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Media Coverage of Ashesi University

Links to selected articles are listed below. (Some articles require Adobe Acrobat Reader to open; click here to download Acrobat Reader for free.)

A New Model of Leadership for Africa
By Ken Maguire
January 2010
Swarthmore College Bulletin (www.swarthmore.edu)
The Swarthmore College Bulletin features an article about Ashesi Founder, Patrick Awuah and how the curriculum at Ashesi University is training young people to become Africa's next generation of leaders. Click here to read the full article.

New college set high standards to mould Africa's future leaders
By Sarah Murray
Thursday, January 28, 2010
The Financial Times (www.ft.com)
Sarah Murray writes for the Financial Times about Ashesi and its impact in Ghana. Ashesi's Founder, Patrick Awuah sought a way he could contribute to nation-building efforts in his home country, Ghana and across Africa. He started Ashesi, Ghana's first liberal arts college which is educating students to be ethical and entrepreneurial leaders. Read the full article here.

Microsoft Alumni Foundation recognizes those making an impact on world challenges
Thursday, November 19, 2009
PR Newswire (www.prnewswire.com)
At the Microsoft Alumni Foundation 2009 Founders' Gala, Bill and Melinda Gates recognized Patrick Awuah, Founder and President of Ashesi University College, as one of three award winning "Integral Fellows" -- a new program honoring Microsoft Alumni who have made a meaningful difference in the daily lives of others by using their talents, time and resources to contribute to the community. The Integral Fellows program awarded three Microsoft alumni with an unrestricted $25,000 grant for their nonprofit organizations, additional funds raised at the gala, as well access to the talents and skills of alumni to help support their ongoing efforts. Click here to read the full story.

Microsoft alumni find productive niche in non-profits
By Kristi Heim
Monday, November 16, 2009
Seattle Times (www.seattletimes.com)
The Microsoft Alumni Foundation is kicking off a new awards program to honor former employees working to improve the world through their philanthropy and socially motivated business. Patrick Awuah, Ashesi University President has been selected as one of the finalists. Click here to read the full story.

Winner of Second Annual John P. McNulty Prize Announced
Friday, November 6, 2009
Corporate Social Responsibility Newswire (www.CSRwire.com)
Ashesi University and its Founder Patrick Awuah were selected from a highly competitive field of applicants to receive the 2009 John P. McNulty Prize. The Prize recognizes an extraordinary young leader making creative, effective, and lasting contributions to his or her community and is given annually to an Aspen Institute Fellow. Click here to read the full story.

Microsoft vet's Ashesi starts new Africa campus
By Brier Dudley
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Seattle Times (www.seattletimes.com)
Ashesi's Berekuso campus groundbreaking ceremony was featured on the blog of Seattle Times Business and Technology editor, Brier Dudley. Brier gives a brief history of the project and describes a few of the Seattle-area supporters involved. Click here to read the full story.

Ashesi students propose solution to Accra traffic jams
By Fiifi Koomson
Monday, August 31, 2009
JoyOnline (www.myjoyonline.com)
This report on Ghana's Joy Online outlines a study published by Ashesi students that attempts to propose solutions to Accra's perennial traffic problems. Click here to read the full story.

How will Obama's Message resonate in Africa?
By Stephanie Condon Friday, July 10, 2009
CBSNews BLOGS (www.cbsnews.com/blogs)
Ashesi's President Patrick Awuah is featured in the CBS News blog Political HotSheet that explores the impact of President Obama's visit to Ghana. Dr. Awuah states, "with the emergence of democratic government in Ghana, we have seen the opening of markets so that everyone can participate in the free market." Click here to read the full story.

ONE.org features Ashesi's Patrick Awuah in their "Yes, Africa Can" video
By Ben Hubbard
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
ONE.org (www.one.org/us/) Ben Hubbard, in his short film,"Yes, Africa Can", captures the excitement amongst Ghanaians as the United States' President, Barack Obama visits the country on Friday, July 10, 2009. President Obama's visit will shine international spotlight on Ghana's success story and others like it. Click here to see full video.

