Malawi’s President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has described the upcoming Africa-US Presidential Forum on STEM/AI in the U.S. on September 20-22, 2023 as a welcome initiative to propel Africa beyond its current status.
President Chakwera was speaking at the virtual launch of the Africa-US Presidential Summit on STEM/AI. He noted: “Through this programme, you are giving us a chance to create our own future. This programme will equip Africans with know-how and the wherewithal to do what we can do for ourselves instead of relying on others as in the past”.
The Malawian President gave assurance that he will be joining other African heads of state to engage at the Forum next month in New York and at Rutgers University in Newark-New Jersey, on the side-lines of the UN SDGs and General Assembly.
The Africa-US Presidential Forum on STEM/AI is part of a campaign to give Africans the opportunity to study STEM and AI in the United States, Canada and other developed countries – to be rolled out in September 2023. The campaign is driven by the multiple award-winning SOS Global Investments and Nekotech Centre’s African STEM & Sports Institute of Excellence (ASSIE) Prep School and Readiness College.
The Executive Chairperson of SOS Global Investments and the Nekotech Centre, Rev. Dr. Princess A. K. Ocansey, in her address indicated that the Centre and her partners are providing US$25million in prep school scholarships and access to US$1billion in educational loans to support students who qualify to participate in the programme.
The requirements are a Bachelor’s degree with GPA 3.0/4.0, age 21-40 and ability to cover other expenses such as readiness and English proficiency, tickets, medicals, US Visa and settlement services.
“The scholarships for the Prep school range from 20% to 100%, and each student can get up to US$100,000 in the loan programme for the payment of their tuition, books and living expenses,” said Nekotech’s Executive Director, Ms. Ida Abbeyquaye.
The candidates will do a two-year Master’s degree in STEM/AI – after which they will work for three years earning US$60,000-US$200,000/year and return to Africa.
The candidates will pay back the loan starting with interest only while in school, and the principal six months after they start working full time. Candidates have up to 10 years to pay back the loan.
The Provost and Executive Vice Chairman of Rutgers University, Newark-NJ, spoke about their collaboration with SOS Global Investments and Nekotech Centre through Professor Byron Price – formerly of Rutgers now of the Medgar Evers College in NY and Nekotech’s Chairperson for Diaspora Engagement. Provost Robinson also spoke about the courses on offer at Rutgers University, which include STEM, AI, MBA and others to be offered to the incoming African students.
A partner of SOS/Nekotech, H.E. Dr. Justina Mutale, described the programme as “a great opportunity to give Africans global level education to make them competitive. It will also provide education that fits the future needs of Africa, the future of work and future of the world – which is AI and the digital age”.
As part of the programme, students start with a Virtual Readiness and English Proficiency College at US$236. Upon certification, candidates become certified to enter the ASSIE Prep School at a 100% scholarship for certain partner schools and 20% scholarships for other schools. The scholarships are valued at US$2,500 through the African STEM and Sports Institute of Excellence (ASSIE) and up to US$100,000 loans on admission to the STEM-affiliated schools.
This proven life-transforming programme started as a pilot programme five years ago, and already has African students in top schools like the Colorado School of Mines, Duquesne University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Stevens Institute of Technology, Pacific University-Oregon and more.
Brimah Lakoh from Sierra Leone, now at Steven’s Institute of Technology, participated in the launch to share his positive experience with the programme.
The programme has students from Ghana, Sierra Leone and Malawi already in the USA studying and working, and Zambian candidates with visas about to leave this August.
President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera was installed as Chairperson of the historic Africa-US Presidential Forum on STEM/AI – and was presented with a US$2.5million prep school scholarship pledge and access to US$100million educational loan for up to 1,000 Malawians for 2024 to undertake high-paying STEM/AI programmes in the USA and Canada.
The actual cheques will be presented to H.E. President Chakwera in the US on September 22, together with a few other selected African presidents to be nominated by President Chakwera and the Board. The programmes will be occurring during the United Nations High Level Week in New York.
In a related development, Nekotech has launched a video challenge; and contestants are expected to record videos of themselves dancing to the theme song for the campaign and upload them onto the social media platforms of SOS/Nekotech with the hashtags #leveldonchange, #Nekotech-AI and #STEM-AI.
The Decade of African Digitalisation is here to stay!
The programme ended with a vote of thanks from Rev. Rose Nelson of the House of Roses California, and a prayer of agreement by Bishop Collins Pratt of Sierra Leone and Bishop Dr. Evans Glover of Maryland, a member of V55 – Nekotech’s VIP Strategic Partner assigned to the President of Ghana.
