The 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, which comes with a $3 million grant for each institution, recognises universities that are 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, making it one of the largest higher education transformation initiatives in Africa.

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.

KNUST was recognised 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.

“For 20 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,” President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, Sewit Ahderom, said.

Addis Ababa University was recognised for Excellence in Research and Innovation for aligning research with national priorities and linking scientific knowledge to economic opportunities, public services, and community wellbeing.

The International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE) in Burkina Faso was awarded Excellence in Teaching and Learning for its practice-based engineering education model.

The institution, established by 16 African countries in the Sahel region, has trained more than 13,000 graduates, with 70 per cent securing employment within 12 months of graduation.

Muni University in Uganda was recognised for creating pathways from education to employment, particularly for refugees and underserved youth, through its Refugee and Host Community Youth Empowerment and Transformation Initiative.

The University of Rwanda was awarded for Excellence in Health for its contribution to strengthening Rwanda’s health system through training more than 26,000 health professionals and advancing innovation in digital health, vaccinology, biomedical engineering, and health systems.

The AHEFT Prize will continue to support universities across Africa over the next decade, with plans to recognise at least 150 institutions.

The initiative covers areas including teaching and learning, employment transitions, research and innovation, entrepreneurship, climate and environment, agriculture, health, STEM, digital technology, and artificial intelligence.

“This is the moment to reimagine what higher education institutions can do as engines of human capital development – not only as a place of learning, but as a direct route to work, to economic participation, and to a better future for young people across Africa,” Executive Director of Higher Education Initiatives at the Mastercard Foundation, Dr John Nkengasong, said.

The inaugural winners will be celebrated at the Higher Education Transformation Convening scheduled for Accra, Ghana, on September 22, 2026.