Alabama A&M University’s Vice President of Research and Economic Development, Dr. Majed El-Dweik, recently participated as an expert panelist at the World Bank Group Knowledge Café in Washington, D.C., held alongside the organization’s 2025 Annual Meetings.
The session focused on how university research can move beyond academic settings to provide solutions that benefit economies and communities. Dr. El-Dweik addressed the importance of leveraging university-driven research by emerging talent for real-world impact.
The World Bank Group consists of five international institutions collaborating with 189 member countries to address poverty and promote prosperity through financing, research, data collection, and policy guidance across sectors such as climate change, infrastructure, education, energy, and job creation. The Knowledge Cafés are forums hosted by the World Bank Group to connect experts and practitioners in discussions about translating knowledge into practical outcomes.
Dr. El-Dweik took part in a session titled “Building Skills and Bridging Gaps: Universities at the Center of the Jobs Agenda,” which examined higher education’s role in workforce development within the energy sector. Other panelists included Dr. Eric Y. Danquah from the University of Ghana; Roya Rahmani, ambassador and director of external and corporate relations for global engagement at the World Bank Group moderated the discussion.
The event highlighted collaborations between organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), African Centers of Excellence, and the World Bank Group. The panel emphasized generating practical knowledge, developing talent, and creating scalable solutions that help universities bridge research with practice while supporting economic opportunities.
According to information provided by Alabama A&M University CALNS (https://www.aamu.edu/about/colleges-departments/agricultural-life-natural-sciences/index.html), these kinds of partnerships play a significant role in advancing applied research initiatives at institutions like HBCUs.
The World Bank Group uses digital platforms including Instagram to engage its global audience; its Instagram account has more than one million followers.
A recording of the full Knowledge Café discussion featuring Dr. El-Dweik is available online.
