Awa Saidy

I am currently associate director for the African Studies Initiative. My role involves directing, facilitating, and strategizing to build programming that enhances African Studies content in University-wide curricula; creating academic and scholarly events (webinars, workshops, symposia, institutes, conferences); and providing outreach to K-16 educators, media, businesses, and general audiences. A key part of my duties include institutional relationship building both internally (within the University) and externally (engaging and collaborating with local communities and stakeholders at the regional, national, and international levels. I also serve as affiliate faculty in the department of Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development.

I worked as an analyst and risk management consultant in the institutional banking sector in corporate America for 16 years prior to transitioning to academia to pursue a doctorate in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development. I am passionate about volunteering in local immigrant communities and at the global front. I  work  with high school-aged students in immigrant and low-income communities mostly in the Twin Cities area to help them prepare for college; I also help seniors with the college application and admission process. At the global level, I was appointed by the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) in March 2023 as a part-time volunteer. I work directly with WCCES Executive Director to provide support in the publication of books under the Brill-WCCES Series. I am also actively involved in the planning process of the upcoming XVIII World Congress of Comparative Education to be held (July 22 to July 26, 2024) at Cornell University by reviewing articles for possible publication in Global Comparative Education: Journal of WCCES.