ashesi univerisity: the entrepreneurial story of the creation of a new university in africa
Post on 19-Oct-2014
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This is a presentation I gave on the creation of Ashesi University in Ghana, founded by Patrick Awuah, where I have served on the Ashesi Board foundation for 10+ years. I borrowed the content heavily from Patrick and a talk he gave at Northwestern in the Fall of 2014. I gave the presentation to 25 or so Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI) fellows who were at Northwestern University in July 2014. YALI is an initiative of USAID. The scholars were amazing individuals from across africa.TRANSCRIPT
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Ethical LeadershipInnovative ThinkingA New Africa
The Ashesi Story
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Founder: Patrick AwuahBackground
• Born and raised near Accra, Ghana
• Engineering at Swarthmore
• 7+ Years at Microsoft working on networking technologies
• Left Microsoft to attend UC Haas MBA program
• …and to build a business plan
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What Patrick SawA skills gap
• Technical skills in many fields
• The need to think critically & creatively
• Leadership• Ethics
In a country where <5% go to college. College Graduates lead the country
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• Great teams• Innovation
What Africa Needs
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Ashesi’s mission
To educate a new
generation of ethical,
entrepreneurial leaders
in Africa.
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Ashesi’s Business Plan: Customers
• Identified a gap in the market between families who sent students abroad and free local universities
• Started with market research with parents—would they pay?
• Talked to employers. Would they hire graduates?
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Ashesi’s Plan: Value Proposition
• Liberal Arts Core:– Critical Thinking– Ethical Society
• Practical Majors: – Business– Computer Science
• Projects and Community Service• Career Services• Dedicated Faculty
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Ashesi’s Plan: Business Model
• Initially: Raise money from US Donors for initial capital, build campus for 1200 or so students, begin classes. Move to sustainability from operations & tuition in 5 years
• Pivot: .com bust in US curtailed philanthropy from initial target. Curriculum gained accreditation; started classes in 2002 in rented buildings
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To cultivate within our students
the critical thinking skills,
the concern for others, and the
courage it will take to transform
their continent.
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Ashesi’s learning goals1. Ethics and civic engagement
2. Critical thinking and quantitative reasoning
3. Communication
4. Leadership and teamwork
5. Innovation and action
6. Curiosity and skill
7. Technological competence
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How we do what we do
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The Ashesi Way
• Consistently striving for deeper expertise
• Asking questions that broaden the conversation
• Embracing fresh thinking• Connecting with others in
our chosen fields• Proactively sharing skills
and knowledge with others
Scholarship Leadership Citizenship
• Helping colleagues be more successful
• Engaging talents, experiences and capabilities of others
• Communicating effectively
• Taking initiative and going beyond the call of duty
• Setting ambitious, yet attainable goals
• Being socially and environmentally conscious
• Recognizing long-term implications of decisions and actions
• Having fun• Being ethical• Leaving a lasting impact
on individuals, organizations and communities
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Graduates aretouching millions of lives
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Graduates are adding value to Ghana’s economy
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We have come a long way!
600 students 530 alumni excellent track record a beautiful campus national and global recognition
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LONG ROAD TO SUSTAINABILITY
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Deficit financed for 7 years
Approximately $2 million in losses supported by donors since 2002. Not including losses incurred from 1999
(500,000)
(400,000)
(300,000)
(200,000)
(100,000)
-
100,000
200,000
300,000
400,000
Initial Plan vs. Current Path
1st Business Plan Current Path
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Ashesi Economic Model
US Ashesi Foundation
Ashesi University College, Ghana
IndividualDonations Foundations
Grants for Capital Projects Scholarships
TuitionFinancial
AidLocal
Donations
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Decision Checklist
• Mission
• Strategy
• Economic model
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Ashesi’s second decade:People, programs, spaces
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pan-African | International | Gender Balance
Brain Gain Fund | Scholarships | Collaborations |
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Engineering at Ashesi• Electrical Engineering• Computer Engineering• Mechanical Engineering
Core Strengths• Design• Entrepreneurship• Real world experience
via monitored internships
Educate tinkerers who can create engineering solutions for local needs
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Economics and Management• Quantitative analysis• Pipeline to top PhD programs in the world• Pipeline to Corporate Africa
Law and Society• Public sector leaders• Civic society leaders
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Campus Master PlanOne hundred verdant acres with stunning views of Berekuso, Accra and Tema
Courtyard spaces that emphasize a sense of community.
A landscape of trees, benches and stairs that link courtyards and create places for pausing, meeting and gathering.
Architecture derived from the Ghanaian vernacular
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Engineering at Ashesi
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Academics at Ashesi
• Computer Science
• Business Administration
• Management Information Systems
Liberal Arts Core: social sciences, humanities, mathematics, African studies and leadership