Ashesi President, Dr. Patrick Awuah, was awarded the 2015 Elise and Walter A. Haas International Award for his work as a leader in Ghanaian education. The annual award is given to a University of California (UC) Berkeley alumnus/a with a distinguished record of service to his or her country, and is one of the universities most prestigious honors.
The idea for Ashesi was turned into a project during Dr. Awuah’s time at Haas, and was developed under the International Business Development (IBD) programme at the university.
“Your contributions to Ghana exemplify Berkeley’s highest values,” UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas B. Dirks wrote in a March 16 letter to Dr. Awuah. “Your work to bring international recognition to Ghana by founding Ashesi has made you one of the most renowned citizens of Ghana. The range of impact is extensive and has significantly impacted the well-being of the Ghanaian people.”
Receiving the award at UC Berkeley's Commencement 2015, Dr. Awuah thanked the Haas community for its contributions to Ashesi’s development.
“I feel like this is yet another of many gifts that I have received from an institution that has a very special place in my heart,” he said. “The work that I am doing at Ashesi – for which I am honoured today – started here at UC Berkeley. Colleague students who worked with me on feasibility and business planning; faculty who helped me with curriculum design and strategic planning; architectural students who drew up our first conceptual designs for a campus in Ghana; a Dean who served as the chair of our board of trustees; they have all helped create an institution that will not only touch thousands of students, but also millions of lives across the African continent."
Dr. Awuah dedicated the award to his wife, Rebecca, whose encouragement, support and contributions have been instrumental in making Ashesi the institution that it is today.
The award is the second to be bestowed on Dr. Awuah this year, after he was named to Fortune’s list of the world’s 50 Greatest Leaders in 2015 – joining Bill and Melinda Gates, Pope Francis and Elon Musk. The list celebrated 50 living lessons on how to lead in a time when “governments are failing, companies are under siege, and age-old institutions are losing their grip.”