The Cornell Institute for African Development (IAD) coordinates teaching, outreach and professional service activities addressing issues related to food security, human resource development (including refugee assistance), environmental resource management, economic growth, and public policy guidance in Africa.

IAD mobilizes support from a broad constituency of programs, organizations and institutions, both within and outside Cornell University. It brings together scholars and students from the Humanities, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences. All eleven schools and colleges of Cornell University participate.

The Institute sponsors weekly seminars and occasional symposia, facilitates the development of new Africa-related courses, and manages Fellowship Programs that assist students from Africa to come to Cornell for graduate study. IAD also makes modest resources available for students and faculty to travel for research and professional meetings as well as for African scholars to come to Cornell University under the Visiting Scholar or Distinguished Africanist Scholar Programs. IAD started the Special Speaker Series in the Spring of 2003. In addition, IAD publishes a widely circulated newsletter, Africa Notes, and an Occasional Paper Series.