KIGALI, Rwanda – The African School of Governance celebrated an epic milestone with the matriculation of its inaugural Master of Public Administration (MPA) cohort. Co-founded by H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda and H.E. Hailemariam Desalegn, former Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the first-of-its-kind programme offers a unique opportunity for students to learn from a wide range of the continent’s most prominent scholars, policymakers, and government leaders.
ASG welcomed fifty-one students from fourteen African nations as their #ASGPioneers with invigorating words of wisdom and encouragement.
“An institution is only as strong as the people it shapes. That means you,” said President Kagame as he reminded students of their leadership responsibilities. “Your education here will challenge you to think critically and practically, about how to move our continent forward. Our hope is that soon, when your countries look to you for answers, you will be ready.”
Members of the diplomatic corps, ASG leadership, partners, students and faculty bore witness to the incoming class taking the ASG Pledge, committing to integrity, selfless service, and transformative leadership.
“Together we commit to advance excellence and transformative leadership on the African continent,” – commented Francisca Mujawase, President of the Student Representative Council.
Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, underscored the moment’s significance:
“Today marks a pivotal milestone for the ASG and for Africa’s future leadership. The inaugural Master of Public Administration class reflects a Pan-African vision of inclusion and diversity, cultivating leaders grounded in African realities. Each participant embodies the promise of ethical and transformational leadership that will drive innovation and global best practice and bring prosperity and peace across the continent.”
The Mastercard Foundation is a founding partner of ASG, working alongside the co-founders and other African leaders to nurture a new generation of ethical and effective public leaders. The partnership reflects the goals of the Foundation’s Young Africa Works strategy, which seeks to enable 30 million young people to access dignified and fulfilling work by 2030.
The ceremony culminated with a high-level dialogue between President Kagame and former Prime Minister Desalegn and students exploring the theme of Mindset and Attitude of Leadership.
In the discussion, H.E. Desalegn challenged students to lead the charge of embodying selfless leadership saying, “I want to see selfless leaders who are committed as servant leaders to serve their own people. Our aim is to see ‘this is my turn to eat’ change to ‘this is my turn to sacrifice’.”
Matriculation marked a defining moment for ASG. Commenting on the significance of the event, Prof. Amany El-Sharif, Vice-President for Academic Affairs said, “Today is far more than a ceremony. It is a rite of passage and a commitment to serve Africa.”
As a platform and centre for public policy, innovation and discourse, ASG will host public lectures and events throughout the year.
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