After the visit made to WARC by the President of WARA, Professor Ismael Montana, on March 12-18, 2022 and the following visit of a delegation of Diaspora Academics led by the same Montana on August 3-5, 2022, a resolution was made to promote the signing of memoranda of understanding to further develop cooperation and collaboration between US universities and the Dakar-based University Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD).

As a result, the virtual signing ceremony of an MOU between NIU and UCAD was held on January 26^th, 2023 at 9:30 am central time.

The event included a call to order by Professor Ismael Montana of the history department of NIU and also President of the West African Research Association (WARA), introductory remarks by Professor Kelly Wilks, Dean of Graduate School and Associate Vice-President of International Affairs (NIU), Professor Ousmane Sene, Director of the West African Research Center (WARC) and the concluding notes from the Rector of UCAD, Professor Ahmadou Aly Mbaye.

All statements stressed the need for further interaction between higher education institutions in Senegal and in West Africa with their counterparts in the US with a stress on the prominent and stimulating role the US-based african academic Diaspora and the West African Research Center (WARC) should play in the exercise.

The ceremony was wrapped up with the signing of the MOU documents on both sides.