MSU is the only institution in Michigan—and the Midwest—to join the Program. The university is receiving $45 million in funding from the Foundation to support 185 Scholars throughout the nine-year Program, which includes 100 four-year undergraduates and 85 master’s-degree students. MSU will host the most Scholars among the six U.S. partner institutions and welcomed the first cohort of scholars this fall with four graduate students and two undergraduates.
“Michigan State and The MasterCard Foundation both recognize that Africa is approaching an important inflection point,” says MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon. “Africa now hosts seven of the world’s ten fastest-growing national economies and is the world’s youngest continent demographically. That offers remarkable potential for innovation, and the Scholars Program will add leverage by building Africa’s educational capacity.”
The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program offers a comprehensive package to students, which includes financial, academic, and social support, as well as access to networks to make successful transitions to further education or the workforce in Africa, says Reeta Roy, president and CEO of The MasterCard Foundation. Scholars at MSU will build experiences, values, and competencies that are critical to success in the global economy, enabling them to give back to their communities and home countries.
Learn more about The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program at MSU
