Africa-Press – Angola. Angolan Vice-President Esperança da Costa on Thursday assessed the opportunities for academic and institutional cooperation between Angola and the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
The analysis took place in Luanda during an audience granted to the director of the US institution, Wayne Tarrant, who expressed interest in establishing partnerships with Angolan universities, focusing on the areas of engineering, science and technology.
In statements to the press, Wayne Tarrant indicated that the cooperation foresees the strengthening of training in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), with a view to improving the qualification of Angolan students.
He added that the proposal includes the creation of a university campus in Angola, as well as the development of curricula adapted to the demands of the national market.
In turn, the president of the US–Angola Chamber of Commerce, Pedro Godinho, said that the visit aims to establish partnerships with higher education institutions in the country, in order to facilitate the installation of an American university campus and attract other universities in the United States.
He highlighted the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s interest in cooperating with Angolan institutions, admitting the possibility of an initial partnership with the Agostinho Neto University, taking advantage of the existing infrastructure.
“There is this desire. In the first phase, we will be able to count on North American teachers in Angola and, later, expand the project”, he said.
Pedro Godinho also added that the assessment of the conditions of the national market is underway to size the future campus, highlighting that the eventual partnership must assume a public-private nature, with the involvement of companies interested in the development of higher education in the country.
He justified the focus on engineering with the need for industrialization in Angola, considering that it is a crucial sector for economic growth.
The delegation also expressed satisfaction with the project to build a university hospital at Agostinho Neto University, highlighting the convergence with the area of biomedicine developed by the North American institution.
During their stay in Angola, the delegation plans to hold meetings with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation and other academic institutions, with the aim of identifying partners and defining the basis for cooperation.
