Equatorial Guinea To Launch The American University Of Central Africa

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea, Feb. 4, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The government of Equatorial Guinea has partnered with StoneHill Education, an educational consultancy firm to launch the American University of Central Africa in the city of Oyala, Equatorial Guinea, this fall.

The Ministry of Education, led by Jesus Engonga Ndong, Minister of Education and Science, has been working with Stonehill Education, Unicon and the Boston University School of Education to lay the foundations for the American University of Central Africa.

Sherina Hosein Mohammed, StoneHill Education President, said, "StoneHill Education started working in this project three years ago, first meeting with the President of Equatorial Guinea and the Minister of Education to understand clearly what was needed and to offer the best possible solution."

"The leaders in Equatorial Guinea have an amazing vision for their country and their people," she said, "and are investing a lot of time, effort and money to make it a reality. All of this in line with the Horizon 2020, a comprehensive footprint for the country's growth."

Stonehill Education studied and analyzed the country, the economic sectors, the industry needs, the people and the existing educational situation and made a proposal that was tailored to the reality and needs of Equatorial Guinea.

"With this particular project we are offering a private layer of management in a publicly owned educational institution. We would assist from initial planning, program development, marketing, recruitment of faculty and of students, university management system (including Learning management Systems), facilities management, consultancy in the supply of furniture, laboratories, residences," said Mohammed.

"Another area that is crucial for any new university is to start the development of their network and links with other universities and institutions. We aim to expand the collaborations, the student exchanges, the faculty training, etc. For example, StoneHill Education is working to partner with the School of Education of Boston University for technical assistance in developing the programs for the School of Education at AUCA. AUCA will impact the lives of many. The future education sector in EG will become more international," concluded President Mohammed.

Dr. Hardin Coleman, Dean and Professor of Counseling Psychology and Human Development at Boston University, hopes to work with the initial teacher educators to help them put the curriculum into practice. Dr. Coleman has had the opportunity to visit Equatorial Guinea and was impressed by the University and the quality of education that the West African nation has.

"I came away from my visit impressed by the facility and the government's commitment to improving the quality of primary education in Equatorial Guinea through improving the preparation of primary school teachers in Equatorial Guinea and Central Africa," said. "I am very impressed by the desire to improve the education system within a multilingual and multicultural context.  We look forward to working with Stonehill Education to develop a high-quality curriculum to be used by the faculty at the school of education."

The government of Equatorial Guinea has heavily invested its oil revenues in the country by focusing on improving education, developing human capital and diversifying its economy. Education has been a top priority for the government in Equatorial Guinea. The country has an adult literacy rate of nearly 100%--the highest in Africa. Since 1979, citizens of Equatorial Guinea have received more than 500,000 scholarships to study in universities and professional and technical-training programs outside the country. This figure includes multiple scholarship recipients and people who have remained outside the country.

About Equatorial Guinea

The Republic of Equatorial Guinea (República de Guinea Ecuatorial) is the only Spanish-speaking country in Africa, and one of the smallest nations on the continent. In the late-1990s, American companies helped discover the country's oil and natural gas resources, which only within the last five years began contributing to the global energy supply. Equatorial Guinea is now working to serve as a pillar of stability and security in its region of West Central Africa. The country hosted the 2011 Summit of the African Union. For more information, visit http://www.guineaecuatorialpress.com.

SOURCE Republic of Equatorial Guinea

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