What the Nkabom Collaborative Can Make Possible

On collaboration, scale, and building stronger agrifood systems.
By Ebenezer Buckman ’11, Jessica Boifio ’14, and Emmanuel Ampadu ’16.
Photo: Marie Antoinette, Association of Ghana Industries

For a growing agribusiness, proving that people want the product is only one challenge. Once demand exists, a harder question follows: can the business deliver consistently at the volume, quality, and timing the market requires? For Yvaya Farms, a Ghanaian dried-fruit business co-founded by Ashesi alumnus Emmanuel Ampadu ’16, that challenge is very real.

Fruit must be available in season. Working capital must arrive before harvest. Equipment must keep running when raw material is ready. Technical expertise must be available when production problems emerge. Certification must meet the requirements of the markets the company wants to enter.

These may look like separate business problems. Together, they show that as an agribusiness grows, some of its hardest constraints sit beyond the business itself. Market access may depend on standards and certification. Financing may need to align with the agricultural cycle. A supply challenge may lead back to farmers, aggregators, infrastructure, climate, or policy.

None of this removes the responsibility of the business itself. Yvaya still has to build the systems, discipline, and operating capacity to meet demand consistently. But growth also depends on capabilities, infrastructure, markets, and capital beyond the business.

At the 2026 Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali, this interdependence was visible.
The Forum brought together an estimated 5,000 participants from over 50 countries around the theme, “Investing in Africa’s Agri-Food Systems: Nourishing Nations, Growing Jobs, Building Resilience.” Behind that conversation sits an ambitious continental agenda. The African Union’s Kampala CAADP Strategy and Action Plan for 2026–2035 seeks to increase agrifood output by 45 percent and mobilize $100 billion in investment over the coming decade. Behind ambitions of that scale lies a much more practical question: what needs to connect for African agribusinesses to scale?

Conversations about investment rarely remained about capital alone. Financing a processor quickly led to the farmers supplying it: productivity, inputs, climate resilience, aggregation, and market certainty. Scaling a business brought in standards, logistics, technical capacity, trade, and buyer demand. De-risking investment brought government policy, development institutions, and donor capital into the conversation.

Across the Forum, some of the most valuable conversations were with people who knew where an answer might sit and could make the connection. That points to an important feature of a strong, effective system: capabilities can be distributed across many actors, provided there is a reliable way to connect them when they are needed.

That is what makes the Nkabom Collaborative promising.
“Nkabom” means togetherness or unity in Akan. The ten-year Collaborative brings together McGill University, Ashesi University, Koforidua Technical University, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, University of Ghana, and University of Health and Allied Sciences, alongside the Association of Ghana Industries, in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation. Together, we are working across education, research, entrepreneurship, industry collaboration, and pathways to dignified work in Ghana’s agrifood and nutrition sectors.

Our goal is to strengthen education, research, entrepreneurship, industry collaboration, and pathways to dignified work in Ghana’s agrifood and nutrition sectors.

The value of the model lies in what the institutions can contribute together. Ashesi, for example, does not have an agriculture program, but it brings engineering, computer science, business, entrepreneurship, and experience connecting student learning to real organizational problems. Our partner institutions bring strengths that extend what any one institution could offer on its own.

That matters particularly as ventures grow. A university entrepreneurship center can help founders test ideas, strengthen business models, and find mentors. But growth eventually creates needs no single center can provide: specialized technical expertise, testing facilities, buyers, exporters, or financing built around agricultural cycles. Part of our work, then, is not to provide everything ourselves, but to make those connections easier to reach.

Nkabom creates the possibility that those capabilities do not remain within the institutions that hold them. A business, student, or researcher entering through one part of the Collaborative could reach expertise and opportunity elsewhere in the network. In practice, that could mean a founder supported at one university reaching technical or testing expertise at another. An industry problem could find the researcher, engineer, or student team best placed to work on it. Students and researchers could find consequential industry problems where their knowledge is useful.

And when the same constraint keeps appearing across businesses (around certification, financing, logistics, talent, or market access) the Collaborative could make that pattern visible to researchers, industry bodies, funders, or policymakers able to respond at a different level.

That is the opportunity we see for Nkabom: to become connective infrastructure that makes expertise easier to find, problems easier to route, and recurring constraints easier to see and act on.

