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News from 2009
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Ashesi joins international partners to
host research workshops across Africa
June,
2009
Ashesi
University is one of three universities in Africa selected to
organize and host workshops to train junior faculty in rigorous
qualitative research methods. The “Network of Excellence for
Qualitative Research Methods; Sub-Saharan Africa” project is
supported
by the EDULINK programme (funded by the European Union and
managed by the Secretariat of the ACP Group of States).
The nearly half-a-million Euro (€) project, initiated by the
Institute of Development Studies (University of Sussex, UK)
will be hosted by three main hub institutions in
Africa - Ashesi University College (Ghana), University of Dar es
Salaam (Tanzania) and the University of the Witwatersrand (South
Africa). The program in Ghana will be facilitated by Ashesi
faculty members Dr. Esi Ansah and Gideon Porbley.
The project’s
aim is to
enhance the independent capacity of Sub-Saharan Africa’s
institutions of higher education to conduct rigorous and
innovative qualitative and multi-method social science research.
Special attention will be given to interdisciplinary approaches
to governance-related research. It will also provide a new
generation of African scholars with access to cutting edge and
innovative research design strategies, break the relative
international isolation often felt by African scholars, and also
to establish a training and research network that will stimulate
and sustain the uptake of these methods by African institutions
of higher education. Planning is underway for the half-a-million
Euro project, and the training workshops are scheduled to begin
in August 2009, and end by June 2011.
Working
together with partners in the United Kingdom, Denmark, Tanzania,
South Africa, the United States and Germany, the
project
will combine ‘in-residence’ workshops, on-line
learning through a Virtual Research Unit, and a short fieldwork
component.
Applications
are being accepted from junior faculty across West Africa for
participation in the workshop.
Detailed
information on the project is available on the project website –
www.qrmafrica.org.
Ashesi's Class of 2009 graduates
May,
2009
On
Saturday, May 30, 2009, Ashesi University College graduated its
fifth class, the Class of 2009. Fifty four members of the
Class of 2009 were presented with degrees
in Computer Science, Management Information Systems and Business
Administration. Members of the Class of 2009 have participated
in internships at many of Ghana’s top companies and have
volunteered at over 15 non-profit organizations throughout their
time at Ashesi. Even before graduation day already close to
70% of the class had received job offers.
The program opened with a
dance performance by Ashesi students and the Noyam Dance
Company. The dance, a combination of traditional African
and modern dance styles introduced a festive mood to the
celebrations. The dance was followed by a reading by Dean
of Academic Affairs, Prof. Nana Apt of a poem written by Ashesi
student Bolaji Buremoh entitled "Keep Dreaming".
2009 Class Speaker Patience
Bediako lauded her classmates for their many achievements both
in the classroom and the community. In an address to the
graduates, Ashesi's President Patrick Awuah reminded the class
of the importance of ethics and moral conduct in the lives of
great leaders. He challenged the class to try to do the
right thing, even when challenged by social pressure, in order
to create positive change.
Guest
speaker Ms. Joyce
Aryee, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Chamber of Mines
spoke about looking at models of success from nature. She
spoke about the intelligence, strength and persistence of ants,
which has resulted in their successful spread across the globe.
Three students Benjamin
Cudjoe, Monika Mould and Godson Quaye received awards for
committing themselves to Ashesi's core values of scholarship,
leadership and citizenship throughout their time as students.
Two students, Rose Dodd and Monica-Maria Beecham received the
Mr. & Mrs. Torvinyo and IC
Securities Award as the top students in Finance.
Class of 2009 Fundraising dinner
May,
2009
As the date of their impending graduation approached, the Class
of 2009 hosted a dinner at African Regent Hotel to raise funds
for their class gift. The dinner was attended by faculty and
staff in addition to members of the class. Ashesi’s President,
Dr. Patrick Awuah, took the opportunity to inform the gathered
crowd of the details of Ashesi’s new campus, currently under
construction at Berekuso. Dr. Awuah also presented the class
with a unique chance to be a part of Ashesi history by naming
one of the buildings of the new campus.
The evening was filled
with entertainment and spiced with the highlights of four years
of nostalgia. The masters of ceremony, Benjamin Cudjoe and
Okyeame Sarfo Manu, regaled the audience with jokes and
anecdotes that left the crowd in stitches and during dinner,
members of the class were given opportunities to share memories
they had of their colleagues. The evening ended with an opening
dance by the President and his wife. The members of staff and
faculty present soon joined in. The Class of 2009 had a
delightful time swaying to the evening’s sounds until midnight,
when the memorable evening came to a fitting close.
