Release date: Dec. 14, 2004

Students Propose Economic Development Plans for Mali

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, head of The Carter Center and a member of the Emory faculty, hopes the university will be a center for scholarship about the developing world. The former president recently asked Emory officers what could be done here to help the plight of the impoverished African nation of Mali, where The Carter Center has worked for many years to help eradicate guinea worm.

Sociology lecturer Sam Cherribi stepped up to the plate and created an interdisciplinary course, Economic Development in Africa, that includes students from the undergraduate college and schools of business, public health and law. Teams of students developed plans for potential economic development programs to address real-world issues in the country where a quarter of all children die from malaria before their fifth birthday. "The idea is to create programs of genuine solutions that can be applied to Africa's economic plight," says Cherribi.

The students got a chance to present their plans to Carter in mid-November. He was impressed by the projects and offered his personal assistance in making connections for the groups if any decide to pursue launching their program, including setting up a meeting with the president of Mali, Amadou Toure, a long-time friend of Carter's. The proposals ranged from the manufacture of pre-packaged malaria drug kits, cotton craft items and feminine hygiene products to an eco-tourism program. Mali is the largest cotton producer in Africa, but doesn't produce any cotton end products, drastically limiting the economic potential outside the cotton industry.

International banker George Vojta, the man behind eStandards, an international effort to standardize financial practices around the world, has been an active partner in the class. According to Cherribi, Vojta's involvement was invaluable because of his hands-on knowledge of international finance. The interdisciplinary nature of the course is one of its greatest strengths. According to one MBA student in the class, having students from so many academic backgrounds brings different viewpoints to their brainstorming sessions.

Other schools are taking notice as well. "We've had representatives from Harvard, Princeton, even as far as Arizona State contact us saying they're interested in what we're doing," Cherribi says. Best of all, one of the Emory teams is actively pursuing funding for its project.

Emory University is known for its demanding academics, outstanding undergraduate college of arts and sciences, highly ranked professional schools and state-of-the-art research facilities. For nearly two decades Emory has been named one of the country's top 25 national universities by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to its nine schools, the university encompasses The Carter Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Emory Healthcare, the state's largest and most comprehensive health care system.

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