Education Collaborative

The needed scale and speed for delivering transformation in higher education in Africa is beyond any single institution’s capability. It requires a collective with a shared agenda, mutual accountability, and uncompromising dedication to the vision for transformation.

In 2017, Ashesi University started the Education Collaborative initiative. The initiative leads a collaborative of Higher Learning Institutions in Africa to collectively and sustainably raise the bar for higher education outcomes. Built on the values of collaboration, ethics, leadership, and community, the Education Collaborative prioritizes providing the mentorship, support, and funding that higher education institutions will need to build lasting systems as centers of excellence on the continent.

Mission

Our mission is to leverage collaboration and mentorship to build a network of higher education institutions that are uncompromising in achieving excellence in quality student outcomes in Africa.

Vision

Our vision is to improve educational systems and outcomes on the African continent through an institutional and collective effort to achieve systemic transformation.

Our Target Areas for Transformation

We support the development of exemplar institutions to achieve successful models and relevant accountability systems. Through partnerships and other engagements, we create an ecosystem for these institutions to mentor each other and lead regulatory and policy reform from the inside out. Together in the network, we are working to achieve extraordinary education outcomes through focus on these Transformation Goals:

Ethics & Leadership Development

Through engagement in network programs, member institutions maintain a system and culture that empowers individuals and community for ethical action, empathy, teamwork, leadership and influence.

Training Students with Relevant Career Readiness

Through engagement in network programs, member institutions are well-equipped to train and provide all students with the competencies, knowledge and resources to prepare graduates for a smooth transition into successful careers, entrepreneurship, and graduate school.

Enabling an Active Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

Member institutions have the tools and know-how to create and sustain a range of institutional and infrastructural support systems that nurture creative thinking and entrepreneurial spirit in students to solve problems.

An Active System for Accountability and Sustainability

Institutions will be innovative and strategic in the collection and use of relevant data to show impact to both external and internal stakeholders; and have a clear path to sustainable operations.

Developing Inclusive and Diverse HEIs

Member institutions extend their diversity and inclusion agenda to include a commitment to gender diversity, disability inclusion, multiculturalism, and equal opportunities for all regardless of economic background.

Speedily raise a productive and entrepreneurial youth

This project of transforming Africa is not going to be done not by one institution, but by a thousand. We need to build a network of like-minded institutions. Ashesi is a self-contained system, and in order to transform African leadership, we need entire systems working together.
– Dr Patrick Awuah, Founder Ashesi University

Tackling Africa’s Higher Education Challenge

The challenge of an exploding youthful population

By 2050, Africa’s population will reach 2.5 billion, of which 50% will be youthful (UN, 2017)

The challenge of unemployment

Africa needs to create a minimum of 12 million jobs annually to provide jobs for the 30 million youth who will enter the labor market by 2030 (ADB, 2016)

The challenge of economic development

263 million young people will lack an economic stake in the system by 2025 (ADB, 2016)

Join the network