Drying fruit is an exercise in subtraction: remove enough water, and the fruit lasts longer, travels farther, and can reach markets well beyond where it was grown. Building an effective food system requires something different. It depends on connecting farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers, universities, companies, capital, and markets so that capabilities sitting in one part of the system can become useful somewhere else. For Nkabom, that means making institutional boundaries easier to cross.

That may ultimately be the most important test for our Collaborative.
Not simply whether each institution can point to successful programs of its own, but whether those boundaries become easier to cross: whether an entrepreneur can reach expertise elsewhere in the network, a researcher can find an industry problem worth solving, a student can access an opportunity beyond their own institution, and a company can find the university capability it needs.

If those connections become reliable enough to depend on, Nkabom will have created something more valuable than a collection of institutional programs: a system in which the knowledge, expertise, and capabilities held across our institutions can be put to work far beyond their campus boundaries.

Ebenezer Buckman ’11 is Executive Director of Communications & Alumni Relations at Ashesi University. Jessica Boifio ’14 is Director of Ashesi’s Center for Entrepreneurship. Emmanuel Ampadu ’16 is an Ashesi alumnus and co-founder of Yvaya Farms, a Ghanaian agribusiness producing dried fruit for local and international markets. The three participated in the 2026 Africa Food Systems Forum in Kigali through the Nkabom Collaborative.

Evans Kumi Becomes Third Ashesi Graduate to Win McCall MacBain Scholarship

Ashesi University graduate Evans Kumi ‘25 has been named a McCall MacBain Scholar, chosen from thousands of applicants worldwide to pursue a funded master’s degree in Electrical Engineering at McGill University in Canada. Evans is the fourth student from Ghana and the third from Ashesi to earn this scholarship since 2023.

Established in 2019 with a historic C$200 million gift, the McCall MacBain Scholarships are Canada’s largest leadership-based scholarships for master’s and professional studies. They cover tuition and fees, living costs, relocation, and summer funding, and support mentorship, coaching, and leadership development programs.

“At McGill, I hope to deepen my training at the intersection of artificial intelligence and biomedical engineering, exploring how data-driven models can improve healthcare access and outcomes,” he added. “I’m especially eager to engage in interdisciplinary research that translates innovation into equitable, real-world impact.”

This year, the top 280 applicants participated in first round of interviews in October and November, and 91 were invited to Montreal in March for final interviews. Recipients were chosen based on exceptional character, community engagement, leadership potential, entrepreneurial spirit, academic strength, and intellectual curiosity.

“Every McCall MacBain Scholar has participated in six different interviews to earn this opportunity,” said Natasha Sawh, CEO of the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill. “They will join a diverse, interdisciplinary network of graduate students committed to bringing people together and creating meaningful change.”

Evans recently graduated from Ashesi University with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar. For his bachelor’s thesis, Evans designed a neural network and an IoT-based system for early detection of lung disease.

“My university experience has strengthened both my intellectual rigor and leadership capacity,” said Evans. “Balancing demanding coursework with research, student leadership, and community impact initiatives taught me how to collaborate across disciplines, lead with integrity, and translate ideas into real-world solutions.”

“These scholarships go beyond financial support,” said Dr. Marcy McCall MacBain, Chair of the McCall MacBain Scholarships at McGill. “They’re about investing in the leadership potential of individuals who dare to pursue unconventional paths and care deeply about improving the lives of others.”

Applications will open in June 2026 for the 2027 cohort. More information about the McCall MacBain Scholarships can be found at mccallmacbainscholars.org.

Remarks by Rwandan Student Representative Rachel Irakoze ’27, at Ashesi’s Rwanda Genocide Memorial Unveiling

Good afternoon distinguished guests,

On behalf of the Rwandan Community at Ashesi University, I extend a warm welcome and sincere appreciation to all of you for joining us on this important occasion.

Today, we gather to commemorate the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. We come together not only to remember the lives lost, but to honor the humanity behind each life stories that was interrupted, families that were forever changed, and futures that were never fully realised.

For us as Rwandan students, remembrance is deeply personal. It is not confined to a single day or event; it is something we carry with us in our history, in our identity, and in the choices we make as we move forward.

This is why today holds particular significance. It is especially meaningful that this is the first genocide memorial monument to be established on a university campus in Africa outside of Rwanda. This reflects a powerful commitment from Ashesi to ensuring that remembrance is not separated from education, but rather integrated into it. It affirms that institutions of learning also have a role in shaping values, preserving truth, and nurturing responsible global citizens.

