Educate Ethical and Innovative Leaders for Africa

Since its doors opened in 2002 Ashesi University has been committed to environmental sustainability, pioneering innovative ways to reduce waste and conserve water and power on campus.  That commitment was further demonstrated this summer when the university partnered with Azimuth Power to install solar panels throughout campus.  In addition to significantly reducing Ashesi’s environmental footprint, this process also provided a unique opportunity for engineering students to get hands-on experience in their field.

Jacob Vanderpuye, Justice Essuman, and Victor Hazel all worked on the installation with Azimuth.  The trio was involved every step of the way, and came away with real-world engineering experience as well as a renewed appreciation for solar energy.  “I came on board this project seeing the potential it has to impact the entire energy structure in Ghana, and for me it’s a step in the right direction,” said Vanderpuye.  “We want future generations to come to Ashesi and experience a clean environment, and this project takes us a step closer to this goal.”

At Ashesi, students begin using their academic knowledge as early as freshman year to engineer a greener future.  For their final project in Intro to Engineering, the class of 2020 built solar-powered smart irrigation systems; classroom projects today, projects such as these could potentially be scaled up to serve agricultural needs across the country.

The inauguration of the engineering program was made possible in 2015 thanks to the generous support of the Ashesi community.  Thank you for helping Ashesi educate a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial African engineers!