On Monday, January 17 2022, Ashesi and ETH Zurich welcomed the pioneering class for our joint Master’s Program in Mechatronic Engineering. The 26 students, selected from Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, will be trained in automation, production and robotics. At the end of the programme, they will be gaining interdisciplinary knowledge in the design, optimisation, control and management of production processes, machines and systems.
The Ashesi – ETH Zurich joint Master’s Program in Mechatronic Engineering, formally announced in October 2020, combines the strength of mission, teaching, and innovation across our two universities. It will enable students to access a high-quality Engineering master’s education in Africa, with faculty Switzerland joining colleagues in Ghana to co-teach at Ashesi’s campus in Berekuso.
Students started classes in the Nutor Hall this week, with faculty from Ashesi and ETH Zurich jointly teaching a mathematics class
Industry partners ABB, Barry Callebaut AG, Bühler AG, HPW AG, LafargeHolcim, Nestlé, and Tetra Pak are offering internships for students in the program across their businesses in various African countries. In addition, these partners are providing scholarships and also helped shape the program curriculum development, ensuring that graduates will have the skills required by local organizations.
Ahead of the start of classes, representatives from Ashesi and ETH Zurich visited the Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, Benin, and Togo, and his team, to discuss the partnership’s progress and plans for the years ahead. The joint programme is also generously supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO and several private Swiss donors and foundations.
The Swiss Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Philipp Stalder, considers the unique programme a deepening of ties between Switzerland and Ghana
“Across Africa, many organisations and industries are beginning to expand into automation and production, with recruiters looking for local talent to lead in-continent operations,” said Provost Prof. Angela Owusu-Ansah. “This Master’s program prepares students for successful careers in these emerging fields, equips them with in-demand specialist competencies and a wide range of skills to pursue a career in Mechatronic Engineering.”
“Coming to Ashesi has been a very exciting experience for me,” said Miyang Miki, who completed her first degree at the University of Yaounde in Cameroon. “I hope that I will be able to connect more with all the other people I am meeting here and learn from them, besides my main goal of developing as an Engineer with relevant skills for Cameroon.”
“Having already graduated from Ashesi, I understand the level of excellence here,” says David Doamekpor ’19, from Ghana. “I also recognise that ETH Zurich is a strong university as far as technology is concerned, and I am looking to tap into the combined expertise in this programme to better my skill set as an Engineer.”
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