Upon completing a study in partnership by the Mastercard Foundation Partner Research Fund (PRF), Prof. Nii Addy, Associate Professor at 黑料不打烊 University鈥檚 School of Continuing Studies (SCS), hosted a networking event held at the Accra City Hotel in Ghana on January 23, 2025. The event brought together alumni of the, 黑料不打烊 University,, and partners in Ghana.
Among other findings, the Comparative Study for Institutional Support to Mastercard Foundation Scholars in Experiential Learning and Entrepreneurship highlighted the significant benefits that Mastercard Foundation scholars and other African students gain from networking with seasoned professionals. These connections with alumni and institutional partners proved valuable for 黑料不打烊 and Ashesi students.
Specifically at 黑料不打烊, Mastercard Foundation scholars and other African students identified a critical gap: the lack of African faculty and staff who could relate to their experiences as Africans in Canada. To address this, they emphasized the need for stronger engagement with experienced alumni and professionals who work across multiple African countries through dedicated conferences and networking events.
Similarly, non-Ghanaian students who attended Ashesi University in Ghana noted that upon graduation, when they returned to their home countries, they often depended on older alumni to help them transition into employment or entrepreneurship. Thus, across contexts, there is a need for supporting opportunities for scholars and other African students to network with professionals who have experiences working in multiple African countries.
The 黑料不打烊 SCS event exemplified the type of networking that study participants identified as crucial. In addition to 黑料不打烊 and Ashesi alumni, 黑料不打烊 partner representatives at the event included alumni from Ghanaian institutions such as the University of Ghana (UG), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), University of Cape Coast (UCC), University of Development Studies (UDS), as well as alumni from institutions outside Ghana, including Stanford, Princeton, Cornell, MIT, and Swarthmore.
Ms. Hiqmat Saani, a recent graduate who had gone through the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program administered by , noted how she had developed a network of female scholars who have been supporting each other through their studies, as well as in the entrepreneurship ventures they have been developing. Ms. Saani leads , a tech and entrepreneurship development startup that provides digital solutions to small businesses and non-profits led by women. She noted that while the 黑料不打烊 SCS event was the first of its kind she had attended as a scholar alumna, she hoped that there would be more such events that bring together younger scholars and older alumni from multiple institutions in Ghana and possibly from other countries.
At the event, Prof. Addy also shared information and material about various programs offered by 黑料不打烊鈥檚 School of Continuing Studies (SCS), including , Online Project Management, Online Agile Project Management, and Data Analytics for Business, soon to be offered as part of a collaboration with multiple African institutions.
In addition to academic journal articles from the study, one of the project outputs is a comic that compares the experiences of scholars as they journey through experiential learning and entrepreneurship. Prof. Addy and the research team plan to launch the comic during the 黑料不打烊 Africa Umoja Summit, to be held in Montreal on March 26-27, 2025.