Advancing STEM Education and Employment in Cameroon
Summary
In 2025, the Pan-African Higher Education Initiative (PAHEi) committed to creating new pathways for 280 girls in Cameroon to gain affordable and quality education, United States academic credentials, and local employment and train 40 local individuals to administer the program by the end of 2028. PAHEi will facilitate agreements between its African and U.S. academic partners to enable the girls to earn a U.S. bachelor’s degree in business administration or public accounting, and Striving for All will provide space and computer resources and facilitate local faculty participation. The initiative will also provide a total of $84,000 in scholarships to students. PAHEi’s seasoned team of academic and business leaders will establish an economic hub of global corporations to provide graduates with career,local employment, and entrepreneurial opportunities through a network of local and international businesses. This initiative will contribute to retaining young talent on the continent and addressing Africa’s youth unemployment crisis.
Approach
PAHEi commits to creating new pathways for 280 girls in Cameroon to access affordable and quality education, acquire US academic credentials while in the country, and avail themselves of local economic advancement opportunities over a three year period. The initiative will also train 40 local individuals to administer various aspects of the project. The PAHEi model facilitates articulation agreements between its African and US academic partners. PAHEi will raise the required resources to establish infrastructure and leverage expertise at the local level, enabling American academic credentials (a traditional Bachelor in Science degree or equivalent in business administration with a concentration in Data Analytics or a Bachelor in Science in Public Accounting) to be earned locally across the African continent, with seamless transfer of credits. Partners Striving for All will provide rental space for classrooms, and the construction of a computer lab, local faculty participation. A total of approximately $84,000 in scholarships will also be provided to students in relation to the 9 credit certificate program. Two pilot PAHEi models were successfully conducted in Cameroon, offering non-credit bearing summer programs to 250 available students.
As part of the commitment to action, PAHEi’s seasoned team of academic and business leaders will also establish an economic hub of global corporations enabling graduates the opportunity to receive career and entrepreneurial opportunities through a network of local and international businesses purposefully engaged to hire, offer internships, and provide local employment opportunities.
Over time, the scaling of the talent pool at the local level will create new globally competitive economic hubs that are vectors of growth and community development. This initiative will contribute to retaining young talent on the continent and addressing Africa’s youth unemployment crisis.
Action Plan
Summer 2025:
Execute MOU with Striving for All (SFA) , identify potential candidates for certificate program.
By December 2025:
Enroll 50 students in IBM Data Analytics certificate program.
Development of local and US based curriculum for BS in Data Analytics, including student handbook (9-credit Certificate, 81 credits co-taught by local and US faculty, 30 synchronous degree credits taught by the US university.
SFA visit to plan construction of computer labs, oversee student information sessions, registration, hire local staff for student support.
January 2026:
Projected- 50 certificates will be awarded, with 20 students continuing to pursue BS in Data Analytics at US university.
Ongoing development of corporate partnerships comprising the Economic Hub of Global Corporations for job opportunities upon graduation.
May 2026 to December 2028:
Matriculation of first BS class with projected graduation Dec 2028.
Background
The demand for quality education has been rising in Africa due to demographic shifts and limited top-tier academic institutions that can adequately train Africans for twenty-first century jobs. Governments lack the requisite resources to fund quality public systems and are unable to integrate into a global network of teachers and subject matter experts. Pan-African Higher Education Initiative (PAHEi’s) strong partnerships with American universities will allow students to graduate with US baccalaureate and master’s degrees so they can better compete for global positions. Few African countries offer quality transferable education with a limited number having US accreditation. Compounding the lack of access to higher education is the low percentage of households with access to a personal computer compared to the rest of the world. 82% of students lack computers in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNESCO, 2023) .
This project aims to mitigate this digital gap by partnering with well-established local academic institutions and building capacity for onsite computers for access, which will allow students to complete coursework held both synchronous online with the American university program, and onsite with visiting content expert faculty. The PAHEi model allows for lower tuition rates. The social impact of this program will be measured by the number of US academic credentials delivered, the job placement rate of graduates, and their actual earnings. Collaboration between the private sector and educational systems both locally and internationally can build a global talent pool to decrease reliance on informal economies. Providing support and resources to encourage students, especially women and disabled students, will also prepare them to access jobs at the global scale and create new businesses that will contribute to transforming their local communities.
Progress Update
Partnership Opportunities
PAHEi seeks funding for building multiple computer labs, classroom technology, computer accessories, systems, software, utilities. Salary support for local faculty and administrators is important to engage the community and show commitment to building sustainability for the program.
With the help of CGI, partnerships with US universities will allow PAHEi to expand to multiple countries while supporting local faculty. Stipends for US faculty joint teaching assignments will be necessary to build local faculty competency.
The development of the economic hub is essential for hiring graduates. Networking opportunities with CGI partners will result in corporations agreeing to build hubs in countries with PAHEi programs and supporting student scholarships. Although the tuition is low as compared to US degrees, and factoring in the free certificate, it will still be difficult for many students to participate without scholarships. It is hoped the certificate program will allow students to work while completing the courses.,PAHEi will offer critical networking opportunities with corporations. STEM trained virtual workforce who will be graduates of a US university. With the change in US Administration, visas may not be available for African students to study STEM and build technology skills. The PAHEi model brings the classroom to the community, building computer labs with the assistance of donors, partnering with US universities to build sustainable faculty and programs, developing an economic hub of employment opportunities.
PAHEi partnerships with higher education programs and corporations with business venture opportunities in Africa will result in promoting entrepreneurship in low resource countries and bridge the technology gap. Building on the success of the PAHEi model, degrees will be expanded to health care programs, nursing degrees/certificates, which will positively affect the health care of a community.