Joint capacity of the collaborative partners: support and funding
SHAREcircle’s Mission and Commitment to the Bié University Project
Guerra Freitas, a Native Angolan, now studying in the United States, established SHAREcircle (SHARE) to work in countries emerging from conflicts and civil strife. SHARE is a 501(c)(3) corporation committed to promoting economic development and self-reliance, improving health and education, providing relief to disaster victims, internally displaced people and refugees, advancing human rights, and protecting the environment.
SHARE’s Track Record in Angola
SHARE launched active work projects in the Bié and Kuando Kubango provinces of Angola in early 1999. With the end of the Angolan civil war in 2002, SHARE began concentrating on implementing self-help projects, empowering Angolans to become self-sufficient. SHARE’s intimate connection with Angola and extensive network of volunteers located both in the U.S. and in Angola make it unique.
SHARE’s Leadership
SHARE will be able to implement the University Project because of strong leadership from Guerra Freitas, its Board of Directors, and the Board of Trustees of the Bié University Project. SHARE’s Board of Directors and the Board of Trustees for the University include distinguished professors and staff from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, the United Nations University of Peace, Salisbury University in Maryland, leaders from business, educational foundations, policymakers, and career diplomats.
Kellogg School of Management’s Feasibility Study about Share’s Capacity to Spearhead the Project in Angola.
In September of 2006, SHARE asked the Kellogg School of Management of Northwestern University to have a team of graduate students conduct a feasibility study on SHARE’s University Project. In January of 2007, after looking at all organizational aspects of SHARE, the Kellogg School of Management team led by Mr. Savinay Berry presented its findings. The team found that SHARE is capable of implementing the University Project in Angola and recommend that SHARE concentrate on higher education because of its human resources. They noted that SHARE not only is involved with leading universities but also has access to higher education networks throughout the world.
Gathering Support
SHARE’s Executive Director, Guerra Freitas, leads the effort to garner support for the Angola University. His personal commitment to education is reinforced by the numerous requests he received from community leaders in Bié to establish educational opportunities. He has also initiated discussions with major American universities.
Collaborative Partners
Collaborative partnerships have been essential in shaping the formation of the university. The feasibility study was written by Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Along with SHAREcircle, Kellogg conducted needs assessments through surveys, extensive conversations with National Angolan leaders, Bie Province leaders, and Kuito’s community leaders, city officials, business executives, education professionals, and large groups of high school- and university-age students. Kuito and Bié leaders chose the first four university faculties to be offered at Angola University. To ensure courses would have a global perspective, we selected course offerings for each faculty and general education requirement after careful analysis of many world class universities. The funding for the university will come through multiple revenue streams including grants from Angolan and American governments, Angolan banks, and national and international corporations such as oil companies. We have also approached Foundations and individual donors from within and outside of Angola, who are committed to the university. We are actively exploring long term partnerships with Northwestern University for Management, Liverpool Hope University for Education, East-West University for Business Administration, DeVry University for Public Health, and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln for Agriculture. The Fulbright program of visiting scholars will also be leveraged to provide highly qualified visiting faculty from around the world to supplement the talented professors and leaders of Angola, who will teach at the university.
SHARE’s intimate connection with Angola and extensive network of volunteers located both in the U.S. and in Angola make it unique.
