Digital transformation: for Africa, by Africans
Carnegie Mellon University Africa is proud to further the education of young, entrepreneurial engineers in the pursuit of their higher education goals. As an institution dedicated to the expansion of engineering knowledge creation, we equip a diverse student body that shares a passion and dedication to the digital transformation of the continent with a global education to tackle intersecting challenges in harnessing the power of technology to develop local solutions.
Student impact
Our students continually pursue opportunities outside the classroom to advance their professional development and skills in leadership, research, and entrepreneurship. Whether by connecting with their research networks or gaining expertise in their fields through internships, students take advantage of their time at CMU-Africa to learn how to set themselves up for success in their careers and positively impact their communities.
- International experiences: Several students attend international conferences each year—such as the Human-Robot Interaction Conference, the International Design Engineering Technical Conference, the Computers and Information in Engineering Conference, and the Women in Tech Summit—taking them around the world to Australia, Germany, Thailand, the United States, and more.
- Internships: Our students have a 95 percent internship placement rate, and have successfully pursued placements with employers like the Government of Rwanda, the World Health Organization, IBM, and CyLab-Africa.
- Experiential learning: Through project-based curriculum components, students are empowered to deepen their problem-solving, technical, and collaborative skills by engaging in meaningful work with industry, nonprofit, and government partners.
Inclusive excellence
CMU-Africa's commitment to inclusive excellence drives the programs, partnerships, and community-building efforts that define the institution. Through institutional initiatives and collaborations with global partners, CMU-Africa works to promote equality, accessibility, and representation across the STEM landscape.
Through activities like organizing and participating in forums and workshops, and coordinating outreach, CMU-Africa supports pathways for underrepresented groups—including women, people with disabilities, refugees, displaced persons, and individuals from Francophone and Lusophone countries—to thrive in science and technology fields.
Collaborations with the Women in Tech club at CMU-Africa have resulted in the engagement of over 500 young people with STEM activities, through events such as International Women’s Day celebrations, Devfest Kigali, and Experience AI (focused on primary school children).
Partners investing in Africa's future tech leaders
The generous support of CMU-Africa's partners plays a pivotal role in expanding access to graduate education for talented students who may otherwise be excluded due to financial or systemic barriers. As CMU-Africa advances its mission of inclusive excellence and transformative impact across the continent, continued collaboration with our partners remains essential to unlocking opportunity and shaping Africa's digital transformation.
Scholarship support for our students is made possible through the contributions of our partners, consisting of governments, private and educational organizations, and individual donors:
- Government of Rwanda
- The Mastercard Foundation
- Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering Dean
- The Upanzi Digital Public Infrastructure Network
- Howdy and Aileen Pierce
- Smart Africa
Learn more about financial aid at CMU-Africa.
The African Engineering and Technology Network
The Afretec Network
A pan-African collaboration of technology-focused universities from across the continent, led by Carnegie Mellon University Africa.