KNUST receives US$3m Mastercard Foundation Prize for excellence in innovation

What the report says

The Chronicle reported that Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has been selected as one of the first recipients of the Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize, a Mastercard Foundation initiative recognizing African universities and institutions pursuing broad institutional change. KNUST, based in Kumasi, Ghana, was named in the Excellence in Research and Innovation category.

According to the report, KNUST is among five inaugural winners and will receive US$3 million to support initiatives agreed with the Mastercard Foundation. The funding is expected to help the university expand its research-to-innovation pipeline, strengthen incubation and entrepreneurship programmes, build deeper industry partnerships, and create more opportunities for young people to turn ideas into enterprises and practical solutions.

The report said KNUST was recognized for developing a strong ecosystem linking research, technology, entrepreneurship and industry collaboration. It cited university platforms including the Kumasi Business Incubator, the Innovation Centre and the Technology Consultancy Centre as examples of structures that help students, researchers, entrepreneurs and industry partners move research outputs toward start-ups, technologies and interventions with public impact.

KNUST Vice-Chancellor Prof. Mrs. Rita Akosua Dickson welcomed the recognition and credited staff, students, researchers, alumni, the KNUST Mastercard Scholars programme and partners for their contributions. The other named winners are Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering in Burkina Faso, Muni University in Uganda and the University of Rwanda. The Chronicle reported that AHEFT is an annual prize backed by a US$500 million commitment over its first decade.