For us, as members of the Rwandan community at Ashesi, this monument represents recognition, solidarity, and belonging. It acknowledges our history and honors the lives of those we remember today.

At the same time, it stands as a tribute to those who demonstrated courage and solidarity during Rwanda’s darkest period, including Major General Henry Kwami Anyidoho and the UNAMIR contingent. Their presence and actions remain an enduring reminder of humanity in the face of adversity.

To Ashesi University, we express our deepest gratitude for creating and sustaining this space of remembrance. Your commitment reflects values that extend beyond the classroom and into the shared responsibility we all carry as members of a global community.

To our distinguished guests, your presence today is a meaningful expression of solidarity, and we are truly grateful.

Remembering Johnson Maturo ’27

Johnson Pendaeli Maturo was a student of purpose whose presence was felt in and out of the classroom. Having come from Mringa Secondary School in Tanzania where he taught Physics to 527 students, he understood both sides of the teacher-student relationship and knew what a good education could do for a person. He valued the opportunities that Ashesi opened for him, and his cumulative GPA of 3.72 was a testament to how seriously Johnson took his studies.

What He Brought to Ashesi
Johnson Maturo came to Ashesi as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar—joining a program designed to identify young Africans of exceptional promise and to support their education so they could go on to transform their communities. The truth is, Johnson did not wait for matriculation or graduation to begin the work of making a positive impact in society. Even before Johnson arrived on campus, he had committed himself to mental health work in Tanzania. It is an area that remains underserved, and in much of the world, it still carries a stigma that discourages the most vulnerable from seeking help. Johnson chose that work anyway.

President’s 2026 New Year Message

Fellow Members of the Ashesi Community,

Here’s wishing you a joyful, healthy, and successful 2026. Welcome back to campus!

This March, Ashesi will mark 24 years of shaping African leaders and innovators. As we enter our 25th year, our mission—to educate the next generation of ethical entrepreneurial leaders—remains as important as ever.

We are making excellent progress on our strategic plan, Beyond the Horizon: launching new undergraduate, master’s, and executive programs; fostering greater inclusion; expanding our campus; and strengthening our team.

In 2026, we will implement a new academic calendar to maximize our impact year-round, reach more students, and deepen our commitment to research and innovation. We will continue to integrate Artificial Intelligence into teaching and university operations. And amid shifting global dynamics, we must engage seriously with the re-emergence of great-power competition and consider how African leaders should navigate it. There are lessons to be learned from Asian economies that successfully navigated the Cold War in the 1960s, 70s and 80s.

Recent global strategies, such as the 2025 US National Security Strategy, signal a shift in how the world engages with Africa—from a focus on aid to one of investment and partnership. This new approach recognizes Africa’s vast natural resources and economic potential and seeks collaboration with nations committed to growth and openness.

However, history shows that resource extraction alone has not brought widespread prosperity to our continent. With Africa’s population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, sustainable progress will require industrialization and the creation of goods and services for both local and global markets. Robust economic growth will not only benefit Africans but also make the continent a more attractive partner and market in the global economy.

In this context, universities like Ashesi have a vital role to play. By developing human capital and strong institutions, we can help unlock Africa’s potential far beyond natural resources. We must also strengthen our ties with leading universities worldwide, fostering collaboration and mutual understanding that will drive innovation and shared success.

As we enter our twenty-fifth year, I find myself still energized by the work we do in service of the future happiness of Africans everywhere. However long you’ve been at Ashesi, and whatever role you play in our community, I trust that you do too. I look forward to advancing Ashesi and Africa’s future together, this year, and beyond.

All the best in 2026 and may we continue to find strength in our purpose.

Higher Education Stakeholders Gather at Education Collaborative Convening to Reimagine Student Success in Africa

June 20, Kigali, Rwanda– Hundreds of university leaders, faculty and administrators, and higher education stakeholders met this week to sketch a student-first blueprint for the continent’s campuses, committing to new integrated services, career-focused curricula, and cross-border partnerships in service of student success. Under the theme “Re-centering Student Development,” the Education Collaborative’s 2025 June Convening, the largest yet in the initiative’s eight-year history, focused on a subject gaining momentum across the continent: student success as a driver of institutional excellence in Africa.

