Samuel Amponsah-Effah, a graduate student mentored by Afrisnet poses for a picture at the University of Southern California campus where he is pursuing his PhD.
The United States distinguishes itself in the world in academic research in many dimensions. The research success in the US attracts talented researchers from all over the world for the benefit of the United States, the global research enterprise, and the researchers themselves. These researchers come to the US in different capacities from graduate students to research faculty positions. At all levels, African researchers are the least represented in the United States, although there are many talented African researchers. Over the past three years, Afrisnet has made significant and successful efforts to support African students who apply to research-based graduate programs primarily in the US but also elsewhere in the world. At Afrisnet, we are celebrating yet another exciting year where we have helped 33 students secure admission to graduate school.
Our graduate application mentorship program is designed to comprehensively guide students through the graduate application process. This is done through our research and professional training programs and through individualized technical assistance through graduate school. application. We are proud to announce that we have had great success in our efforts to mentor students since 2019. For the 2021-2022 academic year, Afrisnet mentored 67 students, 33 of whom were offered admissions into graduate schools in the United States, Europe, and China. In the US, our students have accepted admissions into outstanding universities such as Purdue University, Cornell University, University of Southern California, Harvard University, University of Southern California, and more. The field of studies that the students are pursuing range from Biology to Industrial and Mechanical Engineering.
“I am very grateful for the mentorship opportunity I received from Afrisnet, which contributed immensely to where I am today.” Toluwanimi Olorunnisola (University of Arizona, Ph.D. in Systems, and Industrial Engineering, Fall 2022)
“Afrisnet helped me with the mock interview when I reached out to them, and I am very appreciative for accommodating me.” Isaac Lamptey (Cornell University, Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cell Biology Program, Fall 2022)
After gaining admission into and matriculating a graduate school, our students are inducted into the Afrisnet Graduate Community (AGC). Within the AGC, students receive ongoing instruction and mentorship from world-renown research professors. The objective of this continued mentorship is to help students maximize their graduate training and prepare for careers after graduate school. The goal of AGC is to promote the success of graduate students by exposing them to the resources and expertise within the wider scientific community.
We are very proud of our students and cannot wait to see what they discover in their research and where graduate school leads them. These students are mentored by current graduate students, professors, and postdocs, and we are always looking for volunteers to become Afrisnet mentors and support African students. If you are interested and capable of mentoring students applying to graduate school, please reach out to us at info@afrisnet.org.