SMITHFIELD, RI—Bryant University has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ashesi University in Ghana — a top 10 ranked higher education institution in Africa — to formalize a strategic partnership that will expand global academic collaboration, experiential learning opportunities, and research engagement for students, faculty, and staff at both institutions.
Officials from the two schools had met last April, when a delegation of Rhode Island leaders traveled to Ghana after Bryant had been selected by the Ghana Men’s National Team to be its official base camp for the recently completed 2026 FIFA World Cup™.
“This is a powerful reminder that the World Cup wasn’t just about sports; it was about bringing people together and making the world a better place,” says Bryant President Ross Gittell, Ph.D. “Our institutions share a strong commitment to advancing education through global partnerships, providing experiential learning opportunities with an entrepreneurial focus, and ensuring our graduates are purpose-driven leaders ready to make a contribution to the world. I’m very excited by this opportunity and look forward to seeing the impact this agreement will have.”
Ashesi University was founded in 2002 by Patrick G. Awuah Jr., a former Microsoft engineer who returned to Ghana with the goal of developing a new generation of ethical, entrepreneurial African leaders. Ashesi combines a liberal arts-style core with professionally oriented programs in business, technology, and engineering. Its curriculum emphasizes leadership, critical thinking, entrepreneurship, and applied problem-solving.
“Our vision is really a vision for Africa: the transformation of the African content and educating the leaders who will make that transformation a reality,” says Awuah, who came to the Bryant campus for a signing ceremony and additional meetings with Bryant leadership. “But we can’t do it alone. We actively collaborate with other universities on the continent and all over the globe.”
Under the agreement, Bryant and Ashesi University will seek to promote collaborative activities such as semester student exchanges or study abroad programs for undergraduate and graduate students and scholarly collaboration among faculty and staff.
About Bryant University
For 163 years, Bryant University has been at the forefront of delivering an exceptional education that anticipates the future and prepares students to be innovative leaders of character in a changing world. The university delivers an integrated academic and student life experience, with nationally recognized academic programs at the intersection of business, liberal arts, and health and behavioral sciences, while embedding applied artificial intelligence and experiential learning across the curriculum.
Located on a 465-acre contemporary campus in Smithfield, R.I., Bryant enrolls over 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students from 41 states and 50 countries. Bryant is recognized as a top one percent national leader in student education outcomes and ROI and is highly ranked by U.S. News and World Report, The Wall Street Journal, QS Stars, Money, Poets&Quants, and College Factual. Bryant.edu