2025 University Retreat: Reflecting On Progress, Aligning For The Future
Ashesi’s 2025 staff and faculty retreat, the first since the launch of our Beyond the Horizon Strategic Plan, served as a moment to reflect on progress and align teams for our next milestones. The retreat also provided a chance for teams to reflect on three next steps for Ashesi’s strategic plan; increasing enrolment and access through a new trimester model, strengthening research culture and achieving R2 university designation, and deepening our work to establish a pipeline of scalable businesses at Ashesi.
Ashesi is expanding its academic offerings to meet Africa’s most urgent needs. New undergraduate majors in Economics, Mechatronic Engineering, and Law with Public Policy build on Ashesi’s strong foundations. At the graduate level, the university has introduced a Master’s in Intelligent Computing Systems focused on AI, cybersecurity, and software engineering; a new MBA; and a Master’s in Mechatronic Engineering developed with ETH Zurich. These programs reflect Ashesi’s ambition to double enrollment, supported by expanded facilities and faculty, and a new trimester academic year.
13
Undergraduate and graduate programs, with six introduced in this third decade
1,600
undergraduate and graduate students
50%
of undergraduate students receive financial aid, and 25% pay nothing to attend
Top 10
in Africa in Times Higher Education Sub-Saharan Africa University Rankings
400+
startups and entrepreneurs supported in Ashesi’s entrepreneurship ecosystem
429,436
students impacted by Ashesi-led Education Collaborative
As Ashesi increases enrolment through the addition of new programs, we have steadily been increasing university infrastructure with a goal to double floor space by the end of the decade. The University has so far completed a multipurpose building, which houses faculty and administrative offices as well as a large classroom, and a new student residence that enables us to house at least half of our undergraduate students on campus.
Construction for the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Center is also steadily progressing, with an August 2026 completion timeline. The Center will house labs, classrooms, and addtional library spaces, and enough capacity for a 1000 students.
Our vision to become an R2 research university is driven by a belief that it enables stronger teaching and learning outcomes for students, and deepens our contribution to global knowledge and innovation. Becoming an R2 research university will allow us to scale our graduate programs, expand faculty scholarship, and establish centers that generate ideas and solutions. Discussions at the University retreat unpacked Ashesi’s progress on research and resources being put in place to further advance it.
Ashesi’s third-decade plan builds on lessons from the past two decades to accelerate impact by expanding academic programs to reach more learners—including experienced professionals—growing the Education Collaborative to improve outcomes for over one million students, and building a University endowment to support scholarships, faculty development, alumni ventures, and overall institutional resilience.