Africa Initiative

Dr. Nii A. Addy is a Visiting Scholar in the Africana Studies Department at Brown University. He focuses on intergenerational learning, leveraging archival material, interviews, storytelling, and mentorship of youth by transformative leaders. At his home institution, McGill University, he is Associate Professor (Professional) at the School of Continuing Studies (SCS). He also leads the Sustainable Growth Initiative (SGI) Office of Sustainable Africa, a cross-faculty partnership anchored at the McGill Desautels Faculty of Management. Across his roles, he develops and manages cross-sector partnerships and training programs supporting transitions of students and alumni from academic studies to entrepreneurship and employment.

Dr. Addy’s interdisciplinary research integrates institutional perspectives into decision making for sustainable development, with emphasis on Africa and North America. He combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to inform strategies for engaging diverse stakeholders to work together effectively in evidence-based policy processes. He has served as a consultant on projects for several organizations, including Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., ICF International, the Hewlett Foundation, the UK Department for International Development (DFID), and the World Bank. Dr. Addy obtained his Ph.D. from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Education, where he specialized in Organization Studies and International Comparative Education. He has a BA in Economics from Swarthmore College, and a Master in Public Affairs (MPA) from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs.