Celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Africa's Higher Education Centers of Excellence
Objectives
The Africa¡¯s Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACEs), together with their partners, will get together to celebrate their 10th Anniversary in a high-level forum. Specifically, this grand event aims to:
- Celebrate a decade of achievements, highlighting key successes, research breakthroughs, and innovations, and showcasing data-driven insights on how the ACEs, as catalysts, have strengthened higher education institutions, regional collaboration, and industry linkages and produced meaningful impact to communities.
- Share best practices and reflect on lessons learned, engaging stakeholders in discussing remaining challenges and opportunities for improvement based on the ACE experience.
- Discuss sustainability strategies, exploring policy frameworks, institutional reforms, and financing modalities to sustain and expand ACE achievements and impact.
- Engage development partners and chart the future, through dialogue with governments, industry leaders, and international partners, soliciting their continued support, and discussing opportunities for future collaboration in shaping and producing the next generation of African researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs across the continent to accelerate its development and economic transformation.
Organizers
The event is co-organized by the Association of African Universities (AAU) and the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), with the support of the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD).
Participants
Over 500 key stakeholders from African governments, higher education institutions including the ACEs, industry, development agencies, civil society, and the media.
- Overview
- BACKGROUND
- AGENDA
- RELATED
LEARN MORE
Follow the conversation online #AceAt10
CONTACT: Agnes Asiimwe,
CONTACT: Kennedy Fosu,
CONTACT: Sylvie Nenonene,
The Africa¡¯s Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE) program is the first large scale regional program funded by the World Bank in the higher education sector in Africa. Through a series of three projects - ACE1 (2014-2020); ACE2 (2016 to date); and ACE Impact (2019 to date)¡ª the program has supported competitively selected ACEs with specializations in regional development priority areas to deliver high-quality postgraduate training, skills-upgrading for professionals, applied research, entrepreneurship and innovation in priority sectors such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), agriculture, health, environment, and education. Across these projects, the World Bank has committed a total of US$657 million in support to participating governments, with an additional co-financing of US$72 million equivalent from the French Development Agency (AFD) for the ACE Impact project.
In total, the ACE Program has supported some 80 centers in more than 50 universities across 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. By leveraging economies of scale, with the support of regional bodies and governments of hosting countries, through enhancing teaching/research facilities, sharing good practices in teaching and learning, promoting cross-border collaboration and research networks, as well as collectively addressing the needs of higher-level skills and research/innovation for the priority sectors, these ACEs have achieved remarkable results. They significantly expanded the capacity of postgraduate training with an enrollment of more than 90,000 students (including over 7,650 PhDs and 30,200 Masters), over 32% of whom are female. They increased research output with over 10,350 publications, increased sustainability with self-generated over US$183 million external revenues, improved linkage with industries with more than 18,000 internships, and enhanced academic quality with 600 programs nationally accredited and over 130 programs internationally accredited. Building on this success, the ACE Program is working with partners and mobilizing resources with a focus more on sharing best practices, strengthening further institutional capacities, fostering entrepreneurship, innovation and technology transfer, and promoting further in-country and cross-border collaborations, in priority sector areas, for greater impact.
Monday April 7, 2025
Time |
Session |
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08:00 ¨C 09:30 |
Registration and Coffee |
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09:30 ¨C 10:00 |
Plenary Session I: Welcome Ceremony Omanye Conference Center (Labadi Beach Hotel) Moderator: Anita Erskine, Erskine Global Communications, Ghana Welcome Remarks
Keynote Address The Vision for Higher Education for Africa and The Journey So Far ¨C 10 Years of ACE, by Prof. Nana Aba Appiah Amfo, Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana |
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10:00 ¨C 11:10 |
Plenary Session II: Sustaining and Scaling the Impact of the ACE Program ¨C The Next Decade of Transformation Omanye Conference Center (Labadi Beach Hotel) Description: The session will bring together perspectives from policymakers, university leaders, center leaders, and development partners to identify strategies, share experiences and develop a roadmap for the future. Key themes will include the key enablers of sustainability, strategies for scaling, and future directions. The session will also include Q&A with the audience. Moderator: Franz Drees-Gross, Acting Regional Practice Director for Africa Regional Integration, World Bank. Panelists:
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11:10 ¨C 11:30 |
Protocol and arrival of the President of the Republic of Ghana |
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11:30 ¨C 12:30 |
Plenary Session III: Opening Ceremony Omanye Conference Center (Labadi Beach Hotel) Description: Official event opening and welcome ceremony Moderator: Anita Erskine, Erskine Global Communications, Ghana Arrival of His Excellency, John Dramani Mahama, President of the Republic of Ghana. The Ghana national anthem follows. Spoken Word
Opening Message
Results Video
Opening Address
Group photo: President of the Republic of Ghana; World Bank Regional Vice President; and Minister for Education, Republic of Ghana Cultural performance and the departure of the President of the Republic of Ghana (accompanied by the Regional Vice President, World Bank; and the Minister for Education, Republic of Ghana) |
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12:30 ¨C 14:30 |
Lunch and Exhibition Walkthrough |
Closed Door Ministerial Roundtable and Lunch Assigned Room: Lobby Raised Area, Labadi Beach Hotel Chair: Mr. Ousmane Diagana, Regional Vice President for Western and Central Africa, World Bank Facilitator: Ms. Scherezad Latif, Education Practice Manager for Western and Central Africa, World Bank
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| 14:30 ¨C 15:45 | Reflections on the Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence Program & Considerations for the Future. Peter Materu, Chief Program Officer, Mastercard Foundation | |
Plenary Session IV: The Power of Partnerships: Cross-sectoral, cross-regional, cross-border collaborations Omanye Conference Center (Labadi Beach Hotel) Description: The session will feature the different partnerships and partnership experience across the ACEs to highlight the collaborative spirit and reach of the ACE program and generate new ideas for collaboration. Panelists will highlight what has worked well, how challenges to establishing and maintaining partnerships were overcome, their impact and future direction. Moderator: Waly Wane, Education Practice Manager for Western and Central Africa, World Bank Panelists:
Discussant:
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15:45 ¨C 16:10 |
Coffee Break |
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16:10 ¨C 17:00 |
Plenary V: Driving Excellence: Key Achievements and Lessons from the ACE Journey Omanye Conference Center (Labadi Beach Hotel) Moderator: Dr. Halil Dundar, Education Global Practice Manager, World Bank Presentation on ACE results and lessons learned
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Tuesday April 8, 2025
09:00 ¨C 10:30 |
Plenary VI: Research to Enterprise: Inspiring Stories of Young Entrepreneurs Adesa Pavillion, Labadi Beach Hotel Description: In this session, cutting-edge research combines with entrepreneurial drive. The session highlights the journey of inspiring entrepreneurs whose innovative start-ups are making a real impact in Africa. Moderator: Prof Mamadou Saliou Diallo, PSC Member, Guinea Speakers:
Discussant: Mr. Abdoul-Wahab ANNOU, Head of the Incubation and Entrepreneurship Center, (2iE), Burkina Faso |
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10:30 ¨C 11:00 |
Coffee Break |
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11:00 ¨C 12:30 |
Plenary VII: Women in STEM and Leadership: Breaking Barriers, Driving Change Adesa Pavillion, Labadi Beach Hotel Description: Women are shaping the future of STEM research, innovation and university leadership; yet they remain underrepresented in these critical fields. This panel brings together accomplished women leaders and researchers in STEM to discuss barriers to leadership in research, academia and industry, and strategies to overcome them, and opportunities for institutional and policy change. Moderator: Ms. Trina Haque, Regional Practice Director for People (Human Development), World Bank Panelists:
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12:30 ¨C 14:00 |
Lunch (transition to La Palm Royal Beach Hotel for Sectoral Breakout Sessions) |
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14:00 ¨C 17:00 |
Sectoral Breakout Session ¨C Reflections on experiences so far, lessons and focusing on the future Description: Each sectoral session will feature discussions among centers reflecting on successes and challenges in key areas: student and faculty development; advancing research; translating research into industry and policy impact; partnerships; and sustainability. Moderators will facilitate discussions inviting center leaders to give lightning talks on these areas, the processes that have led to success, and the challenges that they have overcome or those that remain. Sessions will highlight future focus areas and the enabling factors required to make progress. (See Annex 1) |
14:00 ¨C 15:30 Parallel Session: Vice Chancellors Roundtable Omanye Conference Center (Labadi Beach Hotel) Description: A roundtable discussion to engage VCs on how host university and ACEs can work together and use ACE(s) as catalyst for institutional transformation and how universities can better support sustainability of centers going forward. Chair: Ms. Trina Haque, Regional Practice Director for People (Human Development), World Bank Moderator: Ms. Lily Mulatu, Education Practice Manager for Eastern and Southern Africa, World Bank Spotlights:
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18:00 ¨C 20:00 |
ACE@10 Group Dinner La Palm Royal Beach Hotel |
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Wednesday April 9, 2025
9:00 ¨C 10:30 |
Plenary VIII: Industry Perspectives on Research and Innovation in Africa Description: This session will discuss how Africa¡¯s ability to compete in the global knowledge economy hinges on developing a highly skilled workforce equipped to drive cutting-edge research, innovation and industry transformation. Experts from the AI and health sectors will share their perspectives and expectations and ACEs specializing in these areas will offer reflections on how their centers are addressing this demand for advanced skills and research. Assigned Room: Adesa Pavillion, Labadi Beach Hotel Moderator: Jana Kunicova, Digital Transformation Practice Manager for Western and Central Africa, World Bank Panelists:
Reflections:
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10:30 ¨C 11:00 |
Coffee Break |
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11:00 ¨C 12:00 |
Plenary IX: Reporting Back on Sectoral Breakout Sessions Adesa Pavillion, Labadi Beach Hotel Description: This session will offer a platform for subject matter experts to share key insights and highlights from the sectoral discussions on Day 2 with the wider audience. Moderator: Prof. Alassane B. Ndiaye, ACE Subject Matter Expert in Transport and Logistics 4 minute each:
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12:00 ¨C 13:00 |
Plenary X: Closing Ceremony Adesa Pavillion, Labadi Beach Hotel Moderator: Mr. Kafui Dey, Journalist, Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Vote of Thanks:
Closing Reflection
Closing Keynote Address From Vision to Reality: Lessons, Challenges, and the Path Forward for African Higher Education - Dr. Kojo Appiah, RSC Member ACE II (Technologist & Engineering Advisor ¨C Global Semiconductor Industry) and Co-Founder & Chairman, The African Network, Inc. Closing Address:
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GROUP PHOTO |
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13:00 ¨C 14:30 |
Lunch Break (Move to La Palm Royal Beach Hotel) |
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14:30 ¨C 16:30 |
ACE Impact Project Steering Committee Meeting Room: Bugum, La Palm Royal Beach |
ACE II Meetings: A special RSC Meeting
Room: Odwira, La Palm Royal Beach |
Date: April 07 - 09, 2025 ET
Location: Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra, Ghana