Over four days, participants from more than 16 African countries engaged in practical dialogue on how to transform student support—from personalized learning and coaching to career development and alumni engagement—into a strategic pillar within universities. Hosted in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, the convening was co-organized by Ashesi University, Covenant University, and the University of Embu. Among the attendees were student leaders from across the continent, four of whom took the stage during the opening session to share lessons drawn from their own campus experiences.

“If you want to understand student development, don’t just look at classrooms and lectures,” said Liyabona Nqumani, a student from Rhodes University in South Africa. “Look at where students sleep, eat, and form their identities. That is where leadership grows. That is where transformation begins. [Universities] are not just where leaders learn—they are where leaders live.”

Rooted in Community, Driven by Mission
Since its founding in 2017, the Education Collaborative has grown into a pan-African network of institutions committed to transforming higher education systems on the continent. What began with 12 institutions now welcomes more than 70, and the network has directly engaged over 500 universities in its broader programming to date.

Ashesi Opens Applications for New Biological Engineering Program, Aiming to Educate Bio-Innovators

Ashesi Dean Abdul Mahdi in discussion with WHO PLHTA participants.

Ashesi has received accreditation to begin a new Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering program, developed over the last two years with partners and industry leaders. Applications are open for students to join in September 2025 or January 2026 for the inaugural class. While other programs focus primarily on the biomedical sector, this interdisciplinary degree trains versatile engineers ready to innovate across biotechnology, bioinformatics, neuroengineering, and beyond.

The new program builds on Ashesi’s expanding bioengineering research footprint, catalyzed by the university’s participation in the International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition since 2017. In 2023, the Biolith team, comprising Ashesi undergraduates, earned a gold medal in Paris for engineering bacteria that detect and extract lithium. In 2024, the student team Sea Titans also won gold for developing a bio-concrete pentapod that tackles coastal erosion and sea plastic pollution. The projects underscore the depth of synthetic biology expertise on campus.

“As a university, we started discussing introducing biological engineering to our curriculum in response to the COVID‑19 pandemic and the influx of vaccine companies wanting to set up production in the region,” says Dr. Elena Rosca, Head of Ashesi’s Engineering Department. “We are looking to educate engineers who can step in to support the development of these factories and vaccines or any other medicines being developed in Africa.”

The Biological Engineering program shares its rigorous multidisciplinary core—spanning engineering design, ethics, and leadership—with other Ashesi majors, while layering on specialized biological engineering coursework. A hallmark of the degree is a year-long capstone project, during which students partner with faculty mentors to tackle real-world challenges—from repurposing medicines using bioinformatics, to designing responsive and intelligent prostheses. Students who graduate from the program, will be able to:

  • Apply engineering design to develop solutions with community health, safety, and welfare in mind.
  • Engage in cross-functional teamwork, combining ideas from engineering, biology, and business.
  • Be able to step into roles in public and private sectors—ranging from hospitals and biotech firms to founding startups in bio-manufacturing.

Learn more about the program here.

Esi Cobblah M’24 on the Experience of Ashesi’s Mechatronic Engineering Master’s Program

Esi Cobblah found out about Ashesi’s Mechatronic Engineering program from an advertisement when she was an undergraduate electrical engineering student at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Ghana. The program was new, but the industry partners and the opportunity to receive guidance in starting a career appealed to her. She applied, and in January 2022, she arrived on campus as a member of the program’s pioneering cohort. 


As a master’s student at Ashesi, Cobblah found a strong sense of camaraderie and support from her peers, as well as from the program’s faculty and staff.  

“We bonded and developed good relationships because we spent quite a bit of time together,” she says. “We relied on each other and knew that we could count on each other. You could knock on someone’s door for whatever you needed and knew that they would help if they could.” 

Despite the focus of her learning being mechatronic engineering, the program also exposed students to subject areas they may not have considered as necessary for their chosen field. Courses on leadership, economics, and financial accounting included in the curriculum, for example, stood out for Cobblah.  

During her internship with Nestlé, Cobblah quickly realized that her supervisors trusted the level of expertise and work ethic she and her peers from Ashesi’s Mechatronic Engineering program brought.  

“They appreciated the fact that we were coming from this program that had taught us to think broadly and were open to hearing our ideas,” she explains. “They supported us with company knowledge, but we also had the freedom to explore and share what we thought could work. And I believe the program prepared us well for this kind of environment.”   

