{"id":2000127725,"date":"2026-10-01T14:25:30","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T12:25:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000127725"},"modified":"2026-10-01T14:25:37","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T12:25:37","slug":"africas-higher-education-transformation-agenda-gains-fresh-impetus-from-inaugural-aheft-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/africas-higher-education-transformation-agenda-gains-fresh-impetus-from-inaugural-aheft-prize\/","title":{"rendered":"Africa\u2019s higher education transformation agenda gains fresh impetus from inaugural AHEFT Prize"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The call was made during the inaugural Higher Education Transformation Convening held in Accra, Ghana, on September 24, 2026, and hosted by the Mastercard Foundation under the theme, \u201cReimagining Higher Education for Africa\u2019s Human Capital Development.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The convening also marked the inaugural Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize ceremony, which recognized five institutions for advancing sustained, institution-wide transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTransformation is not just a better university. It is a university that makes the whole economy around it work better for young people,\u201d said Sewit Ahderom, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She said universities need curricula developed with employers, credentials that reflect what graduates can do, institutions that prepare young people to lead emerging technologies, and research that moves beyond campuses into industry, government and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throughout the convening, participants explored how universities can strengthen research and innovation, prepare young people for changing labour markets and build stronger links with industry. Discussions also highlighted the need to focus research and skills development on areas where Africa has strategic advantages and potential for greater impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Young people called for their experiences and aspirations to be reflected in decisions on education, work and opportunity, while emphasizing their role as active partners in shaping the systems that affect their lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfrica\u2019s young and growing population presents one of the world\u2019s greatest opportunities,\u201d said Dr. John Nkengasong, Executive Director for Higher Education and Strategic Initiatives at the Mastercard Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHigher education transformation is not simply an education agenda. It is an economic imperative,\u201d he said, calling for governments, universities, industry, investors and development partners to work together to build systems that enable young people and economies to thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The discussions align with the African Union\u2019s Decade of Education and Skills Development (2025\u20132034), which seeks to strengthen education systems and skills development in line with the continent\u2019s long-term development priorities, including Agenda 2063.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe African Union\u2019s Decade of Education calls on us to view higher education as a strategic investment in Africa\u2019s future,\u201d said Professor Saidou Madougou, Director of the African Union Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He noted that higher education spending averages less than 0.8 percent of GDP, while research and development receives less than 0.5 percent of national budgets, calling for greater collaboration, faculty and student mobility, and systems that allow talent, knowledge and innovation to move across borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Prof. Kayihura M. Didas has received the inaugural AHEFT Prize on behalf of the University of Rwanda.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

University of Rwanda among five AHEFT laureates<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The convening also recognized Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Burkina Faso, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Ghana, Muni University in Uganda, and the University of Rwanda as the inaugural AHEFT Prize laureates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Backed by a USD 500 million commitment, the prize is expected to recognize at least 150 institutions across Africa over the next decade, with each winning institution receiving USD 3 million to scale transformative initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the University of Rwanda, the prize will be used to build on progress in health education, research and innovation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis recognition affirms the University of Rwanda\u2019s commitment to developing a health workforce that responds to the needs of our country and communities,\u201d said Prof. Kayihura M. Didas, Vice Chancellor of the University of Rwanda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the support of the Mastercard Foundation, we will build on the progress already made in health education, research and innovation, while strengthening our capacity to translate knowledge and research into meaningful impact for communities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other laureates also highlighted the broader role of universities in Africa\u2019s development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfrica\u2019s greatest resource is its young people. Our universities therefore have a responsibility not merely to prepare them to participate in the future, but to equip them to shape it,\u201d said Samuel Kifle, President of Addis Ababa University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Assoc. Prof. Anguma Simon Katrini, Vice Chancellor of Muni University, said universities should also strengthen their links with surrounding communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe future of African universities is not within our walls alone; it is also in our communities,\u201d he said. \u201cUniversities need to move beyond the ivory tower to the people, listen to their challenges, and put our knowledge to work alongside them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Susan Chomba, Chair of the AHEFT Jury, said the inaugural laureates demonstrated different approaches to meaningful institutional transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Mastercard Foundation said applications for the 2027 AHEFT Prize cycle will open later this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Accra discussions concluded with a call for universities, governments, industry, investors and development partners to translate the emerging consensus into system-level action, strengthening links between education, employment, research and investment so that more young Africans can learn, earn and lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
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Prof. Kayihura M. Didas was joined on stage by Rwanda\u2019s High Commissioner to Ghana, Rosemary Mbabazi; Dr Edward Kadozi, Director General of the Higher Education Council of Rwanda; and Prof. Abraham H. Mitike, Principal of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The inaugural AHEFT Prize ceremony brought together higher education leaders and partners in Accra, Ghana.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Higher education leaders and partners attended the inaugural AHEFT Prize ceremony in Accra.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The inaugural AHEFT Prize has recognised five universities for their efforts to transform higher education in Africa.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

African higher education leaders, policymakers, financial institutions, industry representatives and young people have called for stronger collaboration to transform universities into engines of innovation, employment and economic development.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000127726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[170],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000127725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-igihe"],"bylines":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"contributors":[{"id":170,"name":"IGIHE","slug":"igihe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":8}],"featured_image":{"id":2000127726,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/AHEFT-Award-Ceremony-Sept-2026_DSC8344-16x9-1.png","alt":"","caption":"The inaugural AHEFT Prize has recognised five universities for their efforts to transform higher education in Africa.","mime_type":"image\/png","width":1000,"height":563,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/AHEFT-Award-Ceremony-Sept-2026_DSC8344-16x9-1.png","width":1000,"height":563},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/AHEFT-Award-Ceremony-Sept-2026_DSC8344-16x9-1.png","width":1000,"height":563},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/AHEFT-Award-Ceremony-Sept-2026_DSC8344-16x9-1.png","width":1000,"height":563},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/AHEFT-Award-Ceremony-Sept-2026_DSC8344-16x9-1.png","width":1000,"height":563},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/10\/AHEFT-Award-Ceremony-Sept-2026_DSC8344-16x9-1.png","width":1000,"height":563}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000127725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000127725"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000127725\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000127731,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000127725\/revisions\/2000127731"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000127726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000127725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000127725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000127725"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000127725"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000127725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}