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African School of Economics

Coordinates: 6°27′1.13″N 2°20′48.42″E / 6.4503139°N 2.3467833°E / 6.4503139; 2.3467833
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African School of Economics (ASE)
scroll atop shield outline
TypePrivate
Established2014 (10 years ago) (2014)
PresidentLeonard Wantchekon
Academic staff
20
Administrative staff
40
Location,
6°27′1.13″N 2°20′48.42″E / 6.4503139°N 2.3467833°E / 6.4503139; 2.3467833
CampusRural
Degree ProgramsMaster in Business Administration (MBA), Master in Mathematics Economics and Statistics (MMES), Master in Public Administration (MPA), Master in Development Economics (MDE) and Ph.D. in Economics.
Colours   White and blue
Websiteafricanschoolofeconomics.com

The African School of Economics (ASE) is a private university headquartered in Abomey-Calavi (near Cotonou), Republic of Benin. Currently (2024), its West Africa Hub has campuses in Abidjan, Ivory Coast; and Abuja, Nigeria. The East and Southern Africa Hub features campuses in Zambia and Zanzibar, Tanzania. ASE offers several degrees in Undergraduate and Postgraduate programmes all across its campuses.

It is the expansion of the Institute for Empirical Research in Political Economy (IERPE, IREEP in French), founded in 2004, into a full-fledged pan-African university. Faculty members come from top universities in the US, Canada and Europe.[1]

ASE has two subsidiaries: ASE Artsand ASE Athletics

ASE Arts

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Art Exhibition - ASE Arts Abuja, Nigeria

ASE Arts is a subsidiary of the prolific African School of Economics (ASE) collective, focused on promoting Africa's authentic art, history and culture through scholarly inquiry, supporting African historians and practitioners in African arts and culture by showcasing our rich African heritage to a global audience. The Arts subsidiary is directed by Aisha Aliyu-Bima, an independent curator, photographer, researcher and archivist with keen interest in Northern Nigerian Social anthropology.

ASE Athletics

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ASE Athletics is providing a nexus for undiscovered athletic talent, as well as the academic and sports training to enable them subsist at the very minimum. ASE also offers global opportunities and liaisons that will allow our students to function and thrive at the highest levels of their craft, anywhere in the world. The sports subsidiary is directed by Travis Martial Wantchekon, a project manager, scout, and an ex-New York Red Bulls Academy & college athlete, with a Master's degree in Sports Management at the Real Madrid Graduate School.

ASE Athletics is concerned with five essentials:

  • Intensive, accelerated academic certificate programs for athletes at a University level, to provide essential educational foundation and employability.
  • Recruitment of top athletic talent for college and other sporting opportunities in the US, and for the ASE sports teams.
  • Helping find future opportunities for our students in sports business, management, and analysis
  • Enlisting top athletes from around the world to provide scholarships and mentoring to fledgling talents.
  • Providing premium sports communications features and analyses from the experts through radio and television programs, podcasts, newsletters and blogs.

History

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The school is a continuation of the success of the Institute of Empirical Research in Political Economy ( IERPE) founded by Leonard Wantchekon in 2004 in Cotonou, Benin. A nonprofit training and research initiative in Political Economy and Applied Statistics, IERPE provides expertise in public policy and trains executives for the public and private sectors in West Africa. The opening ceremony took place on August 29, 2014.[2]

ASE and IERPE staff group picture (2014)

Since its inception, the Institute has expanded its activities to include a successful Masters of Public Economics and Applied Statistics (MEPSA). The MEPSA has had 74 African graduates, all of whom are in high demand in the West African region: more than 75% of the graduates of the classes of 2006-2009 are employed in research centers throughout West Africa, in the World Bank and in different governments.[3] The MEPSA program is accredited by the Ministry of Education in Benin.[4]

ASE aims to meet the urgent need for an academic institution capable of generating the necessary human capital in Africa.[5] Although the region has seen significant improvements in primary and secondary education in the past few decades there is still a pressing need for advanced education centers. Through its PhD programs, ASE hopes to provide the missing African voice in many Africa-related academic debates. Furthermore, through the Master in Business Administration (MBA), Master in Public Administration (MPA), Executive MBA and MPA (EMBA and EMPA), Master in Mathematics, Economics and Statistics (MMES), and Master in Development Studies (MDS) programs, ASE aims to provide the technical capacity that will enable more Africans to be hired into top management positions in development agencies and multinational corporations operating on the continent.[6] This should foster sustainable hiring practices that will retain talent and experience in Africa.

