Started in 2019, the partnership between Ashesi University and Arizona State University (ASU) allows qualifying students to pursue a 5-year accelerated academic programme that grants them a Bachelor’s Degree from Ashesi and a Master’s Degree from ASU. Students for the programme will spend their first three years studying at Ashesi, during which they can apply to continue two more years of education at ASU for their two degrees.

Completion of the first year of study at ASU earns students a Bachelor’s degree from Ashesi, and completion of the second year earns them a Masters degree from ASU. The programme is fully funded under the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Programme at both Ashesi and ASU.Ten students from Ashesi, selected as pioneers for this programme in 2019, have now completed both phase one and two of the programme, earning their undergraduate and Masters degrees in Engineering and Computer Science. The ten joined other colleagues at ASU for an online graduation ceremony this month, with friends and family also joining in from all around the world. Sixteen other students from Ashesi also completed the first phase of their academic journey at ASU, earned their Bachelor’s Degrees from Ashesi and will complete one more year to earn their Master’s degrees. 

“When I first arrived in Arizona State, I least expected time would swing by so fast,” said Masateru Mwambo ’20, one of the ten pioneer students. “Nevertheless, the experiences I’ve had here are things I don’t take for granted.”

“After this experience, I am sure that no challenge is insurmountable,” says Major Kadonzvo ’20. “I have learned that with hard work and a positive spirit, I could do whatever I set my mind to do. And I’ll forever be grateful to the MasterCard Foundation for this great opportunity to further my education through this program.”