Tennessee State University News June 16, 2011 NAFEO Spearheads HBCU Cooperative Agreement with Senegal (from HBCUDigest.com)<http://tnstatenewsroom.com/2011/06/nafeo-spearheads-hbcu-cooperative-agreement-with-senegal-from-hbcudigest-com/> A delegation representing the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO) is visiting Dakar, Senegal June 13-27, 2011 at the invitation of His Excellency Abdoulaye Wade, President of Senegal, for the historic signing of partnership agreements between Senegal Universities and Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). Reverend Dr. Leah Gaskin Fitchue, President of Payne Theological Seminary will lead the NAFEO delegation of University and seminary presidents including Dr. Gilbert L. and Dr. Patricia Saul Rochon, President and First Lady of Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL; Dr. Henry Lewis, III, President of Florida Memorial University, Miami, FL; Dr. David Wilson, President of Morgan State University, Baltimore, MD.; Dr. Portia Holmes Shields, President, Tennessee State University, Nashville, TN. (invited); Dr. Leon Tarver, Founding Director, The Mandela Center, Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA; and Dr. Tendai Johnson, Associate Vice President, Fayetteville State University, Fayetteville, NC. The NAFEO delegation will enter into an agreement with the Senegalese Ministry of Higher Education to cooperate in fostering their mutual academic, research, development and exchange goals; initiate technology transfers, study and work abroad programs, student, faculty and administrator exchanges; and collaborate on research and development initiatives. "NAFEO and its member institutions stand ready to partner with the Senegalese Ministry of Higher Education to increase the number of students that attain an excellent, global postsecondary education in the growth and high need disciplines of today and the future," said Lezli Baskerville, NAFEO President & CEO. "We view this as an opportunity to enrich the quality of education provided students in Senegal and in our HBCUs by ensuring that students and education professionals attain a global perspective, and experience a better understanding of and appreciation for the Senegalese, and the African American higher education administration, academic, entrepreneurial and cultural communities." "Through this unprecedented agreement, NAFEO and Senegal will expand cooperative educational research, cultural and service exchanges and will work collaboratively to solve some of the most vexing educational, economic, agricultural, health, civic and social issues confronting Senegal and the United States. NAFEO is delighted to participate in this historic partnership and views this convening as an opportunity to forge a range of sustainable, mutually beneficial Sister University and Sister City relationships." In her remarks to His Excellency President Wade, Dr. Leah Fitchue said, " I greet you in the spirit of "Ubuntu"-the interconnectedness and interdependence of humankind...NAFEO and I look forward to leveraging the $10 billion short-term economic impact, the academic strengths, and the ecumenical spirit of our collective HBCU community for the success of this historic partnership." SANDRA M. PHOENIX Program Director HBCU Library Alliance sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org> www.hbculibraries.org<http://www.hbculibraries.org/> 404.592.4820 Skype:sandra.phoenix1 1438 West Peachtree Street NW Suite 200 Atlanta, GA 30309 Toll Free: 1.800.999.8558 (Lyrasis) Fax: 404.892.7879 www.lyrasis.org<http://www.lyrasis.org/> Honor the ancestors, honor the children.