Source: News from UF Electrical & Computer Engineering

A new initiative, led by Sachio Semmoto Chair of ECE Mark Tehranipoor and ECE Associate Chair for Academics Christophe Bobda, promises to connect University of Florida (UF) students and faculty with faculty and students from ECE departments and engineering colleges across Sub-Saharan Africa. The GatorAfrica initiative aims to promote common research projects and knowledge bases while creating an international faculty mentoring program. GatorAfrica will also create innovative laboratory experiences, allowing students in Rwanda and Kenya to meaningfully participate in lab experiences taking place at UF.

Under Tehranipoor’s leadership, GatorAfrica represents the first part of a greater, concerted effort—ECE Global—to bring ECE Florida’s influence to Europe, South America, Asia, and the Middle East. The ECE Global initiative works to connect ECE students and faculty with researchers all across the world.

GatorAfrica Kicks Off

GatorAfrica officially kicked off in February with a virtual orientation for an array of professors, researchers, and dignitaries from a number of Sub-Saharan universities. Through this online orientation, thought leaders and academics heard details about the vision and scope of the initiative directly from Bobda. The contacts made during the orientation laid the groundwork for a planned visit to Rwanda and Kenya, the first countries identified as having high potential for successful collaboration with UF in the areas of cybersecurity, AI, embedded systems, and sustainable engineering.

The delegation chosen to travel to Kenya and Rwanda included Tehranipoor and Bobda, as well as Farimah Farahmandi, Ph.D., and ECE Industry Coordinator Faith Snow.

“It was both inspiring and energizing to travel with our team through Rwanda and Kenya. We witnessed firsthand the enthusiasm, the strong demand, and the tremendous potential for growth in electrical engineering, cybersecurity, and AI education. The opportunities ahead are vast, and while there is much work to be done, we are excited about the meaningful role we can play in contributing to this journey.” - Sachio Semmoto Chair of ECE Mark M. Tehranipoor

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Rwanda

The ECE Florida delegation arrived in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital, for meetings at the University of Rwanda, on July 21. The group toured the African Center of Excellence in Internet of Things Lab and engaged in discussions with the leaders of the university’s Master’s program. Dr. Farahmandi presented an overview of the Florida Institute for Cybersecurity (FICS) Research, the high-powered research and education institute of which she is the associate director. Her presentation in particular was met with a great deal of interest from the graduate students in attendance, as many were working in the areas of cybersecurity and internet of things.

(L-R) Prof. Ngabo Desire, Head of loT Lab; ECE Industry Coordinator Faith Snow; Prof. Ignace Gatare, Principal of the College of Science & Technology; ECE Chair Mark M. Tehranipoor; Dr. Prof. Didas M. Kayihura, Vice Chancellor, University of Rwanda; Dr. Farimah Farahmandi; Dr. Christophe Bobda; Prof. Damien Hanyurwimfura, ACE loT Director & Associate Professor; Prof. Kizito Nkurikiyeyezu, HoD Electrical and Electronics Engineering; Prof. Richard Musabe, Dean of the ICT School

The following day, the delegation met with University of Rwanda leadership, including the Principal of the College of Science & Technology, Ignace Gatare, and Vice Chancellor Didas Kayihura Muganga. In all the discussions with university leadership, Tehranipoor and Bobda outlined GatorAfrica’s vision and explored ways for the institution to collaborate with UF.

Next on the agenda was meetings at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), a pan-African network of centers of excellence for post-graduate training in mathematical sciences, research and public engagement in STEM-related fields. AIMS brings together students from across the continent, providing unique rotational teaching opportunities to graduate students. GatorAfrica is proposing to include ECE Florida graduate students in teaching rotations at AIMS institutions.

GatorAfrica was also able to visit the headquarters of a unique alliance—SMART Africa—aimed at ushering Africa into a knowledge economy through affordable access to broadband and the usage of information and communications technologies. The multi-country alliance is supported by the African Union and the manifesto has been endorsed by seven African heads of state.

In the midst of all the meetings, Bobda found time to lead an hands-on FPGA workshop with students in the university’s Master’s program. Bobda noted, “The FPGA lecture was a great success, with a diverse and highly motivated group of students. I was particularly impressed by their eagerness to learn and their ability to rapidly grasp the core concepts of Digital Design, and then successfully implement and test their own circuits in such a short period.”

Potential government partners were on the agenda as well. The ECE Florida delegation was honored to meet the US Ambassador to Rwanda, Eric W. Kneedler, at the embassy in Kigali. This proved to be one of the highlights of the trip, as the Ambassador was able to connect GatorAfrica to key local contacts to further GatorAfrica’s goals in terms of educational outreach and funding opportunities. Discussions also took place with the Rwandan Ministry of ICT and Innovation.

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Kenya

The ECE Florida delegation then traveled Northeast to Kenya for a whirlwind of meetings at many of Kenya’s top tech universities, including the University of Kenya, the University of Nairobi, Jomo Kenyatta University, and Strathmore University.

The group was proud to be hosted at Kenya’s Ministry of Education by Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala, Principal Secretary of Higher Education & Research. She was instrumental in connecting the delegates with the vice chancellors from many top Kenyan universities.

ECE Chair Mark Tehranipoor with Kenyan Principal Secretary of Higher Education & Research, Dr. Beatrice Muganda Inyangala

As in Rwanda, the team was able to meet with high-ranking diplomats and government officials. At the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, the delegation was honored to meet Charge d’Affaires Carla Benini and her staff.

Bobda and Tehranipoor judged the trip to be extremely productive and successful. The lasting personal connections made during the trip were only the beginning—memorandums of understanding, mentoring agreements, and exchange programs will surely follow as GatorAfrica begins the work to connect UF ECE with the finest engineering minds in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Our visit provided a clear picture of both the immense opportunity and the pressing needs in Africa’s technological landscape. We were deeply impressed by the talent and innovative spirit of the faculty and students we met. This potential, however, is constrained by an urgent need for more qualified personnel to lead advanced training and research. A partnership with the University of Florida is a key opportunity to help bridge this gap, fostering a collaboration that will undoubtedly yield significant benefits for both sides.
—Christophe Bobda, Ph.D

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