President Nana Akufo-Addo has granted a Presidential Charter to Ashesi University College, making it an independent degree-granting institution.
The Charter will be formally presented to Ashesi at the University’s 2018 Graduation Ceremony.
A letter signed by the Minister of State for Tertiary Education, Prof Kwesi Yankah, said the Charter was granted after a thorough assessment of the University’s facilities and qualifications by the National Accreditation Board.
The Board declared in its report to the Education Ministry that the Institution was ready “for independence from the University of Cape Coast, with which it has been affiliated.”
“After a rigorous review of the university’s teaching and learning infrastructure, curriculum, finances, staff qualifications and governance, the National Accreditation Board presented a report to the Ministry of Education endorsing Ashesi’s readiness,” the letter read.
The development will come as welcome news to the University, which submitted its application for Presidential Charter in January 2016 and was initially assured by then Deputy Education Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa that it would be granted the Charter before the end of that year.
A statement on the University’s website said “the Presidential Charter is recognition of the University’s quality, strength, and impact on higher education in Ghana and beyond. ”
Ashesi becomes the youngest private university in Ghana’s history to receive the Charter.
What is required for a Presidential Charter?
In Ghana, every newly-established university has to operate for a minimum of 10 years under the supervision of relatively older, established universities which will award degrees on the new university’s behalf.
Universities that have been mentored for the minimum number of years can then apply for independence, a process which ends with a comprehensive assessment of the institution, its programmes, facilities and finances being presented to the Minister of Education for onward recommendation to the President of Ghana.
When an application is approved by the President, he then grants that institution a Charter, which enables it to award its own degrees, diplomas and certificates.
A Charter is also a sign of recognition that a university has consistently met quality check and requirements, and no longer needs to be directly supervised.
About Ashesi University
The mission of Ashesi University is to educate ethical, entrepreneurial leaders in Africa. The University was started in 2002 with a pioneer class of 30 students and Bachelor Degree programmes in Business and Computer Science. Today, the institution has nearly 2000 students and alumni, with additional Bachelor Degree offerings in Management Information Systems, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronical Engineering. Ashesi is now recognised as one of the finest institutions of higher education in Africa, with a curriculum is grounded in a multidisciplinary core, that teaches critical thinking, design thinking, entrepreneurship, ethics and leadership.
Ashesi is recognized for its excellent graduate placement, with almost all of its graduates receiving job offers, starting businesses or entering graduate school within six months of graduation. Ashesi’s graduates are considered as some of the most career-ready in Africa, and are ranked among the best educated in the world.
Ashesi has been celebrated in Ghana and around the world for its impact on higher education. In 2007, the founder of Ashesi University, Patrick Awuah, was awarded The Order of the Volta, one of Ghana’s highest national awards, for his exceptional contributions to Ghanaian higher education. In 2012, the University was ranked among Ghana’s ten most respected organizations in a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey of CEOs. In 2017, Ashesi also received the World Innovation Summit in Education Prize, one of the world’s biggest prizes in education, awarded by the Qatar Foundation.
Click here for the full letter from the Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education.
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By: Edwin Kwakofi/citinewsroom.com/Ghana
