KNUST Receives US$3 Million Mastercard Foundation AHEFT Prize for Research and Innovation

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi (KNUST) has been named among the inaugural winners of the Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize, a landmark initiative launched by the Mastercard Foundation to recognise African higher education institutions driving sustained, systemic, and institution-wide transformation.

KNUST was recognised in the category of Excellence in Research and Innovation for building one of Africa’s leading research-to-innovation ecosystems and for demonstrating how science, technology, entrepreneurship, and industry collaboration can contribute to economic transformation, job creation, and public impact.

As one of five inaugural winning institutions, KNUST will receive USD 3 million to scale up transformative initiatives agreed with the Mastercard Foundation and expand educational and economic opportunities for young people across Africa.

The Vice-Chancellor of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Professor (Mrs.) Rita Akosua Dickson, expressed her delight at the University’s recognition and commended staff, students, researchers, alumni, the KNUST Mastercard Scholars programme and partners for their dedication and outstanding contributions to the University’s success.

“I am deeply honoured that the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, has been recognised as an inaugural recipient of the Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize in the category of Excellence in Research and Innovation. This prestigious award affirms the University’s sustained investment in research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and the translation of knowledge into practical solutions that create jobs and transform lives.”

The other award-winning institutions 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 AHEFT Prize is a first-of-its-kind annual award supported by a USD 500 million commitment over its first decade. It is designed to recognise and support higher education institutions in Africa that are leading meaningful institutional transformation and creating pathways for young people to thrive.

Announcing the Prize, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Mastercard Foundation, Sewit Ahderom, noted that African institutions have continued to redefine the role and potential of higher education.

“For twenty years, we have seen African institutions rethink what higher education can deliver. The AHEFT Prize turns that proof into momentum: we are backing homegrown excellence with a decade-long commitment, so that universities across the continent become engines of opportunity for millions of young people,” she said.

KNUST’s recognition reflects its long-standing commitment to translating research into practical solutions that address societal and economic challenges. Through platforms such as the Kumasi Business Incubator, the Innovation Centre, and the Technology Consultancy Centre, the University has successfully supported the transformation of research outputs into start-ups, industry solutions, technologies, and interventions with measurable public impact.

These innovation platforms have created opportunities for students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and industry partners to collaborate on developing and commercialising ideas, thereby strengthening the University’s contribution to national and continental development.

The award further affirms KNUST’s position as a leading science and technology university in Africa and highlights its growing role in promoting entrepreneurship, innovation, research commercialisation, and youth employment.

The USD 3 million award is expected to support the University in expanding its research-to-innovation pipeline, strengthening incubation and entrepreneurship programmes, deepening industry partnerships, and increasing opportunities for young people to transform innovative ideas into viable enterprises and sustainable solutions.

This recognition represents another significant milestone in KNUST’s pursuit of academic excellence, research impact, and innovation-led development. It also reinforces the University’s commitment to producing relevant knowledge, technologies, and enterprises that respond to Africa’s development priorities.

By winning the inaugural AHEFT Prize, KNUST has once again demonstrated that African universities can serve not only as centres of teaching and research, but also as powerful engines of innovation, enterprise development, job creation, and social transformation.

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