Ashesi University

Program:
Youth Learning
Purpose:

Provide scholarships to financially disadvantaged students to complete university education

Amount:
$13 million
Term:
Nine years
Start date:
November 2011
Location:
Africa

Why We Partnered

Ashesi University College is a private, non-profit liberal arts college founded in Ghana in 2002 by Patrick Awuah, an innovative leader in African higher education. Its mission is to train a new generation of ethical and entrepreneurial leaders in Africa, and to cultivate the critical thinking skills, concern for others and courage needed to transform the continent in students.

Ashesi’s model is unlike any other in West Africa today. The academic program develops technical excellence in students’ professional fields as well as a deep sense of civic responsibility. The curriculum is based on best practices from top global universities yet is specifically designed to meet the needs of the African context. Key elements include a leadership seminar series, student honour code, internships, service learning, and senior projects encouraging collaborative entrepreneurship.

The MasterCard Foundation has partnered with Ashesi University as part of The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program, which works with partner institutions to provide scholarships and complementary activities to disadvantaged students to complete university education. This partnership aligns with Ashesi’s commitment to serve financially disadvantaged students in Ghana and its vision to become a Pan-African university, producing a new generation of ethical and entrepreneurial leaders. 200 full scholarships will be offered to Ghanaians and international students from across Africa.

Anticipated Impact

This program identifies, educates and networks future leaders by:

  • Enabling qualified yet financially disadvantaged students from developing countries to complete an accredited university degree program in an area relevant to needs and growth opportunities in the students’ home communities.
  • Providing mentoring, career counseling and internships.
  • Integrating a give-back component in the program to transition scholars from beneficiaries to benefactors.
  • Establishing a network of scholars to leverage peer support, youth engagement and social media opportunities.