Ashesi announces commitment to gender balance in engineering program at Clinton Global Initiative

Seattle, WA— September 23, 2014 — At the 2014 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting in New York today, Patrick Awuah, Founder and President of Ashesi University, announced a new Commitment to Action: to add a new engineering major at Ashesi, with a goal of recruiting equal numbers of outstanding African women and men to this innovative program. Watch the video below (tune in to the 59:22 min. mark to hear Patrick’s address).

Ashesi University aims to spark a renaissance in Africa by educating a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders. Ashesi’s curriculum combines a liberal arts core, with a 4-year focus on leadership, innovation and community service, with current majors in business, computer science, and management information systems. Graduates have a 100% placement rate, with 95% choosing to stay in Africa to work for progress. Ashesi’s groundbreaking new engineering major, with an emphasis on design, problem solving, and entrepreneurship, will help redefine engineering education in Africa and drive the important innovations that Africa needs. The program will educate and prepare young women and men to develop engineering solutions that will address some of Africa’s pressing problems.

Women have traditionally been underrepresented in the field of engineering. According to a 2011 study published by the American Society for Engineering Education, females accounted for 18.4% of bachelor’s degrees in engineering in the United States. Gender parity will be a central focus for the engineering program. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, Ashesi will: design a curriculum intentionally aimed at including the perspective of women; implement summer high school programs that inspire girls to pursue careers in science and engineering; fund more scholarships for women; and provide the mentorship and counseling necessary to help women succeed in college and in their careers. Over the first four years, Ashesi will enroll 300 students to the program, half of whom will be women, and will reach over 1,040 high school girls through summer programs and recruitment efforts.

Patrick Awuah comments, “Our goal is about inclusion, but perhaps more importantly, it is about ensuring that the perspectives of African women guide the engineering solutions to some of Africa’s greatest challenges. Achieving gender balance in engineering education would be exceptional and would represent leadership not only in Africa, but also globally.”

Ashesi’s success to date has been made possible by the investment of visionary donors and partners who have contributed towards Ashesi’s growth. As Ashesi continues to expand, by adding a new major in engineering, increasing its student body, and providing more scholarships for women and students in need, the support of donors and partners is all the more crucial. To learn about ways to get involved, please contact the Ashesi University Foundation team in Seattle or the University in Ghana.