Cobblah has now come to believe that this interdisciplinary training is crucial to preparing for a well-rounded career.

“Even if you’re entering a technical field, you won’t only be interacting with people with similar educational backgrounds and expertise. This programme opens your mind to different perspectives and lets you know that it takes more than the technical expertise to make you a good engineer.”  

Purpose Beyond Self: Address by Ashesi President Patrick Awuah

Your Excellencies

Honorable Member of Parliament for Akwapim South, Lawrencia Adjoa Dziwornu

Distinguished Guest Speaker, Reeta Roy

Members of the Board of Directors

Representative of Odeefuo Oteng-Korankye II; Nananom

Distinguished Guests

Parents, family, and friends

My colleagues here at Ashesi University

and Dear Class of 2025,

Welcome to the 21st commencement ceremony of Ashesi University.

Class of 2025, congratulations on achieving this important milestone in your life’s journey!

Let us also take a moment to thank all those whose contributions have helped bring you to this Commencement day: your families who supported you along the way; the faculty who guided your learning here; the administrators and support staff who made this campus a nurturing environment; and our donors and friends whose generosity helped build this institution and funded the education of many who otherwise could not have afforded to be here.

Class of 2025, do you remember my message to you on your matriculation day at Ashesi? My guess is, you probably don’t remember much of what was said, but that you remember being here in the Archer-Cornfield Courtyard being welcomed to this community. Even though you might not exactly remember my charge to you, no doubt, over the course of your study here, you experienced some of what I talked about.

Let me remind you.

I shared the words of a Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu:

“A leader is best when people barely know he exists. When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves.”

Remember?

I shared Lao Tzu’s words to make that point that here at Ashesi, we believe in collective ownership, and I urged you to be part of the “leadership” of this institution. I wanted you to conduct yourselves in such a manner that you would later look at your contributions and say, ‘We did it ourselves!” I also invited each of you to give some thought to what you might do to add to Ashesi’s excellence during your time here, not just for the sake of your alma mater, but as a powerful way to determine some purpose to guide your university journey.

Well, here we are at the completion of your education here.

We are all proud of your accomplishments, and I hope that as you reflect on your years here, you too, feel a great sense of satisfaction about the many facets of your journey thus far.  I invite you to take a moment to reflect on your accomplishments and to allow yourself the sense of satisfaction that you did it yourselves.

Today marks the end of one chapter in your journey and the beginning of the rest of your lives. Just as on your matriculation day, this next chapter too would benefit from finding a purpose to guide you. This is what I would like to join you in a conversation about today.

Purpose – one’s intent– matters. And it matters in things big and small.

Let me illustrate with a scenario that we have all become familiar with — the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the learning process. Students who use AI with the intent to learn use it differently from those who use it with intent simply get an agent to do their work for them. The first group might use AI as a coach that helps them grasp difficult concepts, whereas the second group offloads thinking and analysis to AI, thereby learning little. Purpose, in this example, makes a profound difference in learning outcomes.

So too, it does in life.

Did you notice on matriculation day, that the criteria I suggested for finding your purpose involved the Ashesi Community? Did you notice that I did not only ask you to think about a purpose for yourself, but how your purpose might affect the community you just joined? My words to you that day were subtle, but important. By suggesting that you consider the Ashesi Community, I was asking you to look beyond yourselves. On the other hand, by limiting the scope to the Ashesi Community, as opposed to the whole world, for example, I was setting a boundary for your exploration. I wanted you to start with a manageable scope, but I also trusted that because Ashesi University looks beyond itself, we would help you raise your sight over time.

You see, your purpose will change over time, and that is how it should be. That is how it works for most people, and it is certainly how it was for me.

When I was graduating from college, I had a very simple goal: do well in the job I had just secured and support my family back home in Ghana. Succeeding in my career required continuous learning and hard work. Contributing financially to my family provided a sense of urgency and satisfaction.

Over time, I looked beyond myself and my family and sought to make a bigger impact in Africa. I ultimately decided to establish a university in Ghana that would educate a new generation of African leaders, and I enrolled in graduate school to prepare myself for the task at hand. My new purpose enriched my MBA education at UC Berkeley, because it brought all that we learned to life for me. I found myself constantly asking how lessons learned in each class might apply to the university I planned to build. And I developed a business plan for Ashesi University with help from some of my classmates before I graduated.

