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Carnegie Fellowship accelerates developing African programs
Nigerian-born statistics professor Felix Famoye is bringing knowledge back to his native country in May. He also hopes to bring motivated students from that country to Central Michigan University.
Famoye is one of 100 scholars to be awarded the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship, a program that groups African-born academics in the United States and Canada with higher education institutions in African partner countries. The ADP program offers fellowship of 14 to 90 days in Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania or Uganda.
The University of Lagos in Nigeria welcomes back Famoye, who previously developed their mathematics programs while there on the Fullbright Fellowship from 2009-10.
"Generally African countries have different types of programs, but don’t have the money to develop them," Famoye said. "Carnegie does (the fellowship) as a form of helping developing countries' higher education."
Fellows have three main objectives: teaching, conducting collaborative research with the academic staff and advising their curriculum. Famoye also wants to recruit post-graduate students to CMU.
"The fellowship gives a big advantage for both universities. I try to find very good students to recruit," Famoye said. "Facilities (in Nigeria) are limited. The lab facilities here are well equipped, so they can come here and finish their research then go back and complete their PhD."
The resources available to students who enroll at CMU are on a whole other level from what students experience in Nigeria, Famoye said. He has recruited eight students to CMU, four of which are mathematics majors.
Famoye said the technology infrastructure in Nigeria is behind in terms of computer lab availability and software. Access to high-speed Internet is particularly scarce, which is a challenge when adapting his teaching methods back home.
Olaseni Fadipe came to CMU after meeting Famoye in 2009. In three years he will earn his doctorate degree.
Adjusting to America was a bit more difficult that he would have expected, Fadipe said, although he recalls quintessential experiences like tasting his first slice of pizza.
He described the University of Lagos as having a lot of potential, but the gap between what can be achieved, and what is being achieved, is what stood in the way of some Nigerian students.
Masters student Oluremi Abayomi said studying in a foreign country is highly valued back home.
"It's just amazing the resources you have access to (in America), you’re almost drowning in them there are so many," Abayomi said.
Fadipe said the partnership between CMU and the University of Lagos is valuable and could pay dividends for self-motivated Nigerians.
"We have been able to bring back good brains to the university environment that has taken them to the next level," Fadipe said. "I wish that partnership would continue to grow, I can tell you there are good brains there, they need the opportunity that I had."
