[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 59 (Wednesday, April 22, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E935]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    GEORGE MASON AWARDED USAID GRANT

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                           HON. FRANK R. WOLF

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, April 22, 2009

  Mr. WOLF. Madam Speaker, I would like to share with our colleagues a 
recent announcement from USAID indicating that Virginia's George Mason 
University was one of 40 paired winners of the highly competitive 
Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative Planning Grant Competition.
  George Mason will partner with the University of Sierra Leone to 
develop a four-campus community college system for the nation. The 
development of this sort of higher education is critical to Africa's 
future development, particularly in nations like Sierra Leone, which 
not too many years ago had been ravaged by civil war.

   George Mason University Awarded USAID-Funded Grant in Africa-U.S. 
             Higher Education Initiative Grant Competition

       Washington, DC--The U.S. Agency for International 
     Development (USAID) and the Higher Education for Development 
     (HED) announced today that George Mason University is one of 
     40 paired winners of the Africa-U.S. Higher Education 
     Initiative Planning Grant Competition. Nearly 300 
     applications were submitted for capacity-building 
     partnerships between U.S. colleges and universities and 
     higher education institutions in Sub-Saharan African nations. 
     George Mason University and other paired winners will receive 
     planning grants from USAID of $50,000 each (a complete list 
     of winners may be found at www.hedprogram.orq).
       ``This competition is an important opportunity to build the 
     kind of higher education capacity critical to the development 
     of Africa,'' said Joseph Carney, director of USAID's Office 
     of Education. ``This initiative was proposed during the 
     Higher Education Summit for Global Development and subsequent 
     regional summit held in Rwanda last year. We are delighted to 
     see this effort moving forward and expect great results from 
     these planning grants.''
       These paired institutions will use the grants to develop 
     plans to address regional and national economic development 
     priorities such as engineering, health, agriculture, 
     environment and natural resources, science and technology, 
     education and teacher training/preparation, and business, 
     management and economics.
       George Mason University will partner with the University of 
     Sierra Leone to develop a four-campus community college 
     system for the nation, under the sponsorship of Ernest Bai 
     Koroma, President of Sierra Leone, and under the direction of 
     the Sierra Leone Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
       HED manages the competition which grew out of the Africa-
     U.S. Higher Education Initiative (www.aplu.orq), a 
     collaborative effort between a number of higher education 
     associations and other organizations, led by the Association 
     of Public and Land-grant Universities (A.P.L.U), formerly the 
     National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant 
     Colleges (NASULGC).
       ``We were elated by the astounding number of highly 
     qualified applications received, and even more pleased by how 
     many applications demonstrated a strong understanding of 
     higher education needs in Africa,'' said Dr. Tully Cornick, 
     executive director of HED. ``The top 40 paired winning 
     institutions represent the best of these applications, and 
     plans that are developed as a result of the grants will 
     address a variety of critical development needs. It is our 
     belief that if funding is found to implement these plans, we 
     will see tangible, measurable and sustainable impact made in 
     these African countries.''
       ``This important initiative continues to illustrate the 
     enormous unmet need for higher education partnerships in 
     Africa,'' added Peter McPherson, president of A.P.L.U. ``We 
     see this as just the beginning--this is an ongoing campaign 
     to accomplish much more in engaging higher education 
     institutions in Africa.''
       HED, funded by a cooperative agreement with USAID, was 
     founded by the six major U.S. higher education associations 
     to engage U.S. colleges and universities in international 
     development. For more information about HED and to view 
     details about the planning grants corn petition, visit 
     www.HEDprodram.orcl.
       The American people, through the U.S. Agency for 
     International Development, have provided economic and 
     humanitarian assistance worldwide for nearly 50 years. For 
     more information on USAID, visit www.USAID.gov.

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