For our milestone 60^th anniversary year, we made remarkable progress in strengthening human capacity for Africa’s development through education, skills training, dialogue, convening activities and research. Some of the highlights of 2013 include:

• Organized a series of Transformational Leadership Program (TLP) trainings in Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa. An AAI commissioned-evaluation study of the TLP program revealed that our signature training program is making a measurable impact on African communities and national economies. Our TLP alumni are innovators in their field and are improving the effectiveness and professional standards of their sector. To read an abridged version of the evaluation study, please click here.

• Hosted our 60th Anniversary Awards Dinner Gala on September 25 at the Hilton New York to celebrate African achievement and support our mission and programs. Nearly 500 guests gathered to mark AAI’s Awards Gala by honoring the African Union in recognition of its 50^th anniversary; Nigerian Financier and Philanthropist Tony O. Elumelu; Dr. Kandeh K. Yumkella, newly-appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and CEO of Sustainable Energy for All; and Chevron.

• Convened African Heads of State and top diplomats to engage in an exclusive, unscripted conversation on Africa’s past, present and future during the Awards Gala. Moderated by Ben Dotsei Malor, Executive Producer of UN Radio, the Conversation featured H.E. Hailemariam Dessalegn, Prime Minister of Ethiopia and Chair of the African Union; H.E. Hifikepunye Pohamba, President of Namibia; The Honorable Hannah Tetteh, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs; and The Honorable Bernard Membe, Tanzania’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.

• Held our first annual Career Expo: Inaugural Talent Summit on September 21 at Hunter College where some 125 Africans from the Diaspora received an “inside scoop” from African expatriates and repatriates on launching a career in Africa or at leading Africa-focused organizations in the U.S.

• Launched a newly-designed website in July, offering visitors an opportunity to access news on the latest happenings at AAI and timely African issues on strengthening the continent’s human capital and social and economic development.