Dear Friends,

Happy New Year! We hope 2015 has gotten off to a great start…

As we begin 2015, we’re excited about our programs and events for the year.

Next month we’ll kick off our 2015 Speaker Series with a panel discussion entitled “Everything you need to know about building a business in Africa”, which will explore all facets of building a business in Africa. The panel discussion, to be held on February 12 from 6:00-8:30pm at the TKP New York Conference Center in New York City, will give insight into the nuts and bolts of launching a business in Africa. Expert panelists include Shaka Kariuki, Partner & Co-Chief Investment Officer, Kuramo Capital Management and Aubrey Hruby, Visiting Fellow, Africa Center, Atlantic Council.

This year, AAI plans to move beyond Washington, DC and New York City, to hold congressional events in Houston and Los Angeles. Stay tuned for more details on the “Conversations on Africa” in key U.S. legislative districts.

Coming off the success of our first-ever State of Education in Africa conference, we’ll hold the Second State of Education in Africa conference on September 2, 2015 in Lagos, Nigeria. Co-sponsored by the Ford Foundation, the education conference will assess current approaches to national education systems and explore what’s working to improve the quality of education at all levels in Africa. If you missed our first education conference, you can read highlights here.

For this edition, we’ve launched the first installment in a series of articles on technical and vocational education and training in Africa written by Lebogang Mokwena. Mokwena previously served as the Director of Youth Development Programmes in the Vocational and Continuing Education and Training (VCET) Branch in South Africa’s Department of Higher Education and Training. A Mandela Washington Fellowship alum, the series will give insight into Africa’s vocational and technical sector.

Is your company hiring in Africa? If yes, let us know! AAI’s “Talent Central” site is increasingly becoming a “go-to” resource for potential employers and academia looking for well-educated African talent. We’ll feature your company or organization’s Africa-based job opportunities on our jobs board.

Stay engaged with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn!

All the Best,

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