KNUST wins $3m Mastercard Foundation prize
A $3 million investment is heading to the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) after the institution was recognised among a select group of African universities reshaping the future of higher education on the continent.
The Kumasi-based university was chosen by the Mastercard Foundation as one of the first winners of its newly launched Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize, a long-term initiative designed to support universities that are producing real-world solutions beyond the classroom.
Rather than focusing solely on academic achievement, the award recognises institutions that are helping to solve national and continental challenges through innovation, entrepreneurship and skills development.
KNUST’s selection was largely driven by its growing reputation for turning research projects into businesses, technologies and employment opportunities. Over the years, the university has built a network of innovation hubs and incubation centres that support students, researchers and entrepreneurs in transforming ideas into commercial ventures and practical solutions.
The recognition places KNUST alongside four other institutions from Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda and Burkina Faso that were identified as leaders in transforming higher education in Africa.
The prize forms part of a much larger $500 million commitment by the Mastercard Foundation to strengthen African universities over the next decade. The initiative seeks to help institutions play a greater role in job creation, technological advancement and economic development at a time when the continent’s youth population continues to grow rapidly.
Mastercard Foundation officials say the programme is intended to move universities beyond their traditional role as centres of learning and position them as key drivers of opportunity and innovation.
KNUST and the other award recipients are expected to be honoured at a continental higher education gathering in Accra later this year, where education leaders will discuss the future of African universities and their role in preparing young people for emerging opportunities in a changing global economy.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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