2026 News

2026

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Jun 02

The Afretec Network signs tenth university partner Opens in new window

The CMU-Africa led network welcomes Addis Ababa Science and Technology University.

May 29

Combatting electronic waste with smart assistive devices

Geuza, a startup from the Innovation Hub’s Business Incubation Program, is recycling e-waste to create smart assistive devices for Rwandans in need

May 26

Experiencing a semester in Pittsburgh

The drive for technical excellence led Mark Iraguha (MSIT '26) to CMU-Africa and then to Pittsburgh as an exchange student, which has allowed him to be exposed to an interdisciplinary, high-intensity research ecosystem.

May 21

Financial inclusion and acknowledging the reality of ID sharing

While global databases often equate financial inclusion with having a bank or mobile money account, Edith Luhanga’s research suggests that the reality in sub-Saharan Africa is far more complex.

May 18

CMU-Africa holds 13th graduation ceremony Opens in new window

With the graduation of the Class of 2026, CMU-Africa reached an important milestone: 1,000 alumni.

May 14

Matewos Endaylalu is on a mission to engage students in research

Carnegie Mellon University Africa student and chair of the Research Club, Matewos Tegete Endaylalu (MS EAI '27), is on a mission to engage fellow students in research, whether they are writing a paper or applying for a doctoral program.

May 08

Chisom Ogbogu optimizes use of off grid energy in new research

Chisom Ogbogu (MS ECE-AD '26) grew up with unreliable energy in Lagos, Nigeria, and today he is working with assistant teaching professor Jesse Thornburg on a potential solution for reliable energy for Rwanda and beyond.

Apr 28

SLS Energy celebrates five years of growth at CMU-Africa

Co-founders of SLS Energy Léandre Berwa (MS ECE ’20), Chris Karera (MS ECE ’20), and Patrick Ntwari (MS ECE ’20) celebrated five years of the company’s growth by hosting an event at the Innovation Hub, where SLS Energy began in 2021.

Apr 24

A promising tool for early detection of heart disease

Researchers at CMU-Africa are exploring how to use AI for the early detection of rheumatic heart disease.

Apr 20

Using explainable AI to increase energy connectivity Opens in new window

Sarah Moses (MSIT ’26), who grew up in South Sudan and Kenya with limited or no access to power, saw an opportunity to help energy developers lower costs and save time by using AI for prefeasibility studies.

Apr 17

Meet Assistant Research Professor Stewart Isaacs

Stewart Isaacs joined CMU-Africa as an assistant research professor in January, interested in helping to advance decentralized energy systems on the continent.

Apr 15

Akinci installed as the Strecker Dean of the College of Engineering Opens in new window

On the eve of Spring Carnival, Burcu Akinci was installed as the second Dr. William D. and Nancy W. Strecker Dean of the College of Engineering.

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Mar 30

CyLab researchers to present at ACM CHI 2026 Opens in new window

CyLab researchers are set to present four papers, serve on one panel, and lead three workshops at the upcoming Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI 2026).

Mar 27

Techy Talkers Toastmasters Club: Speaking, leadership, and fun

Developing speaking skills and having fun go hand-in-hand for members of CMU-Africa’s Techy Talkers Toastmasters Club.

Mar 18

Upanzi Network partner opens Digital Innovation Lab in Morocco

The Upanzi Network, led by CMU-Africa, partnered with AI Akhawayn University to open a new Digital Innovation Lab in Morocco designed to support strengthening the digital public infrastructure across Africa.

Mar 06

Summit addresses Africa’s youth employment challenge

More than 150 students, faculty, industry leaders, startup executives, investors and policymakers gathered to address Africa’s youth employment challenge at the recent Pathways to Opportunities Summit.

Feb 26

picoCTF Returns in 2026 with more challenges, more prizes, and a global call to hack for good Opens in new window

picoCTF’s 13th annual capture-the-flag hacking competition for middle school, high school, and college students will take place from March 9 through March 19. Students interested in participating can register now by signing up for a free account at picoctf.org.

