From Shared History to Shared Futures: How HBCU–Africa Partnerships Can Advance Jobs and Economic Mobility

By Dr. Kelisha B. Graves, Assistant Professor of Education, Virginia State University and Dr. Noran L. Moffett, Professor of Education, Fayetteville State University 

At a moment when global attention is rightly focused on jobs—on how people access work, build livelihoods, and participate in the economy—we must ask a more foundational question: What kinds of partnerships actually produce opportunity at scale?

Drawing on our research in Africa and America’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities: From Shared History to New Opportunities (Routledge, 2026), we find that part of the answer lies in a relationship that is both historical and forward-looking. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and African higher education institutions sit at a powerful intersection of history and possibility.

HBCUs were created to counter exclusion, while African universities were central to building nations. Both have a rich history of developing top-tier talent. And today, both face the same urgent question: how to prepare students for economies that are rapidly changing, digitally driven, and globally interconnected?

If we are serious about addressing global employment challenges, we need to invest in partnerships that develop talent, foster innovation, and connect people to meaningful work.

Our work shows that HBCU–Africa collaboration is not simply about exchange or cultural connection; it is a practical strategy for workforce development, job creation, and inclusive economic growth.

This is not a new relationship. It is a reconnection with a clear purpose: to build talent pipelines, create jobs, and expand economic mobility on both sides of the Atlantic.

Education as a Jobs Strategy

Across many African countries, the challenge is not only unemployment, but underemployment and skills mismatch. Graduates are leaving institutions with credentials, but not always with pathways into meaningful work. At the same time, employers are seeking talent with both technical and adaptive skills.

HBCU–Africa partnerships can help close this gap.

By co-developing curricula, aligning academic programs with high-growth sectors, and embedding experiential learning into degree pathways, these partnerships can turn education into a more direct pipeline to employment. Sectors such as education, digital technology, agricultural innovation, and healthcare offer significant opportunities for job creation—if education systems are aligned accordingly.

This approach is deeply consistent with the World Bank Group’s emphasis on human capital and jobs as central to economic growth. Investments in education must translate into employability, productivity, and long-term opportunity.

From Programs to Talent Pipelines

Too often, international partnerships stop at short-term exchanges or symbolic agreements. What is needed now are sustained talent pipelines that connect students to real economic opportunities.

We envision models where students move more seamlessly from learning to earning. A student enrolled in a jointly designed program between an HBCU and an African university could participate in virtual internships, industry placements, or applied research projects that respond directly to labor market needs. Students in the United States could engage in Africa-focused innovation labs, developing solutions that operate across global markets.

These are not abstract ideas – they are practical models that can be scaled when universities, industry, and development institutions align around a shared jobs agenda.

Entrepreneurship as Job Creation

The future of work will not be defined by formal employment alone. In many African contexts, and in communities served by HBCUs, entrepreneurship is already a central pathway to income and resilience.

Both HBCUs and African institutions are building entrepreneurial ecosystems—incubators, accelerators, innovation hubs. Yet these efforts often operate in isolation.

By connecting these ecosystems, we can unlock or create new pathways for venture creation, investment, and job generation. Joint incubators and startup accelerators can support students and graduates in building businesses that address shared challenges, from fintech and education technology to sustainable agriculture and climate adaptation.

In this model, young people are not only entering the workforce; they are helping to shape it.

A Call to Action

To realize the full potential of these partnerships as engines for jobs and mobility, we need to move from fragmented efforts to a coordinated strategy.

First, partnerships should be intentionally aligned with sectors that have clear job growth potential. Second, collaboration must be rooted in reciprocity and co-creation, ensuring that solutions are locally grounded and globally informed. Third, there must be sustained investment in digital infrastructure, faculty collaboration, and financing mechanisms that allow these partnerships to grow and endure.

There is also an opportunity for deeper engagement with global institutions, including the World Bank Group, to support models that link education directly to employment outcomes. By investing in partnerships that build human capital across borders, we can advance national development goals and contribute to a more inclusive global economy.

The relationship between HBCUs and Africa has always been about more than education. It has been about possibility.

This is part of a series that showcases how our partners are advancing shared priorities by contributing to global knowledge, generating jobs, empowering communities, and driving development forward where it matters most. Progress happens when diverse voices—from civil society, academia, think tanks, and beyond—come together with purpose to unlock lasting solutions.