ASE NIGERIA

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ASE Abuja Campus, Nigeria

ASE’s branch in Nigeria was licensed on the 22nd of February 2024, by the National Universities Commission (NUC), to operate as a private university in Nigeria.[7]  Its maiden campus, the School of Arts and Sciences in Abuja, serves as the headquarters for ASE in Nigeria.  ASE is set to expand with planned campuses in Kaduna State (School of Public Administration), Owerri, Imo State (School of Engineering); Port Harcourt, Rivers State (Environment and Energy Studies), and many others. Its pioneer cohort of 200 students from across the country, was a product of a joint scholarship effort between itself, AUDA-NEPAD, and the office of Nigeria’s First Lady - Senator Oluremi Tinubu.[8][9][10][11] It currently offers 20 undergraduate academic programmes across 14 departments in three faculties.[12]

Location

ASE Nigeria is located at plot 1095, Oladipo Diya Street, Gudu District, Abuja, with planned campuses in Kaduna State, Imo State, Rivers State, and other states.

Management

ASE Nigeria is led by the Country Director for ASE Nigeria, Obinna Obiwulu, the pioneer and current (2024) Vice Chancellor, Professor Mahfouz Adedimeji; the registrar, Mrs Emi-Fowowe Ogunboye; and the bursar, Mr Silas Igwe.

Academic partnerships

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Media coverage

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  • Léonard Wantchékon: Faire preuve d’un optimisme vigilant. Afrika7, July 2016 [1]
  • Dr. Leonard Wanchekon interviewed by magazine Jeune Afrique, July 2014.[13]
  • Dr. Leonard Wantchekon presents ASE in an interview at BBC Radio, December 2013.[14]
  • ASE co-hosted a special event "Who Will Lead the African Development Bank?" with The Institute of Economic Affairs, Ghana in Accra and the Center for Global Development in Washington DC. The event, featuring seven of eight candidates, focused on key issues regarding the future of the institution.[15]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Boulin, Jean-Eric. "Léonard Wantchékon : " En Afrique, la Chine a pris les devants sur les États-Unis "". Jeune Afrique. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  2. ^ ASE Grand Opening featured at magazine Educ Action Archived 2015-07-24 at the Wayback Machine africanschoolofeconomics.com. August 2014. Ouverture officielle de l'African School of Economics: Un centre de recherche innovant au service du développement économique de l’Afrique Cotonou.com, September 2014.
  3. ^ Lander, Jessica. "Politics: Training Africa's Leaders". Princeton Alumni Weekly. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  4. ^ "IERPE: Promoting High School Math Education in Benin" (PDF). Think Tank Initiative. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-07-24. Retrieved 2015-07-24.
  5. ^ *Economics has an Africa problem? Chris Blattman's Blog, Associate Professor of Political Science & International and Public Affairs at Columbia University March 2015.
  6. ^ Dossa, Jean-Claude. "Enseignement superieur en Afrique: La 1ère pierre de l'African School of Economics posée au Bénin". L'Événement Précis.
  7. ^ "ASE obtains license from NUC as a private university in Nigeria". The African School of Economics. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  8. ^ "Youths will be provided qualitative education — Oluremi Tinubu, Akobundu". Vanguard. August 3, 2024.
  9. ^ Michael, Chisom (2024-08-05). "Renewed Hope Initiative, African School of Economics boost access to education for Nigerian youths". Businessday NG. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  10. ^ "Renewed Hope Initiative, African School of Economics Boost Access to Education for Nigerian Youths – THISDAYLIVE". www.thisdaylive.com. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  11. ^ Anyanwu, Samuel (2024-08-06). "AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria attracts 200 Scholarship for First Lady's Renewed Hope Initiative". Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  12. ^ "Academic Courses". The African School of Economics. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  13. ^ Boulin, Jean-Claude. "Léonard Wantchékon : " En Afrique, la Chine a pris les devants sur les États-Unis "". Jeune Afrique.
  14. ^ "Dr. Léonard Wantchékon Presenting the African School of Economics on BBC News". BBC News.
  15. ^ "Who Will Lead the African Development Bank?". Center for Global Development.
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