In the same way, I encourage you to see the coming years as an opportunity for growth. Growth in ambition, virtue, and wisdom.

How might you become a leader who inspires people so deeply commit themselves to your vision, that when it is done, they will say, “we did it ourselves!”?

The answer to this question lies in the size of the purpose you eventually set for yourself. Throughout human history, the leaders who have made transformative change in their organizations, in their countries and in the world, are those who are able to formulate a purpose beyond themselves. Those whose ambitions embrace the wellbeing of others are the ones who inspire collective effort and patriotism. They are the ones who change the world.

I hope you will grow to become leaders such as these.

Congratulations, Class of 2025, and Godspeed in this next chapter of your lives.

We Get to Dream Bigger: Address by Graduate Class Speaker, Tim Asare M’24

The number of chromosomes each parent contributes during fertilization is 23. As a class that has had two parent institutions—Ashesi University and ETH Zurich—it is an honour to have inherited our social and academic DNA from both institutions.

I stand on all existing protocols, and I say good morning to you all once again. I am proud to stand before you today as a member of Ashesi University’s pioneer class of graduate students—the Graduate Class of 2024. It is timely that the 24 of us in this pioneering class are here, 20 years after Ashesi’s pioneering undergraduates, the Class of 2005, also took to this stage. Permit me to say, things were just a little bit different.

Ashesi operated out of two small rented buildings in Accra; the entire audience for that ceremony was about two-thirds the size of today’s graduating classes. And in many ways, the Class of 2005 was stepping out into the world with much more uncertainty about whether the Ashesi education would actually translate into the world of work the way it promised.

But on January 12, 2022, when Dr. Elegba, Dr. Mertens, and Max Grau welcomed us to our hostel, we had arrived at a university that had seen the impact of Ashesi’s Class of 2005, and the seventeen classes that had followed them. We were pioneers, but in many ways, we were also beneficiaries. The Mechatronic Engineering program we had been accepted into had the benefit of an incredible Ghanaian university in Ashesi, and the decades of engineering teaching experience of Switzerland’s ETH Zurich. We had the benefit of scholarships, career connections, and support from strong organisations. We had access to labs and resources that the Class of 2005 could have only dreamed of. So we arrived as pioneers—but with far more opportunity than our predecessors.

And so, to my fellow graduate students and my colleague undergraduate students: we get to dream bigger. How will our work, our lives, and our experiences benefit the students who will walk into Ashesi seventeen more classes from now?

Our time at Ashesi gave us a glimpse of how we could grow professionally and personally, while also growing in service to others. From helping Admissions with recruitment drives to helping new graduate students settle in, this class has continuously shown an immense sense of community. Esi and Miki turned their room into an extension of the classroom, staying up long hours to teach whoever walked through their door. From our Friday nights at Dufie eating kenkey together—because, as Ernest would always say, “Person wey dey alive wey dey chop”—we learnt and embraced our differences and found joy in learning from each other. That balance kept us going, even when, in Asante’s words, “you don’t get it.”

We got to be inspired by incredible faculty. We crossed bridges we thought were impossible. We learnt the importance of teamwork. But most importantly, we learnt to embrace the uniqueness of our differences. In a world that is filled with many voices and opinions, we learnt to do signal processing—not just on our computers, but most importantly in our minds. To become better at understanding which voices matter, and which ones do not.

In our time at Ashesi, many seeds have been sown in us, and each has the potential to grow into a great tree—whose seeds grow into greater trees. Every day, by our actions and decisions, we choose to nurture or stunt the growth of these seeds. In 17 or 20 years, when taking stock, will we have inspired growth and development? Will our actions have lifted people above the poverty line, improved education access, or helped industrialise this continent we call home? It is important that we demonstrate to the world what ethical work, leadership, and followership look like through our daily routine. As we leave campus today, let us ask ourselves what the Ashesi pillars mean to us, and what success would mean for us in the years to come.

To our families, partners, friends, and mentors who have journeyed patiently with us during this program—we cannot thank you enough. Our presence here today is as much for you as it is for us.

Prof. Angela, we cannot thank you enough. You were many things to us: an inspiration, a mother, a friend, and an employer.

Dean Abdul and the team at the Student Affairs Office—thank you for the advice and support in ensuring social and academic balance.

Prof. Amanquah, maybe one day we will know how you juggle all your roles and keep all this running the way you do.

