Today at Florida International University (FIU), U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Administrator Samantha Power signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in the international development field. This MOU builds on USAID and FIU’s long-time collaboration on international development initiatives, such as disaster risk resilience.
This partnership is the most recent action under USAID's Minority-Serving Institution Partnership Initiative and marks the first MOU the agency has signed with a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) of higher education.
This partnership will expand USAID and FIU’s already dynamic work together by providing opportunities to FIU students and faculty in the international development sector through internships, training, faculty and speaker exchanges; mentoring opportunities; and other collaborative engagements. A core focus of this agreement is building upon the Agency’s commitment to expanding diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) among its workforce through the hiring, retention, employment and career advancement of applicants from under-represented groups. In addition, this MOU will leverage the expertise of FIU’s robust cadre of researchers and faculty that specialize in international development, particularly for future activities in the Latin America and the Caribbean region.
Founded in 1965, FIU has quickly become the largest minority-serving institution in Florida and the largest HSI in the United States. Today’s MOU signing plays a pivotal role in furthering USAID’s commitment to expanding diverse pipelines of talent and building a workforce that mirrors DEIA policy priorities.
For the latest updates on USAID’s work on diversity, equity and inclusion visit here.