Ghana To Host ACE@10: Celebrating a Decade of Impact and Innovation of Africa Centers of Excellence Program

MEDIA ADVISORY

ACCRA, APRIL 2^nd, 2025 - The Government of Ghana will be hosting a High-Level Forum on Africa's Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE) program from April 7-9, 2025, at the Labadi Beach Hotel in Accra, Ghana under the theme: “ACE@10-Celebrating A Decade of Impact, Innovation and Excellence. This high-level event is being held ten years after the establishment of the ACE program, launched in 2014 to address critical challenges of the African Higher Education sector.

The event is co-organized by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission, the Association of African Universities (AAU), the Inter-University Council for East Africa (IUCEA), with the support of the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD). The Forum will take stock of the transformational journey of the ACEs over the last 10 years (ACE@10), and showcase key successes, research breakthroughs, innovations, and impact.

The ACE program addresses critical challenges in African higher education, by enhancing collaboration and training in science, ICT and digital, engineering and mathematics, agriculture, health, transports, and other key areas, with the goal to produce a highly skilled workforce to support Africa's economic growth.

The ACE@10 event will bring together approximately 500 participants from across Africa, including higher education and finance ministers, members of academia and research institutes, development partners such as the World Bank and the French Development Agency, the African Union, international experts, private sector representatives, and other distinguished personalities. Participants will exchange best practices and examine possibilities for a follow up phase of the ACE program.

• WHAT: High-Level Forum on Africa's Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE) program
• WHO: Higher education and Finance ministers, Members of academia and research institutes, Development partners such as the World Bank and the French Development Agency, the African Union, International experts, private sector representatives, and other distinguished personalities.
• WHEN: April 7^th -9^th , 2025
• WHERE: Labadi Beach Hotel, Accra, Ghana

For more information, please visit the Event Page: African Higher Education Centers of Excellence: A Decade of Impact, Innovation, and Excellence

About The World Bank

The World Bank Group has a bold vision: to create a world free of poverty on a livable planet. In more than 100 countries, the World Bank Group provides financing, advice, and innovative solutions that improve lives by creating jobs, strengthening economic growth, and confronting the most urgent global challenges. For more information, please visit www.worldbank.org, www.miga.org, and www.ifc.org.