Policies

African Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE) Project

Context and Issue

Many higher education institutions in Africa suffer from insufficient capacity and quality, lacking specialization in crucial areas like Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), health, agriculture, and applied social sciences. These deficiencies hinder the institutions' ability to address regional development challenges. The project aims to improve the quality, quantity, and impact of postgraduate education and applied research, thereby meeting the increasing demand for specialized skills crucial for Africa’s economic and social development

Solution

The Africa Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE) Project, initiated by the World Bank in 2014, is a capacity-building initiative and funding program designed to enhance higher education institutions across Africa (17 countries so far). It provides financial support, strategic investments, and promotes regional collaboration to address capacity and quality issues, particularly in STEM, health, agriculture, and applied social sciences. The project focuses on enhancing infrastructure, faculty, and research capabilities, strengthening universities to offer high-quality training and conduct applied research, and encouraging collaboration among universities to tackle regional development challenges. By promoting specialization in critical areas such as sustainable energy, public health, and climate change, the ACE Project aims to transform these institutions into centers of excellence that drive social and economic development. Key implementation steps included a call for proposals, evaluation by independent experts, and funding for selected institutions. It supports postgraduate education through funding, collaboration, and quality training, with students selected based on merit through a transparent, competitive process.

Impact

The ACE Impact Project significantly enhanced higher education in Africa by May 2024, enrolling a total of 29,861 students in STEM, health, agriculture, and other fields, achieving 94% of its target. Key accomplishments include enrolling 3,119 PhD students (95% of target), 9,911 MSc students (96% of target), and 16,831 short-course students (109% of target). Additionally, 9,799 female students (102% of target) and 9,353 regional students (109% of target) were enrolled. The project completed 7,161 internships (103% of target), 185 programs received national accreditation (308% of target), 2,839 research articles were published (86% of target), and USD 79 million in external revenue was generated (86% of target).

Analysis

The African Higher Education Centers of Excellence (ACE) Project is a transformative initiative that significantly strengthens higher education capacity in Africa. Through targeted investments, specialized training, and regional collaboration, the project has achieved and surpassed critical educational and developmental milestones. Its comprehensive approach and significant impact highlight its potential as a model for improving higher education across the continent.