BMCC President Anthony E. Munroe Participates in EducationUSA Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Forum

Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC/CUNY) President Anthony E. Munroe with Vice President of Enrollment Management Sanjay Ramdath and Assistant Director of Admission, Recruitment and International Outreach Kim Vo joined representatives from more than 70 higher education institutions from across the United States at the 2023 EducationUSA Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Forum held May 4 to 6 in Cape Town, South Africa.

The forum offered an opportunity to network, build ties and learn about trends and opportunities in the region, as well as share best practices with EducationUSA advisers from across Sub-Saharan Africa.

The BMCC delegation engaged with EducationUSA staff and explored strategies for reaching overseas student audiences and ensuring the success of international students on U.S. campuses when they enroll.  President Munroe also met with U.S. Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Academic Programs, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs Ethan Rosenzweig, as well as U.S. Consul General to Cape Town Todd Haskell.

EducationUSA, which is administered by the U.S. Department of State, focuses on promoting the nearly 4,000 accredited higher education institutions in the United States to international students.

The Cape Town forum featured panels and skills workshops on a diverse range of topics led by U.S. government officials, U.S. higher education professionals, and EducationUSA overseas staff.

BMCC and Illinois-based Lakeland College co-led a presentation touting the benefits and support systems at community colleges, including a discussion on how EducationUSA could potentially enroll more African students at community colleges.

The presentation also included a video report featuring current and former BMCC students as well as faculty.

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to more than one billion people, almost 20 percent of whom are between the ages of 15 and 24. According to the United Nations, these young people will represent 42% of the world’s college-age youth in 10 years.

Both VP Ramdath and Director Vo met with hundreds of high school students from across the Sub-Saharan region who are interested in attending college in the United States. BMCC has a large number of African staff and faculty. BMCC currently enrolls 30 international students from Sub-Saharan Africa, with Nigeria and Senegal being the top countries of origin represented among the international students.