N'Dri Thérèse Assié-Lumumba is Ivorian researcher who studies the

African diaspora The African diaspora is the worldwide collection of communities descended from native Africans or people from Africa, predominantly in the Americas. The term most commonly refers to the descendants of the West and Central Africans who were e ...

and education. She is a Professor of Africana Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University. She also serves as President of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies and Chair of UNESCO's Management of Social Transformations Scientific Advisory Committee.

Early life and education

Assié-Lumumba was born and raised in

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

. She earned her bachelor's degree at the

Lumière University Lyon 2 Lumière University Lyon 2 (french: Université Lumière Lyon 2) is one of the three universities that comprise the current University of Lyon, having splintered from an older university of the same name, and is primarily based on two campuses in ...

, where she studied sociology and history. She moved to the United States for her graduate studies, where she earned her doctoral degree at the University of Chicago in 1982. Her research considered social inequality in Africa. In 1991 Assié-Lumumba moved to the Cornell University as a Fulbright Senior Fellow.

Research and career

Assié-Lumumba studies the

, social institutions and African social history. She spent 2003 as a Professor in the Center for the Study of International Cooperation in Education at

Hiroshima University is a Japanese national university located in Higashihiroshima and Hiroshima, Japan. Established in 1929, it was chartered as a university in 1949 following the merge of a number of national educational institutions. History Under the Nationa ...

. She works on ways to improve the access of students from underserved communities to college. She has said that it will take more than targeted scholarships; but students must be supported in how to succeed once they get to college. Assié-Lumumba worked with UNESCO to imagine what life might be like after the COVID-19 pandemic. She serves as Chair of the scientific advisory committee for the UNESCO Management of Social Transformations (MOST) program. As part of her work with UNESCO, Assié-Lumumba coordinates regular visits of Cornell University students to the United Nations, where they work toward projects that reduce gender inequality around the world. In July 2020 Assié-Lumumba was made the Director of the Institute for African Development.

Awards and honours

* 2006 Elected Fellow of the

World Academy of Art and Science The World Academy of Art and Science (WAAS), founded in 1960, is an international non-governmental scientific organization and global network of more than 800 scientists, artists, and scholars in more than 90 countries. It serves as a forum for s ...

* 2010 New York State African(a) Studies Association Distinguished Africanist Award * 2012 Frank Scruggs Faculty Fellow * 2017 New York State African(a) Studies Association Ali A. Mazrui Outstanding Publication/Book & Educational Activities Award

Selected publications

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Assie-Lumumba, N'Dri African studies Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Cornell University faculty UNESCO officials