On Monday, 8th September, Sir John Alexander Corrie the Honorary Life President of the African, Caribbean and Pacific States and the European Union (ACP-EU) Joint Parliamentary Assembly pledged to give $50 each to the best male and female students who write essays on the role of the EU in Africa’s development. Details of the competition will be communicated later.

Sir Corrie was at the University to give a public lecture on the role of EU in Africa’s development. Although he left school at the age of thirteen and half after his teachers determined he was too slow to learn, Sir Corrie believes that education is a sure way to beat poverty.

Sir Corrie describes himself as a farmer. When he dropped out of school, it never occurred to him that he would be the 1971 agricultural scholar of Britain and an influential politician on the global stage. The prize for the scholarship he won in 1971 was a six months study tour of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. In South Africa, he became aware of the dire need for people capable of steering development across Africa. It is this awareness that led him to politics.

He became the Conservative Member for Bute and North Ayrshire at Westminster in 1974. Sir Corrie served as a member of the European Assembly between 1975 and 1976, and from 1977 to 1979. More details on positions he has held in politics can be found here: http://www.strathmore.edu/news/eu-africa.html

Sir Corrie said the EU’s approach to development support in Africa has changed over time. “Donor fatigue has set in due to the ineffective use of aid in Africa,” he said.

He compared the relatively peaceful Africa to the formerly war torn Asian countries of Vietnam and Cambodia. The two Asian countries now have sustainable economies while African countries are permanently plagued by budget deficits.

Sir Corrie said the contentious Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) between the EU and ACPs should be implemented gradually and not instantaneously. EPAs require that the EU and ACP countries open their markets without any restrictions. Sir Corrie said if ACPs open their markets, there is the danger that their industries might not be able to compete with the more established European industries.

Strathmore is a great beneficially of the EU. The EU funded an endowment fund which gives scholarships to bright and needy students pursuing ACCA, CPA, DBIT and DLM. EU also gave funds to build Phase I and Phase II of the University.