To the broader Ashesi community—our faculty—thank you for the knowledge you have imparted, the coordination, and for always being there for us.

To Mariette, Edo, Andrea, Isabel, and Antoinette—we recognize and deeply appreciate your dedication to making this program a success for us. Thank you.

To the Mechatronic Engineering Graduate Class of 2024! We could all learn a lesson or two from Bernard and Oluwamurewa about friendship and brotherhood, learn to make the most of every moment like Paulo, be quiet leaders like Joan, Abigail, and Evans. Let us continue to be true to ourselves while we keep memories of Solomon’s laughter, Papa T and Dr. Armah’s anecdotes, and life on a campus that became home. Let us keep the flame of scholarship, leadership, and citizenship burning. Let us go forth and be the change we want to see in the world.

And knowing all of us, there is no limit to where we can get to. So whether you are doing computational neuroscience, making palm paste, cementing your place at Holcim, leading projects, or doing research—always remember that whether you think you can or you cannot, you are right.

If you need any inspiration, look no further than this stage. Look at the work of Madam Reeta Roy and her team at the Mastercard Foundation in promoting equitable access to tertiary education around the world. Look at the work our very own Dr. Patrick Awuah is doing with a team that has come a long way from humble beginnings. Look at Ashesi’s Class of 2005 and all who came after them. We are entreated to also move from this Ashesi—and also be the Ashesi of many great things.

Our hope is that someday the cohorts and classes after us will look to us and also believe that they can do amazing things. Ashesi has given us everything we need—and more—to make any dream a reality.

And in the spirit of Ashesi, let me end by quoting Johann Wolfgang von Goethe:

“Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute—
What you can do, or dream you can, begin it.
Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.
Only engage, and then the mind grows heated—
Begin it, and the work will be completed!”

Thank you. Asante. Danke. Merci. Me da mo ase.
May God bless us all.

Shine Like a City on a Hill: Address by Undergraduate Class Speaker Maame Gyanwaa Duah ’25

 

As I stand before you all, I would like to let you know that as of today, the Ashesi Class of 2025 is officially “Active Wai.” And anyone who doubted us, or even if we doubted ourselves, needs to rethink. Nana Oteng Krankyen the second, Nananom, board members present, president of Ashesi, Dr. Patrick Awuah, distinguished guest speaker, Madam Rita Roy, all Ashesi staff and faculty, parents, guardians present and online, fellow graduands, distinguished ladies and gentlemen.

I am honoured to address you all today. My name is Maame Gyanwaa Otchere Duah. It is interesting to note that we were part of the top 20% of applicants to be selected into this prestigious institution four years ago. Yet there were so many days we questioned or doubted ourselves, because our grades were not a reflection of who we knew ourselves to be. There were times we felt like quitting and questioned what truly mattered. There were also times we had to deal with holding back our tears because we were falling apart under all the workload. Yet, today, we receive certificates for having stood firm.

I believe we all deserve some accolades because today marks the triumph through the struggles. From the very first day we stepped foot on this soil and were told to drink from the waters of Ashesi (which many till today, do not know was tap water), I knew we were in for a ride. The unfortunate start of our journey was having to come on campus and cope with a new normal due to COVID-19. Managing life with uncomfortable nose masks, constant reminders of sanitizing and social distancing as we bid farewell to our guardians was tough, but this was just the unfolding of the journey to come.

How many of you recall FDE (Foundations of Distress and Exhaustion as someone once wrote on a board). FDE 1 midsem exam. So many freshmen coming out of Norton Motulsky looking dejected because what on earth were those questions? And that’s when I asked myself, “Am I in the right school?” 2025 looked like it was decades away but so soon this journey has come to its end. Many times, the phrases “ego be chale” and “I am surviving” were a means of sharing common suffering.

All these were encompassed with the accelerated semester which left many of us disheartened because of losing the opportunity to take up internships or our own summer plans. For me, it was driving. For others, it was a vacation or bae-cation lost. This period was a true test for our parents and guardians and we are glad they sailed through. Our tears, our fears, our stresses and discouraged faces throughout the days, weeks, months and might I add, years, has been a classic case of what I ordered versus what I got.

