Carnegie Mellon University, which is among the top ten in the world and is a leader in technology and artificial intelligence, together with Duquesne University, both based in Pennsylvania (USA), have signed academic cooperation agreements with Angola.
The information was released this Thursday by the president of the Angola-USA Chamber of Commerce, Pedro Godinho, after an audience granted by the Vice President of the Republic, Esperança da Costa, in Luanda.
The largest public university in the country, with more than 23 thousand students, surpassed the Catholic University and the Óscar Ribas University in the selection process.
The cooperation protocol was signed in March of this year, marking the first official step of this partnership.
“No country develops without knowledge and the United States is the greatest academic power,” Pedro Godinho told journalists at the end of the hearing.
The partnership focuses especially on the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, considered fundamental for the country's development.
Carnegie Mellon University, recognized worldwide for its technological innovations, was the institution responsible for developing technologies for autonomous vehicles. The university has experience in similar projects implemented in Rwanda, with positive results and financial support from the Mastercard Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
In addition to higher education, cooperation also includes strengthening English language teaching in Angola, starting at primary level.
After meetings with the Minister of Education last December, contact was made with Carnegie University to develop a proposal adapted to the Angolan reality.
“With universities present in the country, scientific dissemination becomes everyday and much more expressive,” highlighted Pedro Godinho, adding that the objective is to establish American universities in the national territory.
Agostinho Neto University has already been invited to participate in a global event on artificial intelligence held in Rwanda, which brought together more than 100 universities.
The president of the Angola-US Chamber of Commerce highlighted that this cooperation allows for the training of a greater number of specialized technical staff, without the high costs associated with sending scholarship holders abroad.
Pedro Godinho also said that the Vice President of the Republic demonstrated great receptiveness to the initiative, in part due to her own academic trajectory.
The project also envisages establishing international standards for teaching English in Angola, including teacher training and curriculum development.
