KNUST wins $3m Mastercard Foundation Prize for driving higher education transformation in Africa

Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) has been named among five African universities selected as inaugural winners of the Mastercard Foundation's Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize. The award includes a $3 million grant for each institution and recognizes universities driving institution-wide transformation and expanding opportunities for young people across the continent. The AHEFT Prize is backed by a $500 million commitment from the Mastercard Foundation over its first decade.

KNUST was recognized under the category of Excellence in Research and Innovation for developing what the Mastercard Foundation described as one of Africa's leading research-to-innovation ecosystems. The university's platforms, including the Kumasi Business Incubator, Innovation Centre, and Technology Consultancy Centre, were highlighted for their role in turning research into startups, industry solutions, and public impact. According to the Foundation, KNUST demonstrates how science, technology, and entrepreneurship can contribute to economic transformation and job creation. The other inaugural winners are Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia, the International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Burkina Faso, Muni University in Uganda, and the University of Rwanda.