Ashesi University

Ashesi University

Ashesi University is a private, non-profit liberal arts college located in Ghana, West Africa.
Ashesi University College is a private, not-for-profit, non-sectarian institution. It is sponsored by Ashesi University Foundation, a non-profit, publicly supported US corporation as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code. Ashesi University College admits students of any race, colour, gender, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students of the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, national and ethnic origin in admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school administered programs, nor in employment.
Neither Ashesi University College nor Ashesi University Foundation have any political affiliations in Ghana or abroad. Ashesi will work with all interested parties in achieving its educational mission.
It offers a four-year bachelors programme grounded in a liberal core curriculum, featuring majors in Business Administration, Management Information Systems, Computer Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.

Ashesi University History

Ashesi was founded by Patrick Awuah, a Ghanaian who spent over 15 years living and working in the United States. Awuah left Ghana in 1985 to attend Swarthmore College on a full scholarship, after which he worked for Microsoft Corporation as an engineer and a program manager for eight years. Experiencing first hand the dramatic impact that education can have on one’s life, Awuah embarked on a mission in 1997 to provide greater educational opportunities in Ghana. He enrolled in business school at the University of California at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, both to evaluate the feasibility of his goal and to gain managerial skills with which to found and manage a university.

  • 1997: Founder Patrick Awuah gives up his US software career to return to He decides to create a new kind of African university.[1]
  • 1998: Patrick Awuah and graduate students from UC Berkeley conduct a feasibility study for a new private university in Ghana.
  • 1999: Ashesi University Foundation was founded and is spearheaded by a Board of Trustees and management governance whose efforts are complemented by Advisory Boards located in the US and Ghana.
  • 2002: Ashesi University opens its doors in a rented house converted to classrooms, with a class of 30 students.
  • 2005: Of the pioneer class graduates, 95% chose to stay to Africa.
  • 2006: Ashesi students elect first woman university student government president in Ghana’s history.
  • 2007: A UC Berkeley study finds that local and multinational employers rate Ashesi and Ashesi Graduates number 1 in Ghana in Quality of Curriculum, Career Preparation, Communication Skills, Maturity, Professional Skills, and Ethics.
  • 2008: Students vote to adopt Examination Honour Code – Africa’s first. Financial sustainability: fees from students who can afford to pay cover annual operating expenses. Capital Campaign for new campus begins
  • 2009: Construction starts for permanent campus in Berekuso.
  • 2011: New campus completed—on schedule and on budget ($6.4M). Enrollment tops 500 as Vice-President of Ghana inaugurates campus.
  • 2012: The MasterCard Foundation partners to provide $13 million in Ashesi scholarships to students from 11 African countries.
  • 2013: Groundbreaking for construction to start on engineering building where Ashesi will educate engineers who will design infrastructure and products for Africa.
  • 2015: The first engineering class enroll at Ashesi University on the 7th of September 2015.

The Meaning of Ashesi

“If there is anything you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it. Begin it now.”
These words by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe are the inspiration behind the university’s name, Ashesi, which means “beginning” in Akan, a native Ghanaian language.[2] Ashesi’s founder, Patrick Awuah, first read Goethe’s words when he was questioning the wisdom of undertaking such an ambitious project. Encouraged by these words, he began by undertaking a feasibility study. Clarifying the risks and issues at hand helped Awuah shed his reservations; one day he realised that he had lost his hesitation and had become very committed to this project. He then realised, “This really is the beginning!” The name Ashesi is not only about its founder’s inspiration. It is also about providing a new beginning for every student attends.
The Ashesi logo, a hand drawn symbol, borrows from the tradition of “Adinkra design”, used by the Akan people of Ghana to embody their knowledge, their moral and ethical beliefs, and their history. Ashesi’s mark is a visual representation of Ashesi’s mission. The lower part of the Ashesi mark is in the shape of a stool whose support structure consists of three pillars. These correspond to Ashesi’s core values of scholarship, leadership and citizenship. Stools hold significant cultural meaning for the Akan people of Ghana.
The circle above the stool depicts a morning sun and symbolized a new beginning. It is also the center of an eye, which symbolizes intellectual exploration and discovery. At a distance, the mark as a whole resembles a person standing under a roof, reflecting Ashesi’s focus on the people in and around its community: students, teachers, parents and members of the broader society.

Ashesi University Feasibility study

During the summer of 1998, a team of four MBA students from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business travelled to Ghana to conduct extensive market research and evaluate the feasibility of establishing a new university. With the goal of gathering data to provide a foundation for business decisions, the team administered over 3,300 surveys to students and parents; conducted interviews and focus groups with parents, teachers and business leaders; and gathered secondary information from local and international sources. The result was a comprehensive feasibility study,[3] analysing Ghanaian tertiary education.

Ashesi University campus

Set on 100 acres in Berekuso, overlooking Ghana’s capital city of Accra, Ashesi’s campus unites traditional Ghanaian design, modern technology and environmental best practices. The campus has interconnected courtyards, that emphasize a sense of community. The architecture borrows from the Ghanaian vernacular, with echoes of traditional compound houses, as well as elements of traditional Northern dwellings. The natural contours of the site are used in concert with buildings to create exterior gathering spaces throughout campus, as well as ramps that provide wheel chair access to buildings. Buildings are designed to maximize natural views, light and ventilation.
Ground water is supplemented with harvested rainwater, filtered and treated to provide potable water all year round. A community-scale sewage and organic treatment plant provides environmental and economic benefits by converting waste to biogas for some of the campus’ cooking needs and recycling treated water for landscaping.

Building a Community of Trust: The Ashesi Honour Code

In keeping with Ashesi’s mission to educate a new generation of ethical leaders, the faculty and executives of Ashesi University approved in November 2007 a proposal to formally invite selected classes at Ashesi to adopt an Honour Code for examinations at the university.
The code was voted into force by students in January 2008. Also effective January 2008, all incoming first year and transfer students will be required to sign on to the Examination Honour Code prior to admission to the university, and will receive extensive orientation about the code.
The adoption of the Examination Honour Code marks a significant step in the history of Ashesi University.
Enrolment (based on a September 2016 census)

  • 791 students
  • 48% women, 52% men
  • 20% international
  • 29% on full scholarships
  • 22% on partial scholarships
  • Over 20 countries represented, including: Benin, Cameroon, Canada, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Africa, South Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, Zimbabwe