Washington, D.C. — As more than 50 African leaders come to Washington this week for an historic summit, the Center for American Progress has issued analysis highlighting the summit’s focus on investment in the next generation and how it sets the stage for a sustained partnership between the United States and African nations.
The summit—the largest ever meeting between African leaders and an American president—is focusing on ways to strengthen the partnership between the United States and African countries, boosting economic opportunities, and investing in the next generation of African workers and innovators. The analysis, titled “Africa 2.0: Looking to the Future,” offers several constructive suggestions for fostering long-term, sustainable growth through a collaboration in science, technology, and innovation.
“Africa is a continent focused on the future,” said Molly Elgin-Cossart, CAP Senior Fellow and the paper’s author. “Science, technology, and innovation can bolster and sustain economic growth and can unlock solutions to some of Africa’s most persistent challenges. The suggestions outlined in this paper will help unleash the potential of African citizens and markets and deepen the partnership between the United States and African countries.”
The paper offers several recommendations for ways the United States and Africa can work together to encourage long-term, sustainable growth and development through science, technology, and innovation.
The summit offers a chance for U.S. and African leaders to work together to bolster and sustain Africa’s rise and strengthen the partnership in key areas of shared interest, including:
- Collaborate in science, technology, and innovation with a focus on entrepreneurship and improved education.
- Invest in the next generation of scientists, engineers, and innovators in order to give them the skills and capabilities required to join the modern economy.
- Catalyze and scale up investment in infrastructure—energy, clean water, roads, and banking—to connect people to markets, increase growth, and spur innovation.
- Conduct joint research and development in areas such as sustainable agriculture, health, and clean energy infrastructure to pursue solutions to some of the world’s most pressing problems.
Click here to read the analysis.
For more information or to speak to an expert on this topic, contact Tom Caiazza at [email protected] or 202.481.7141.