About Us - Global Africa Comparative & International Education Society

Who We Are?

Our Mission

Empowering African Education Through Scholarship, Policy, and Collaboration

Global Africa Comparative and International Education Society (Global Africa CIES), a member of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES), is dedicated to advancing equitable, decolonial, and Pan-African approaches to education. We foster rigorous research, multilingual dialogue, and policy innovation to address systemic challenges in African education systems and their global diaspora.

Our History

1975–1977

Founding discussions begin at the University of Chicago’s Comparative Education Center, led by African PhD students including Prof. N’Dri Assié-Lumumba, inspired by scholars like Philip Foster and C. Arnold Anderson.

1975–1977

1987

The CEPARRED (PanAfrican Studies and Research Center in International Relations and Education for Development) project is submitted to the Ivorian government, envisioning a continental hub for education and policy research.

1987

1996

Inaugural conference held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, focusing on “Economic Reforms and Investment in Education in Africa.”

1996

2002

Landmark Cornell University symposium co-hosted on “Women and Higher Education in Africa,” resulting in a multilingual book series.

2002

2020

Admitted as an official member society of the WCCES, cementing our global role in comparative education

2020

2021

Granted 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in the U.S., expanding our capacity for international collaboration

2021