Labour and Mediation Consultant speaks at Ashesi
By Ghana News Agency Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Modern Ghana Online (www.modernghana.com) A Labour and Mediation Consultant, Mr. Austin .A. Gamey speaks with an Ashesi Negotiation class about the need for a paradigm shift in negotiations in the 21st century. Click here to read the full story.

Ashesi University mentors students
By Isaac Yeboah
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Joy Online (myjoyonline.com)
One of Ghana's top news radio stations covers the 2009 Ashesi Career Fair hosted on Ashesi's campus. The article includes interviews with company representatives and students who attended the event. Click here to read the Joy Online article.

Liberal Arts, Abroad
By Elizabeth Redden
Monday, February 23, 2009
Inside Higher Ed (insiderhighered.com)
Ashesi is mentioned as an example of a growing number of schools outside the United States and Europe that are using the liberal arts model. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/16/liberalarts

Microsoft Alum's University Taking Root
By Brier Dudley
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Seattle Times
Brier Dudley, Business and Technology Editor for the Seattle Times, interviews Ashesi Founder, Patrick Awuah about the plans for building the University's new campus in Berekuso. Over the past seven years Ashesi University College has built a solid track record for excellent education in Ghana and is now planning to build a permanent campus that will provide stability and allow expansion. Click here to read the Seattle Times article.

A Liberal Arts college marks five years in Ghana
By Elizabeth Redden
Friday, October 19, 2007
Inside Higher Ed (insidehighered.com)
Following a celebration of Ashesi's fifth anniversary held in Seattle, Ashesi founder Patrick Awuah speaks with Elizabeth Redden (Inside Higher Ed) about the university's mission and plans for the future. http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/10/19/ashesi. (cached report)

Ghana enters oil age with wary eye on neighbours
By Xan Rice in Axim
Monday July 30, 2007
Guardian
Ashesi lecturer, Kofi Bentil was cited in an article by the Guardian (UK) regarding the economic implications of the discovery of substantial oil deposits in Ghana. http://www.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,330293727-110373,00.html. Click here for a cached copy of the report.

Interview with the African Policy Journal of the Kennedy School of Government
By Kobina Aidoo
Spring, 2007
African Policy Journal
In an interview with Ashesi's founder and president, Kobina Aidoo explores the making of Ashesi University. http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/kssgorg/apj/issues/spring_2007_issue/Interview.Awuah.htm. Click here for a cached copy of this interview.

University in Ghana Prepares Students for High Tech Jobs
By Nico Colombant
Accra, Ghana
23 March 2006
The Voice of America's report on Ashesi features interviews of Ashesi President, Patrick Awuah; Ashesi student, Araba Amuasi; and Ehi Binitie,whose company, Rancard Solutions, recently hired Ashesi graduates. VOA notes that All the students [at Ashesi] seem to be full of ideas and business plans, trying to design profitable and useful technological improvements. Click here for the Voice of America report.

The West Can't Save Africa - Locals Must Take the Lead
By William Easterly
Monday, February 13, 2006; Washington Post, Page A21
In his piece, The West Can't Save Africa - Locals Must Take the Lead, William Easterly, a professor of economics at New York University, explains why projects like Ashesi University are what it takes to change Africa. Click here for the Washington Post article.

2005 Person of the Year.
By GHANAWEB
December 31, 2005
For his selflessness and commitment to improving education standards in Ghana, Patrick Awuah, founder and president of Ashesi University, has been selected as GhanaWeb’s Person of the year for 2005. Click here for transcript of GhanaWeb citation.

Building a University, and Hope, in Ghana
by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton; Morning Edition, National Public Radio (United States)
December 30, 2005
In her piece, Building a University, and Hope, in Ghana, NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports on Ashesi University and its first graduation. Click here for full NPR coverage.

Ashesi University Re-accredited for five years
By Ghana News Agency
August 2005
The Ghana News Agency (GNA) reports of Ashesi's re-accreditation for five years by the National Accreditation Board; an event that was captured by various local and African news media. Click here to read full article.

Ashesi University Lecturer Receives World Bank Award
By Accra Mail
July 2005
Ashesi lecturer Mr. Kofi Bentil received an award of 100 million cedis from the World Bank as part of a SME competition hosted by the Ghana Development Marketplace. Mr. Bentil won the award for a business plan he developed to set up data processing education centers in the Cape Coast area. Click here to read the full Accra Mail article.

