The Institute of International Education, in collaboration with the Akilah Institute of Women yesterday launched the African Centres of Excellence for Women’s Leadership, a program supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.It will be a two-and-a-half-year program led by institutions from four East African countries. Akilah will represent Rwanda.According to the Leadership Program Coordinator of Akilah Institute, Irene Kagoya, the program will develop comprehensive training modules to address existing gaps in leadership training for the empowerment of Rwandan women."Akilah will work closely with Rwandan partners to enhance the empowerment of women by providing space for networking, sharing experiences and expanding the delivery of new skills and tools for effective leadership,” she noted.The new African Centres of Excellence (ACE) will build new skills and train a number of women in leadership development.Basing on a statement from the Institute of International Education (IIE), ACE will be a 3- year program and will cost $ 1 million.IIE has five centres of excellence including the centre for Women’s leadership which serves as an umbrella for all the work the institute does with women’s empowerment in Sub-Saharan Africa and other places.Allan E. Goodman, the IIE President and CEO, said the institute works for women from undeserved groups and those who may not otherwise have access to leadership training and professional development opportunities, resulting in significant social and economic returns."The Institute is committed to increasing opportunities for women worldwide to pursue higher education and serve as effective leaders in diverse sectors. This is critical to achieving wide-scale gender equality around the world,” said Goodman.