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- 10/21/08: Remarks by Henrietta Fore, Administrator, USAID and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance at the White House Development Summit
- 10/08/08: Remarks by Henrietta Fore, USAID Administrator and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance at The President's Freedom Agenda
- 10/01/08: Remarks by Henrietta H. Fore, Administrator, USAID and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, at the Ceremony Marking the Full Operational Capacity of Africa Command (AFRICOM)
- 09/25/08: Remarks by Henrietta H. Fore, Administrator, USAID and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, at 2008 Millennium Development Goal Malaria Summit, New York - "U.S. Leadership in the Fight Against Malaria"
- 09/22/08: Remarks by Henrietta H. Fore, Administrator, USAID and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance, at the White House Symposium on Advancing Global Literacy - "U.S. Commitment to Advancing Global Literacy"
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Remarks by Henrietta H. Fore
Administrator, USAID and Director of U.S. Foreign Assistance
Plenary Opening
Higher Education Summit for Global Development
April 30, 2008
Objectives
 Good morning and welcome. I would like to begin by describing our objectives for this summit, then share with you our pledge to take action beyond this meeting, and, finally, to challenge you to take action along with us.
Our objectives today are two fold: first, to hear from you innovative ideas and approaches to building the human resources necessary to drive economic and social development and, second, to establish new partnerships that bring the combined resources of the donor, higher education, and business communities together to implement these innovations.
Our pledge to take action
We are very fortunate to have with us such an impressive group of leaders from universities and organizations committed to higher education. And, we want to put this time to good use. I'd like to set the tone by conveying our commitment to doing more and to changing some of the ways we do business. While USAID has a long history of working with universities, we are taking this time to look beyond our current world.
Over the course of this day, I look forward to hearing your ideas across this breadth of sectors. This is just a start to an expanded relationship. USAID has many successful partnerships with universities particularly in areas such as education and agricultural research. Now we want to take advantage of your innovations across the development spectrum. To learn how you are preparing your students for a global work place, how you are partnering with industry to spur innovation and economic growth, how you deliver services to your community. We will create a focal point within our agency for reaching out to the university community so that we will take advantage of a broader scope of ideas and opportunities from you. We realize that we are currently tapping only the surface of what universities have to offer. We want to make sure we have the means to communicate with you in the Global Development Commons.
Toward the objective of establishing new partnerships, I am pleased to announce here this morning, the signing of a new agreement between USAID and the National Science Foundation. This agreement will allow us to tap more deeply into the global scientific community to develop new technologies and methods that will improve agriculture, health, the environment, and our understanding of societies. U.S. universities are recognized globally for their leadership in the sciences. We are very pleased to partner with the National Science Foundation to foster greater collaboration between researchers in the U.S. and those in developing countries and transition economies. We are committed to strengthening our application of science and technology to development. This is an important step in that direction. I want to thank my colleague, National Science Foundation Director Arden Bement.
Challenge to Participants
I would like to conclude with a challenge to you. I have mentioned several times the importance of partnerships. We recognize that the world of development has changed, with new actors such as businesses, private foundations, and the remittances from expatriate citizens playing a more significant role than we, the government, do in many cases. We also recognize that tackling the old problems of development will require some new solutions. I am convinced of the importance of new alliances and have challenged my staff to triple the value of resources leveraged through new partnerships this year. I ask you to help us achieve that goal. Every one of us can be catalysts and incubators for change. Just as USAID strengthens our commitment, we hope this summit provides you with new ideas and enables you to expand your connections with people and institutions around the world.
We have an ambitious and exciting agenda today. Let me also urge you to participate in the regional meetings on May 1st where you will have time for individual discussion and networking. Again, my warmest welcome, and thank you for your participation in this summit.
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