Ashesi Tops them All
By Daily Graphic
June 2005
The Ghana Daily Graphic declares Ashesi "tops" after it defeats eight other Ghanaian universities to win an award for best website. The competition was organized by the Regional Informatics Network for Africa (RINAF) an initiative sponsored by the United Nations Education, Science and Culture Organization (UNESCO). Click here to read the full article.

Opportunities Never End
By Dyan Machan
Forbes.com
June 2005
This article in Forbes explains why Ghana's development portends Africa's future. Ashesi University is listed as an example of how Ghanaians from the Diaspora are returning home to start "bootstrap" enterprises that represent a new paradigm of "improving [Africa's] economy from the inside." Click here to read the full Forbes article on Ghana.

A New Beginning in an Ancient Land
By Richard Bangs
MSN.COM
February 2005
This article by MSN is part of a series, Heroes of Africa, which chronicles a journey into Africa to discover and celebrate important accomplishments by Africans, in Africa. Click here to read the segment of the series that describes Ashesi University.

A 'Swarthmore' Grows in Ghana
By Wachira Kigotho
Chronicle of Higher Education
November 5, 2004
The Chronicle of Higher Education featured an article about Ashesi's impact on Higher Education in Ghana. The article outlines how Ashesi stands apart from other universities in Ghana and Africa, highlighting our focus on quality in both teaching and facilities. Click here to read the full Chronicle of Higher education article.

A Vision for Leadership
By David Treadwell
Africa Week
August, 2004
This article featured in the August edition of Africa Week magazine is filled with interviews with Ashesi staff and students. The article describes how Ashesi stands apart from other universities in Ghana and tells how students are reacting to a curriculum that is radically different from what they have experienced at other schools in Africa. Click here to read the full Africa Week article.

Ghanaian Sees Education as Africa's Future
Los Angeles Times
Nov 28, 2003
On Friday, November 28, 2003 the story of Ashesi University was featured in the "World" section of the Los Angeles Times. The article describes President, Patrick Awuah's vision for the university and his goal to educate a new generation of African leaders in Ghana. The article includes quotes from students, advisors and trustees. Click here to read the full Los Angeles Times article.

Tertiary Education in Africa: Ashesi University
By Dumi-Sani Banda
The African Crimson (Harvard African Student Alumni Network newsletter)
Volume 1, Issue 1, Oct 2003
Ashesi was honored to be featured in the inaugural issue of the Harvard African Student Alumni Network's newsletter. This front-page feature article describes Ashesi's academic programs and how we are trying to address some of the challenges that exist in Ghanaian higher education today. Click here to read the full African Crimson article.

Ghana native left Microsoft to sow seeds of African Ivy League
By Brier Dudley
The Seattle Times
Sep 14, 2003
This feature article traces the genesis of Ashesi and describes some of the highlights of the journey that our founder, Patrick Awuah, has taken to establish our University. The Seattle Times has the largest circulation in the Pacific Northwest. Click here to read the full Seattle Times article

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Black Star: Ghana, Information Technology and Development in Africa
By Gregg Pascal Zachary
Issues in Science and Technology
Jun 2003
A visiting scholar at Columbia University's Center for Science, Policy, and Outcomes, Gregg Zachary discusses the brain drain out of Africa and the difficulties faced by budding IT professionals in a country like Ghana. He weaves in the story of Ashesi and its founder, a "quiet revolutionary" who returned to Ghana after forging a successful career in IT overseas, and suggests ways in which US institutions of higher education can support the "growing computer community" in Africa. "Issues in Science and Technology" is a publication of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the University of Texas Dallas. Click here to read the full Science and Technology article.

Returning the Gift of Education: Two Berkeley MBA's found a new private university in Africa
By Ros Davidson
CalBusiness
Summer 2003
Ashesi founders Patrick Awuah and Nina Marini are featured in this alumni magazine for the Haas School of Business at University of California, Berkeley. Learn how the Haas School supported Ashesi's initial development from an idea to a reality, how Berkeley continues to be involved with our efforts, and what some of our students think of the education they are getting. Click here to read the full Cal Business article.