1. Eugene Mutimura, PhD ACE II Project Coordinator
ACE II Progress Report
Joint ACE I and ACE II Workshop
Accra 7-9th November 2017
Eugene Mutimura, PhD
ACE II Project Coordinator
Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA),
Regional Facilitating Unit (RFU)
7th November 2017

2. ACE II Progress Report Outline
Background of ACE II
The IUCEA/ RFU Facilitation/Technical Support Activities
Component 1: Strengthening Africa Centers of Excellence (ACEs) in Regional Priority Areas
Component 2: Capacity Building Support to ACEs through Regional Interventions
Results Progress
Disbursement
Budget Execution

3. 1. Background of ACE II Africa Development Challenges
Sub Saharan Africa is a land of youth, rich natural resources, and great opportunities and promises
Remarkable growth, last 15 years, still the world’s poorest region, faces challenges in maintaining sustainable and inclusive economic growth
Higher Education Gross Enrollment ratio ~6 %; less than 30% major in science, health, ICT and engineering programs.
Relatively Low research output- Global output
Commitment from African governments to transform the continent through “industrialization” and “regional integration”

4. Benefits of Centers of Excellence
Promote specialization and economy of scale
Promote mobility of students and faculty
Concentrate limited resources to develop best talent
Knowledge spill-over and networking nationally regionally and share best practice
Demonstration Effect: Pilot Higher education reform

5. Driver for Growth in Higher Education
Skills development Project
Give rise to higher productivity
Provide for complementary competitiveness
Access to knowledge /information
Application; problem-solving
Remaining relevant
Adapting to change
Generating new knowledge; research

6. What are Centers of Excellences- ACE II?

7. Forging a Network to Support Sustainable Development in Africa

8. Overall Goals of ACE II
Outreach and impact on society, gender and regional equity
Build institutional capacity:
To provide quality post graduate education of relevance to the job market relevancy
To conduct applied research of high quality, which is relevant to development challenges
Build/enhance partnerships with other academic institutions (national, regional and international)
Enhance partnerships with industry and private sector institutions
Teach through their benchmarked programs to help other institutions improve quality
Improve governance and management of the institution at all levels

9. Project Development Objective (PDO) of ACE II
To strengthen selected Eastern and Southern African higher education institutions to deliver quality post-graduate education and build collaborative research capacity in the regional priority areas.
Component 1
Strengthening Africa Centers of Excellence (ACEs) in Regional Priority Areas
(US$: Millions)
Component 2
Capacity Building Support to ACEs through Regional Interventions
(US$: 3.0 Millions)
Component 3
Facilitation, Coordination, and Administration of Project Implementation
(US$: 5.0 Millions)

10. 2. The IUCEA/ RFU Facilitation Activities Role of IUCEA/ RFU

11. At the regional level, guided by a Regional Steering Committee (RSC)
ACE II Project is coordinated & administered by IUCEA as the Regional Facilitation Unit; IUCEA was competitively selected
Implements Component 2 & 3
Provides M&E support to ACEs
Builds capacity and facilitates knowledge-sharing
Supports partnership development and operations
Supported by a National Steering Committee (NSC), at each country level
At the regional level, guided by a Regional Steering Committee (RSC)

12. Technical Support Visits to ACEs
Since ACE II Project Launch Technical Support visits
Experts in specific subject disciplines
Often combine missions with World Bank

13. 2. Facilitation Activities under Component 1
The ACE II Project officially launched on Oct 26, 2016, in Nairobi
7 out of 8 countries have been declared effective, along with IUCEA. Zambia has been retroactively declared effective 15th Dec 2017, and the WB is awaiting National signatures
IUCEA in the process of contracting independent verification firms for successive DLIs, anticipated to receive RFP 30th Nov 2017
1st Annual Work Plan along with budget for all ACEs have been developed, reviewed, and approved
ACEs are developing new Ph.D., Master, and short term courses, establishing partnerships with global leading higher education institutions as well as industries

14. Update on Effectiveness of ACE II Countries

15. ACE II Results – Regional Student Enrollment by Gender
Indicator:
Count of students enrolled in ACEs disaggregated by gender

16. ACE II Results – Total Student Enrollment by Gender
Indicator:
Count of students enrolled in ACEs disaggregated by gender

17. ACE II Results – Project Development Objective
PDO
Baseline
2017
MOUs on partnerships for collaboration 66 84
Accredited educational Programs offered by ACEs 59 58
Direct Project beneficiaries (Total)
779
1195
Direct Project beneficiaries (Females)
312
398

18. ACE II Results – Intermediate Result (Component 1: Strengthening ACEs in Regional Priority Areas)
Intermediate Results (Component one)
Baseline
2017
Faculty and PhD Student Exchange- Research & Teaching (Total) 64
138
Faculty and PhD Student Exchange- Research & Teaching (Females) 16 19
Amount of externally generated revenue by ACEs (million USD)
6.1
12.4
Internationally recognized publications (Total)
194
308
Internationally recognized publications (Co-authored with regional collaborators) 15
122
No. of institutions hosting ACEs participating in the PASET benchmarking 7

19. Facilitation Activities: Component 2
Goal: Capacity Building Support to ACEs through Regional Interventions:
Capacity development for ACEs partnership with private sector and industry
Competitive Masters Scholarships to academically deserving scholars

20. Support ACEs partnership Development with private sector/ industry
Private companies to be in the Centre governance advisory bodies of ACEs project activities
Engage and form agreements with private sector and industry experts in actual Development of work-related activities to commercialize professional education, research and innovation
Provide Innovative Research and Development Service Solutions
Sharing of Technology and Equipment production
Piloting "Customer-ordered Training Programs"

21. Support ACEs Partnerships with Private sector
6. Establishing Business Incubators and/or Learning Factories 7. Provide Internerships and Workplace Exposure Graduate Students 8. Provide Employment Opportunities to Graduate Students 9. Conduct Tracer Studies to know ACEs educational outcomes

22. Major recommendations from the 18-19 Oct 2017 Kigali Meeting
Facilitate and support incubation and innovation centers
support business start-up projects for highly talented and innovative MSc graduates
Facilitate and support internship placements/ training in private industries
Conduct Initial Tracer Pilot studies (Universities will take it on)
Capacity building in IP and patent policy and process; leadership;

23. Develop and Implement (MSc) Scholarship programme to promote regional student mobility
Goal: Provide competitive MSc Scholarships for top future talents, with the prestige Rhodes type of scholarship
TORs developed for the MSc Scholarship Program, approved by WB
The program had to take off together with ACEs Masters program

24. Disbursement and Budget Execution
The ACE II: Early stages of implementation
7 out of 8 countries declared effective, and funds disbursed
Each ACE, for 22 ACEs (Except 2 ACEs from Zambia): USD 1.1
Disbursement: 22 centers, plus IUCEA is ~US$ 25 million.
Data not available for Budget Execution

25. Thank YOU!
As I close, we would like to express our gratitude to Leaders of Centers of Excellence