Dear Friends,

The summer is now upon us, but AAI is not letting the typical summer doldrums slow us down. No way! In fact, we’re gearing up for several impactful events in both Washington, D.C. and New York City, leading up to our 30^th Annual Awards Gala in late-September during the U.N. General Assembly.

Here are the latest updates:

• U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit. I will be in Washington for this historic gathering to attend numerous summit activities with African Heads of States, White House officials, Members of Congress and other leaders involved in African affairs.
• State of Education in Africa conference. Hosted at The Ford Foundation, AAI will hold its inaugural Annual State of Education in Africa conference on September 9, 2014 in New York City. The State of Education in Africa conference will track the progress of primary, secondary, tertiary, technical and vocational education in Africa and explore thematic, country and sector approaches to strengthening the capacity of Africans and educational institutions.

Bringing together educators and innovators from Africa and the U.S., the education conference will highlight bold approaches to improving the quality of education at all levels to advance development progress and bolster Africa’s global competitiveness and economic growth. To register, please click here.

• AAI 30^th Annual Awards Gala. Hosted by CNN International anchor Isha Sesay, AAI’s 30^th Annual Awards Gala will be held on Monday, September 22, at Gotham Hall, 1356 Broadway at 36th Street, in New York City. This year’s Awards Gala will honor General Electric with the AAI 2014 Corporate Responsibility Award; Vivienne Yeda Apopo, Director-General of the East African Development Bank (EADB), with the AAI 2014 Business Leader Award; and Professor Thandika Mkandawire with the AAI 2014 Distinguished Alumnus Award. The honorees are still in formation.

 We’re expecting to host another spectacular gala! Please purchase your tickets now and invite others to attend this evening affair celebrating African achievement.

Get connected to AAI! We hope to see you at our upcoming events in New York City. Stay engaged with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

All the best,

Amini Kajunju, President and CEO of The Africa-America Institute