The Mastercard Foundation has excluded top African Universities from a $55 million partnership to educate 1,200 young Africans.
The top ten African Universities according to the latest African University Ranking by UniRank include: University of Cape Town, South Africa; University of Pretoria, South Africa; University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa; Universiteit Stellenbosch, South Africa; University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; The American University in Cairo, Egypt; North-West University, South Africa; University of Johannesburg, South Africa; University of Nairobi Kenya; and Cairo University, Egypt.
Instead of the above, the Mastercard Foundation chose University of Rwanda, which is ranked 65 on by UniRank.
Explaining the rationale for this choice, Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, said: “The mission and programs of the University are inextricably linked to the country’s national goals. That’s why this partnership is especially compelling as it will be preparing young people for careers across multiple disciplines and for real-life problem-solving,” she added.
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According to The Mastercard Foundation, the partnership with University of Rwanda is a 10 year deal which among other things, focusses on women pursuing STEM, young people with disabilities, and refugee and displaced youth— as part of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.
The partnership will build the University of Rwanda’s capacity to deliver inclusive, blended learning and contribute to a robust knowledge ecosystem that supports new and meaningful pathways to work for young people. It is aligned with the Mastercard Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy to enable 30 million young Africans, particularly young African women, to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.
“The University of Rwanda believes strongly in the vision of the Mastercard Foundation,” said University of Rwanda Vice Chancellor Professor Alexandre Lyambabaje. “That is why we made the decision to partner with the Foundation to scale up our efforts in training transformative leaders and highly enterprising graduates and prepare them to make meaningful change on the African continent. This program aligns with the Rwanda National Transformation Strategy and its impact will resonate at the University of Rwanda, among our stakeholders, and through the larger East African Community.”