The inaugural Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize recognizes five institutions for systemic impact in research, health, and employment, marking the start of a decade-long commitment to reshaping African higher education.
The Mastercard Foundation has officially launched the Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize, a landmark initiative supported by a $500 million commitment over the next ten years. Designed to identify and scale institutions that act as true engines of opportunity for Africa’s youth, the prize recognizes universities that are moving beyond traditional learning to drive systemic, institution-wide transformation.
The inaugural cohort of five winners was announced today, each receiving $3 million to further scale their impact across key sectors including research, public health, and workforce development.
The winning institutions represent a diverse landscape of excellence in African academia:
- Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia): Honored for Excellence in Research and Innovation, specifically for aligning scientific output with national priorities and integrating large-scale clinical training via the Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital.
- International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE, Burkina Faso): Recognized for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. With 70% of its graduates employed within a year, the institute proves that problem-driven, practice-based technical education is a viable pathway for the Sahel region.
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST, Ghana): Awarded for Excellence in Research and Innovation. KNUST has established a premier research-to-startup ecosystem that translates lab-bench discoveries into tangible industrial and entrepreneurial solutions.
- Muni University (Uganda): Recognized for Transitions to Employment. Their targeted empowerment initiatives have successfully integrated refugees and underserved youth into the economy, with 70% of participants securing employment within just three months.
- University of Rwanda (Rwanda): Honored for Excellence in Health. The university has trained over 26,000 health professionals and is a regional leader in digital health and biomedical engineering.
The AHEFT Prize is not a one-off award; it is the start of a 10-year campaign to recognize at least 150 institutions across the continent. By focusing on categories like STEM, Climate, Agriculture, and Health, the Foundation aims to turn homegrown excellence into a continental movement.
“This is the moment to reimagine what higher education institutions can do as engines of human capital development – not only as a place of learning, but as a direct route to work, to economic participation, and to a better future for young people across Africa,” said Dr. John Nkengasong, Executive Director of Higher Education Initiatives at the Mastercard Foundation.
The laureates will be formally celebrated at the Higher Education Transformation Convening in Accra, Ghana, on September 22, 2026.
