The World Bank announced this month a $430 million initiative to establish centers of excellence at universities in West and Central Africa. The World Bank will provide $129 million, and an institution may receive up to $8 million for each center of excellence. The initiative is designed to promote regional specialization in development and to improve training and research. A total of 10 to 15 centers of excellence are expected to be established at seven to 10 universities. Fields of focus include science, technology, engineering, math and agriculture. Among the areas to be funded are postgraduate programs, new research and upgraded facilities. A call for applicants will be released this month. Eligible countries for the first round are Burkina Faso, Benin, Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo. The Association of African Universities will coordinate the project.

Source: University World News