Biography - Patrick G. Awuah, Jr.

Patrick Awuah is the Founder and President of Ashesi University College, a private, not-for-profit institution that has quickly gained a reputation for innovation and quality education in Ghana.

Ashesi aims to contribute to a renaissance in Africa by educating a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial leaders with the critical thinking skills and ethical courage it will take to transform their continent. Now in its 16th year, graduates are working for progress across Africa and the University has become a recognized voice in higher education in Ghana. In 2012, Ashesi University was ranked as one of the top ten Most Respected Companies in Ghana, and was the first educational institution to win the award. In the same survey, Patrick Awuah was named the 4th Most Respected CEO in Ghana.

Before founding Ashesi University, Patrick worked as a Program Manager for Microsoft where, among other things, he spearheaded the development of dial-up internet working technologies and gained a reputation for bringing difficult projects to completion.

He holds bachelor degrees in Engineering and Economics from Swarthmore College; an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business; and honorary doctorates from Swarthmore College and Babson College.

He has won many prestigious international awards including the MacArthur Fellowship; the McNulty Prize; and Membership of the Order of the Volta -- one of Ghana’s highest awards, given to individuals who exemplify the ideal of service to the country. In 2015, Patrick was named one of the World’s 50 Greatest Leaders by Fortune, and received the Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award, given to UC Berkeley alumni with distinguished records of service to their countries.  

Patrick served on the Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) of the U.S. Agency for International Development from 2010 to 2016. He is a Fellow of the Africa Leadership Initiative of the Aspen Global Leadership Network; a member of the Council on Foreign Relations; and a member of the Tau Beta Pi honor society for excellence in engineering.

Summary of Affiliations and Awards:

  • Fellow of the African Leadership Initiative—Aspen Global Leadership Network
  • Member, US Council of Foreign Relations
  • Member: Tau Beta Pi Honor Society for Excellence in Engineering.
  • Member, TED Fellows Program: 2007 TED/Global, 2009 TED Fellow
  • Awarded Membership of the Order of the Volta by his Excellency President J.A. Kufuor, Ghana in 2007
  • Ghana Web, 2005 Person of the Year
  • Young Global Leader, 2007, World Economic Forum
  • Honorary Doctor of Laws, Swarthmore College in 2004
  • Winner, 2009 Microsoft Alumni Foundation "Integral Fellow" award
  • Winner, John P. McNulty Prize 2009, Aspen Institute
  • Ghana’s 8th Most Respected CEO, 2010 (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
  • Winner, Educational Development, Millennium Excellence Awards 2010, Ghana
  • Member, Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid (ACVFA) of the U.S. Agency for International Development, March 2010 - March 2016
  • Ghana's 4th Most Respected CEO, 2012 (PricewaterhouseCoopers)
  • Leading Through Innovation Award, University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business, 2012
  • Honorary Doctor of Laws, Babson College, 2013
  • Paul Harris Fellow, The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International, 2013
  • Elon Medal for Entrepreneurial Leadership, Elon University, 2014
  • Social Entrepreneur of the Year, Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, 2014
  • 50 Greatest Leaders in 2015, Fortune Magazine, 2015
  • 2015 Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award, University of California, Berkeley, 2015
  • MacArthur Fellowship, 2015