Ashesi University

**Ashesi University** (/ɑːʃˈs/ a-shii-si') be private, non-profit university wey dey insyd Berekuso, edey close to Accra. De mission of Ashesi University be say ego educate ethical, entrepreneurial leaders insyd Africa; to cultivate within students de critical thinking skills, de concern for others, den de courage be ego take make e transform de African continent.

Ashesi wey dem establish am as independent, public benefit education institution wey dey operate on a not-for-profit basis. De university dey obtain accreditation from de Ghanaian National Accreditation Board (now de Ghana Tertiary Education Commission) insyd September 2001 to operate under de mentorship of de University of Cape Coast (UCC), plus degrees wey dem confer by UCC. Ashesi begin ein instruction on 4th March 2002. Ashesi University come receive Presidential Charter from Ghana ein Presido, effective January 2018, making am de independent university wey dey confer ein own degrees. Ebe member of de Council of Independent Universities, de Association of African Universities den de Association of Commonwealth Universities.

## History

### Feasibility study
Team of four MBA students from de University of California Berkeley ein Haas School of Business travel come to Ghana to evaluate de feasibility of establishing a fresh university insyd 1998. De team administer over 3,300 surveys to students den parents; wey dem conduct interviews den focus groups plus parents, teachers den business leaders; den dem gather secondary information from local den international sources. De study wey dem conclude am significant demand for a new private university insyd Ghana, dat Ghanaian parents wey be willing say dem go pay for high-quality local university education, den dat de Ghanaian government wey dem support private involvement insyd tertiary education.

### Foundation den accreditation
Dem establish Ashesi University Foundation insyd 1999. Ein name dey commot from Akan ein word " Ahyɛase" wey dey mean say "beginning". De National Accreditation Board of Ghana grant de university accreditation insyd 2001 under de mentorship of de University of Cape Coast den begin classes insyd 2002. Dem dey elect Ashesi students ein first female university student government president insyd history for Ghana in 2006 den ein first Examination Honour Code insyd 2008. Ashesi University plete ein new campus insyd Berekuso for 2011 insyd. Insyd 2015, Ashesi launch ein engineering programme, den ein founder, Patrick Awuah, come make MacArthur fellow. Insyd 2018, dem receive a charter from de president of Ghana, wey dey allow am say e go grant degrees insyd ein own name instead of de University of Cape Coast.

## Campus

Ashesi University ein 100-acre campus dey contain de Natembea Health Centre, two sports courts den sports centre plus football field, running track den gym. Esan dey host de Ghana Climate Innovation Centre.

De architecture borrow from de Ghanaian vernacular, plus echoes of traditional compound houses, as well as elements of traditional Northern wey manners dey dwell. De natural contours for de site be wah dem use for de concert plus buildings come create exterior gathering spaces throughout campus, as well as ramps wey dey provide wheelchair access to buildings. Buildings wey dem design say ego maximize natural views, light den ventilation. Dem supplement am plus ground water wey dem dey harvest rainwater, filter den treat am say ego provide potable water all year round. A community-scale sewage den organic treatment plant wey dey provide environmental den economic benefits say ego convert waste go biogas for some of de campus ein cooking needs den recycling treated water for landscaping. De university dey meet 40% of ein daytime electrical need with solar power.

## Organisation den governance
Ashesi University get 88 teaching staff den more than 150 administrative staff wey organise am into departments of Humanities den Social Sciences, Business Administration, Computer Science den Information Systems, den Engineering, De Ashesi University Foundation, wey dey raise funding come support de mission of de university, be United States 501(c)(3) organization. De foundation dey oversee by ein board of trustees, wey de university san dey oversee by ein board of directors.

## Academics den recognition
Ashesi dey offer four-year bachelors program insyd multidisciplinary core curriculum, featuring majors insyd business administration, management information systems, computer science, electrical den electronic engineering, computer engineering den mechanical engineering. Edey run Ashesi Innovation Experience, ebe two-week programme wey dey expose students between de ages of 15 den 19 to Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Robotics, Creativity den Engineering basics to wey edey help prepare dem for transitioning into college, den oversees de curriculum development for de Next Generation Cocoa Youth Programme.

Insyd 2012, PwC rank de university as de seventh most respected organisation insyd Ghana, wey e cam turn de first university to make such list. Ashesi ein presido, Patrick Awuah, dem san rank am as de 4th Most Respected CEO insyd Ghana. Dem rank am as one of Ghana ein 50 Best Places to work by Ghanaian consulting firm Goodman AMC insyd 2015; Esan be de only university for de list top. Esan be insyd dat same year wey, Ashesi ein presido dem rank am as one of de World ein 50 Greatest Leaders. Insyd 2017, dem award Ashesi de World Innovation Summit insyd Education Prize, one of de world ein biggest prizes insyd education, for ein impact on higher education insyd Africa. Insyd 2020, dem rank Ashesi University first insyd Ghana, ninth insyd Africa, den insyd de world ein top 400 insyd de Global Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings.

## References


## Sources

* ''Ghana News Agency'' (Ghana): "Ashesi University Re-Accredited", 10 August 2005.
* "Ashesi breaks ground on new campus", August 2009.
* "Ashesi celebrates historic milestone with inauguration of its new campus", August 2011.
* Awuah, Patrick. 2019. "Courage is the cornerstone of progress".  In *Practicing development:  Upending assumptions for positive change*, edited by Susan H Holcombe and Marion Howard.  Kumarian Press, Boulder.

## External links

* Ashesi University
* Patrick Awuah on educating leaders | Video on TED.com