll start there and see where things go, but there’s no doubt that this is an interesting opportunity for both institutions.