Feb 24

Opportunities abound at 2025 NeurIPS conference

Five CMU-Africa students and two adjunct instructors presented research at the 2025 NeurIPS Conference in California. It is one of the largest conferences in AI and machine learning, with more than 20,000 participants.

Feb 18

Addressing bias in modern AI facial recognition systems

Research conducted by CMU-Africa’s Jema David Ndibwile and two research assistants addresses the critical challenge of bias in AI systems related to facial recognition in applications such as mobile phone authentication and others.

Research paper Opens in new window

Feb 10

CMU-Africa intern creates customized communications solution

Using his software and engineering expertise, CMU-Africa student Eddy Kayiganwa (MSIT ’26) led a team that created a customized communications solution for an international food distribution company during his internship in Spain.

Feb 06

Personal loss inspires creation of Check Me

Inspired by the loss of his sister to breast cancer, CMU-Africa alumnus Yuyun Francies Berinyuy and his co-founder created Check Me Ltd, an AI-based app designed to promote early detection of breast cancer.

Feb 03

Internship at IBM Research explores tools for mechanistic interpretability

Curiosity about the intersection of machine learning and AI led Baimam Boukar Jean Jacques to a summer internship at IBM Research in Kenya.

Jan 30

CMU alumnus Nathan Williams returns to CMU-Africa

CMU alumnus Nathan Williams has joined CMU-Africa as an associate teaching professor, where he will continue to focus on energy needs on the continent.

Jan 28

CMU-Africa exchange student: a global citizen with an African heart

With a passion to inspire young people in Africa and beyond, CMU-Africa student Joshua Momo spent his fall semester in Pittsburgh as an exchange student earning his master of science in engineering artificial intelligence.

Jan 26

From prototype to global recognition

Two entrepreneurs joined the Innovation Hub with a bold idea: creating 3D avatars that translate speech into sign language in real-time.

Jan 21

Ubuntu Challenge showcases solutions that can improve lives

Providing light in rural Rwanda was the winning solution presented at CMU-Africa’s first Ubuntu Challenge, created by CMU-Africa’s Student Guild representing the Class of 2026.

Jan 16

CMU-Africa students shine at global electronics conference

Iyata Adkipe (MS ECE '25) and Akabway Rurangwa (MS ECE '26), recently participated in the IEEE Southern Power Electronics Conference.

Jan 14

An internship in Switzerland to understand liver cancer survival

CMU-Africa student Peace Bakare spent his internship last summer at the LiGHT Lab in Switzerland using machine learning to determine survival rates in patients who have undergone surgery for hepatocellular carcinoma, the most common type of liver cancer.

Jan 08

Understanding human behavior in manufacturing

Researchers from Carnegie Mellon University are investigating the patterns of human behavior in advanced manufacturing environments in order to improve human-machine collaboration.

Mentions

Madukoma ranks top three at the Swiss Data Science Conference

CMU-Africa’s Blessed Madukoma received an honorable mention for the Best Paper Award at the IEEE’s 13th annual Swiss Data Science Conference. Madukoma’s paper explores how to identify anomalies in athletic performance and is accompanied by a detection system he implemented.

Biometric Update

Upanzi Network holds annual African Digital Identity Hackathon

Eight finalists from eight countries were announced at ID4Africa’s annual general meeting for the African Digital Identity Hackathon, organized by the Upanzi Network at CMU-Africa in collaboration with MicroSave Consulting. The finalists’ projects offered innovative, targeted solutions using digital ID for public infrastructure payments, financial inclusion, and social media, as well as for aiding refugees, improving package delivery, and supporting farmers.

Tepper School of Business News

CMU-Africa research reveals gaps in digital financial literacy

A study done by CMU-Africa in collaboration with other universities shows that Rwandans ages 18–32, while moderately capable of digital financial literacy and common budgeting and saving practices, lack key cybersecurity practices and experience gaps in understanding based on gender and education.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CMU-Africa and exchange program featured in Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

CMU-Africa and its exchange program between the Kigali, Rwanda and Pittsburgh locations was featured by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

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