Clinical Associate Professor David Bell recently represented the Paul H. O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at the 14th annual Consortium of International Management Policy and Development (CIMPAD) conference in Luanda, Angola.
The conference brought together more than 350 government officials, educators, professionals, and students from Angola, the United States, Brazil, Belgium, South Africa, and five other nations to foster global collaboration and exchange.
“Serving as a delegate at CIMPAD’s 14th international conference held in Angola was a remarkable opportunity for me to engage with public service practitioners, government leaders, and scholars,” Bell said. “Work to examine and address problems and seize opportunities requires investing time in building quality relationships. One expression of respecting and valuing my African colleagues is meeting in their space—where they govern and work. It is CIMPAD’s decades of relationships that enable convening in such a manner and facilitating partnerships in serving public health, social justice, education, governance, public management, and entrepreneurship.”
Keynote speaker Albano Vicente Lopes Ferreira, Angola’s minister of higher education, science, technology and innovation, underscored the power of international partnerships, particularly highlighting connections with visiting American institutions and historically Black colleges and universities. The conference also included panels featuring Angolan and American experts across eight strategic tracks: higher education; public health; faith-based partnerships and culture; youth and gender; entrepreneurship; economic diversification; public infrastructure; and governance and conflict resolution.
A chief outcome was the launch of the HBCU Initiative. Through this effort, four U.S. institutions signed memorandums of understanding with 42 Angolan universities to drive faculty and student exchanges, joint lectureships, and youth development programming.
Bell was part of a delegation of conference leaders and delegates that secured a private briefing with Angolan President João Lourenço to detail CIMPAD’s mission and outline future institutional collaborations.
“O’Neill, serving as a conference sponsor, played an important, visible role in making the conference a success,” Bell said. “The school’s nationally recognized scholarship in areas such as nonprofit and public management reinforced its place at the table in conversations about higher education in Angola, including meeting with President João Lourenço.”
Following the meeting, CIMPAD President Peggy Valentine addressed the press regarding the delegation's accomplishments.