Ashesi students selected
for Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Initiative
May,
2009
A
research report released by Goldman Sachs entitled “Women Hold
Up Half the Sky” has revealed that educating women is critical
to the success of emerging economies. Acting upon the report’s
recommendations, Goldman Sachs has launched the 10,000 Women
initiative, for which three female Ashesi students have been
selected.
The lucky students are Ms. Monica Maria Beecham, Ms.
Christina Doe and Ms. Nana Achiaa Mansah Awuah-Frimpong, all final year
Business Administration students. According to Nana Achiah
Awuah-Frimpong, “this opportunity is the very challenge I’ve
been looking for. I am pretty excited!”
The Ashesi students were
selected from a large applicant pool, after completing an
application and interview process. Marianne Potterton of
Opportunity International, who assisted in the selection process
in Ghana stated, “I am thrilled your students did so well in the
process! I look forward to more of the same from Ashesi women in
the next round of recruiting."
The selected students will
participate in business management training, a mentoring program
and networking opportunities. Goldman Sachs employees will be
engaged in the initiative by training selected participants and
offering technical assistance. In Ghana, the program is being
handled by Opportunity International, an international
development bank. Opportunity International will provide
employment opportunities to students and will offer employees to
mentor programme participants.
Goldman Sachs developed the
10,000 Women initiative to help develop people who have the
potential to cause change. As Loyd Blankfein, the C.E.O.
explains “Those of us who champion open markets must also do our
part to create more opportunity to ensure economic growth is
more broadly shared”. The program has partnered with
universities and business schools and will ensure that
participants are equipped with the tools they need to make
lasting impacts in their countries of origin. The aim of the
programme is to train 10,000 women across the world to enable
them actively participate in their country’s economies.
Leading Ladies Seminar held at
Ashesi University
May, 2009
Women
of Ashesi in conjunction with Women of Virtue and Ashesi
Business Club held the first “Leading Ladies Seminar” on the
campus of Ashesi University College from the 22nd to
the 24th of April 2009. Participants included Ashesi
students a few others from some other Ghanaian universities.
The event sought to provide university-level women an
opportunity to interact and discuss issues that pertain to women
in the world today. Activities included team building exercises,
a discussion on world economic issues and a celebration of
some of Ashesi’s outstanding women.
The highlight of the event was the formal launch of the Women of
Ashesi campus organization. Yawa Hansen-Quao, past President of
Women of Ashesi & past Vice President of Women of Virtue launched the group with Mrs. Rebecca Awuah, a Mathematics
instructor at Ashesi University.
The IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, invests in
Ashesi University
April,
2009
The IFC, a member of the World
Bank Group, is investing $2.5 million in Ashesi University
College. This investment by the IFC validates Ashesi's mission
and financial performance, and sets the university on the path
to growth. The loan will enable Ashesi to construct a permanent
campus in Berekuso, a village approximately 15 miles north of
Ghana's capital city of Accra.
The first phase of construction will enable Ashesi to double its
enrollment to 800 students. Click here for a full
press release.
The Great Debaters:
Ashesi-Regent Style
April,
2009
After successfully hammering Ashesi in basketball, Regent
University had hopes of repeating its triumph in the debate
arena. Each university assembled a team to argue on the motion
of whether or not universities should implement dress codes for
their students. There were three speakers on both sides, each
one being granted only a few minutes to establish their
argument. Ashesi – represented by Kwabena Owusu-Adjei, with
Albert Asiamah and Steven Odarteifio as his supporting speakers
– was against the motion whilst Regent was for it. The judges
were Mrs. Ronke Nedd from Ashesi and Mr. Samuel Bartels, a radio
presenter and a lecturer from Regent University. By the end of
the evening, a clear winner had emerged: by the judges’
scorecards, Ashesi had trounced their rivals, 80 points to 60
points, and won back some of their dignity, at least for the
moment.
Ashesi Student Council organizes yet another sporting event
April,
2009
Recently, the executives of the Ashesi Student Representative
Council have been making great strides to inject more vigour and
excitement into Ashesi campus life and also to use sports as a
meaningful way to bring students together. The recently held
table tennis competition was one such event. The occasion drew
an assorted crowd of both male and female students and, after a
rather heated matchup, Kwame Ofosuhene walked away the winner
with Ebenezer Buckman and Nasiru Braimah as runners up.
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