In September 2000, 189 governments signed the United Nations Millennium Declaration committing themselves to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, “the central objective of which is to improve levels of human development throughout the developing world, including improved nutrition, universal primary education, gender equity, health, and the environment.”

To achieve these goals, developing countries will require major increases in skilled personnel in medicine, governance, agronomy, education, engineering, public administration, science, policy analysis and formulation, communications, architecture, etcetera. This is a task for universities, and other centres of tertiary education.

AHED – UPESED’s mission is to support developing countries in building capacity in higher education. AHED – UPESED foster this by sending highly trained personnel to assist in building and improving tertiary educational institutions in the developing world. By improving tertiary education in the developing world, the professionals essential for human and institutional development and for the alleviation of poverty can be educated in their home country.

AHED – UPESED projects are mounted in response to the academic and administrative needs of local institutions of higher education. The nature and scope of these projects evolves in collaboration with host institutions and countries, and reflects the resources that are available to execute them.

AHED – UPESED is involved with the full spectrum of the academic and administrative aspects of tertiary educational development. This ranges from expanding existing academic, professional, research, and technical institutions and programs to building new ones - from teaching courses to supporting the development of non-academic activities, such as registration processes and procedures, computing and communications services, information systems and libraries, financial management, instructional media services, student services, the management of physical plant, alumni relations, fund-raising, health services, student and faculty housing, registration, and student aid.