The NU-MRSEC has supported JUAMI, which is largely aimed at fostering connections in the US and those in Eastern Africa.
Both developed and developing nations share the consequences of energy and resource utilization in a technologically advancing world. This shared fate creates opportunities for mutually beneficial collaborations, especially in the area of materials science, which underpins a broad spectrum of new technologies. With this understanding, the NU-MRSEC has supported Joint Undertaking for an African Materials Institute (JUAMI), which is the largely NSF-funded program aimed at fostering connections between young researchers in the US and those in Eastern Africa. JUAMI held its third advanced studies institute in Kampala, Uganda on December 9-20, 2018, in partnership with Makerere University. JUAMI brought together 24 US students from 18 US universities and 35 African students, primarily from the Sub-Saharan countries of Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia. Supplies provided by the NU-MRSEC were used in hands-on activities. These mini-labs were identified in post-program assessments as the most valuable component of the two-week program. The interactive environment resulted in 81% of the participants successfully identifying an international research collaborator.