Ashesi regularly initiates dialogue through symposia on matters that align with the SDGs. In June 2023, an institute of Ashesi University, the Ghana Climate Innovation Center (GCIC), held a symposium that addressed issues concerning decent work (SDG 8), building sustainable cities and resilient infrastructure systems through better urban development (SDG 9 and 11), and adoption of an integrated approach to agriculture and environmental management (SDG 12).
The emphasis of the symposium was on climate-smart living (SDG 13). The discourse included thoughts on boosting disaster risk preparedness through early warning systems, better national financial preparedness against climate shocks, and adaptive health and social protection systems. They also discussed ways to manage forest resources as an asset for climate resilience and the probable processes to transition to clean energy by scaling up renewable energy sources and strengthening regional markets.
Using two panels consisting of government officials, NGO leads, lawyers, economists, etc., the sessions and focus were as follows:
Panel Discussion 1: Policy for a Green Economy: Strengthening governance mechanisms, policy incentives, and legal frameworks to address climate change and foster greener, more sustainable economic development.
- Naa Atswei Koney ESQ., Sustainability/ESG Lawyer and Strategist, Deloitte & Touche
- Cynthia Quarcoo, Founder & Managing Partner, CQ Legal & Consulting
- Aurelien Kruse, Lead Country Economist, World Bank
- Stephen Armah, Deputy Chief Manager, Banking Supervision Department, Bank of Ghana
Panel Discussion 2: Can current financial models, financial product development, and impact investment models build Ghana’s robust low-carbon economy?
- Mirabelle Moreaux, Partner, Injaro Investments
- Yaw Afriyie, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre
- Hamdiyah Ismaila, General Manager, Ghana Venture Capital
- Valerie Labi, Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, MANA Mobility
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Ashesi also participates annually in global cross-sectoral dialogue through its membership in associations such as the U7+ Alliance, the Africa Health Collaborative, and the Education Collaborative, to name a few.
During Ashesi’s participation in the 2023 U7+ Alliance summit, the U7+ university presidents unanimously adopted the U7+ Tokyo Statement: Universities as Engines of Innovation for Peace and Security, which members of the U7+ Presidential Steering Committee presented to Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
The U7+ commitments are outlined under six principles of climate change and cleaner energy, Inequality, polarised societies, technological transformations, and community engagement and impact. The U7+ Alliance strives to serve as the academic equivalent of the G7+, adopting SDG-like commitments to be presented to the G7 president every year in hopes of influencing policy and change.
In 2023, the Africa Health Collaborative, where Ashesi serves as one of the nine university partners, convened in South Africa at the University of Cape Town
The theme at the convening was Our Health, Our Wealth in Africa for Africa (SDG 3), which had a keynote entitled and focused on Tomorrow’s Health: Youth Employment and Social Innovation in African Health Systems (SDG 8 & 9).
The objectives of the convening were to:
- Develop a community-building platform to amplify the Health Collaborative’s impact.
- Develop a platform for sustained engagement with youth, Health Collaborative partners, and health ecosystem stakeholders.
- Invite and integrate youth voices in all aspects of programming, including a dedicated youth track and youth-led sessions.
- Raise awareness about the Health Collaborative’s initiatives and priorities.
- Facilitate knowledge exchange, utilization, and collective learning, focusing on shared challenges and innovations to address these.
The Africa Health Collaborative is in its nascent stages, and during the October 2023 convening, it worked at establishing a solid foundation for working as a network to improve health in Africa (SDG 3). Powered by the MasterCard Foundation within the decade, it is hoped that by 2030-2032, the impact of this collaborative will be evident in the communities of the African University partners.