These have not been without some good laughs and joyous moments. The debate about which course is the hardest will never fade. See the numbers of engineers falling over the years. Engineering no ey3 calling oh. The people left are the last ones standing. However, we have metamorphosized like rocks, having stood the test of time from the pressures and stresses of academic and social life. We stepped on these grounds as boys and girls. Now we are leaving as men and women, going into the world beyond this so-called bubble.

Much like the corporate world which many of us desire to go into, there will always be consequences for our actions. Sometimes a little mistake can cost us major wins and happiness. Other times temporary satisfaction with longs suffering was not worth it. I know our parents can attest to the fact. You may not realize but Ashesi is the one place that encourages that you take the chance, possibly make the mistake, go back to the drawing board and come out better.

Amidst all this pressure, this hill has been transformative. From Artie’s Delight, To Mina Minks, BDS Logistictics, M & C bar, Mystery foods, Stack and Rolls, Wigs Lair, Maxline watches, Jococo, Nail-Aura (my business) and more. We have not only embodied entrepreneurial spirits but resilience. This community has birthed many beautiful relationships, by the numerous friend groups in and outside the classroom. It has also allowed us the opportunity to engage with so many people from various backgrounds and walks of life which we can never take for granted.

Stepping onto these grounds not so sure of what to make of the Ashesi culture, our year group was caught up in the mist of discovery. Wondering what exactly Ashesi culture meant, Whether it was saying Hi to everyone you met as you passed by each day, calling faculty and staff by their first names or being able to walk into the Dean’s office to have random conversations. Much like culture, this university makes emphasis on community and that is the basis of our culture. Togetherness. Much like Ubuntu, I am because of who we are. This is the Ashesi Culture.

Even beyond these walls, as we gear up to join the alumni network, much like Liverpool, Ashesi alumni relations will never leave us to walk alone. Ashesi’s mission is to raise ethical entrepreneurial leaders. However, it feels like sometimes they’re raising soldiers for battle. Probably foreshadowing the recent developments surrounding the military training for national service. These four years have been far from perfect. There have been many opportunities gained and some failures experienced.

From heated arguments in groups, dealing with roommate issues, broken bonds, frustrations from capstone projects and camu becoming our worst nightmare for course selection and grade releases during our breaks. So now I ask:

How many of you have calculated how you will pass a course because the quizzes and midsem exams were threatening your GPA?

How many of you recall taking so many photos of the calculations during the math and quant classes and never going back to view them?

How many of you have ever received an email from the provost office for missing class?

How many of you have never had a late submission?

How many of you have been to Fab lab or the field to pray, reflect or clear your mind?

And finally, how many of you are still confused about what TO DO AFTER SCHOOL?

Ashesi has taught us about not having everything figured out. It seems scary at times but sincerely, there is beauty in uncertainty, when you are being guided by the right people. As time unfolds, we grow wiser and tougher. That is why every class starts with an objective and ends with lessons learned. Our lecturers not only teach but they soon become mentors. Their constant reminders of life after school being far worse sometimes makes us wonder whether we wished to stay here longer. However, we can never turn back oh, it won’t make sense, we’ve already come too far.

Most of the time, we are so fixated on the negatives that we are not even willing to try. However, as Neil Strauss once said, “Great things never came from comfort zones.” Indeed, these walls have pushed us and brought out the best in us. As I wrap up this speech, I want to conclude by saying, thank you to our guardians for being there every step of the way. Your sacrifice and endurance even as the school fees doubled and tripled is much appreciated. To our founder and president, Dr. Patrick Awuah, we are most grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this community and its values. And to faculty, we only now realize that we never needed to be spoon-fed because you taught us how to fend for ourselves by our reasoning through your guidance. A special thank you to my parents for being my support system and motivation. To God for never letting me down, and to all my amazing friends and well-wishers.

Now to my fellow graduands, I want you to take a look around you because these are faces you might never see again. Maybe because our paths will differ after school. But as we say goodbye to this chapter with hopes of embracing the next, just as the name Ashesi means beginning, May this be the beginning of greater opportunities to come. Trust me if you’ve gone through Ashesi, there is nothing you cannot withstand. One thing I know for sure is that the greater the risk, the higher the return. So do not give up on taking the opportunity that scares you, do not give up on that dream and never lose hope.

As my lecturer Alex once said, when we lose hope, we lose everything. Fear is false evidence appearing real. So whenever you are in doubt, remember this, “you are the light of this world, no matter how you perceive things. An Ashesian must shine like a city on a hill.”

Thank you.