University of Rwanda Among Inaugural Winners of Mastercard Foundation’s AHEFT Prize
The Mastercard Foundation has officially launched the Africa Higher Education for Transformation (AHEFT) Prize, a new initiative backed by a $500 million commitment over the next decade. The award seeks to recognize and scale the work of African higher education institutions that are driving systemic change and expanding opportunities for young people across the continent.
University of Rwanda: Leading in Health Innovation
Among the inaugural group of winners, the University of Rwanda (UR) has been recognized specifically for its “Excellence in Health.” The institution has played a pivotal role in strengthening the national health workforce, having trained more than 26,000 health professionals.
Key contributions from the University of Rwanda include:
- A community-based training model that reaches approximately 500,000 people through outreach programs, clinical placements, and university health services.
- Emerging as a regional leader in specialized fields, including digital health, vaccinology, biomedical engineering, and health systems innovation.
Recognizing Excellence Across the Continent
In addition to the University of Rwanda, four other institutions were selected for the inaugural cohort. Each winning institution will receive $3 million to help scale their transformative initiatives.
The other winning institutions include:
- Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia): Recognized for “Excellence in Research and Innovation,” particularly for its integration with Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, which facilitates large-scale clinical training and serves roughly 884,000 patients annually.
- International Institute for Water and Environmental Engineering (2iE, Burkina Faso): Awarded for “Excellence in Teaching and Learning.” Established by 16 African countries, the institute boasts a high employability rate, with 70 percent of its 13,000 graduates securing employment within a year of graduation.
- Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST, Ghana): Recognized for “Excellence in Research and Innovation” for its ability to translate research into startups and industry solutions through platforms like the Kumasi Business Incubator.
- Muni University (Uganda): Awarded for “Transitions to Employment,” specifically for its Refugee and Host Community Youth Empowerment and Transformation Initiative, which has successfully enabled 70 percent of participants to secure employment shortly after program completion.
The Mastercard Foundation intends for the AHEFT Prize to support at least 150 institutions over the coming decade. The inaugural winners will be formally honored at the Higher Education Transformation Convening in Accra, Ghana, on September 22, 2026.
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