Impact Stories 2025: A collective journey of transformation in African HE

This article is promoted by The Education Collaborative.

Since 2017, The Education Collaborative, founded by Ashesi University, has evolved into a continent-wide movement. Today, it engages over 540 institutions and has directly impacted more than 320,000 students.

At the heart of this work lies a belief in the collective capacity of African universities not only to meet the demands of a changing world but also to shape solutions that are ethical, contextually grounded, and scalable for the continent’s future.

Impact Stories highlights stories of institutions rethinking student success, reengineering university systems, and reimagining their role in national development.

From building regional hubs and strengthening entrepreneurship ecosystems to designing inclusive career services and fostering research-led faculty development, each feature reflects the network’s shared commitment to scaling what works.



Showcase of Education Collaborative Initiatives at 2025 June Convening Initiatives Fair

One notable addition in this edition is the spotlight on Giving Voice to Values (GVV) Africa for Students – a bold step to embed ethical leadership in the student experience. This student-focused program equips young Africans with the tools and confidence to act on their values, helping shape a new generation grounded in courage, integrity, and principled decision-making.

Other key themes include:

Regional Collaboration at Scale: Stories from East, West, and Southern Africa illustrate how localised hubs are enabling more context-specific programs, deeper partnerships, and peer-led growth.

Institutional Systems Change: From overhauling strategic plans to launching career development centers and entrepreneurship ecosystems, institutions are proving that sustainable systems change is possible, replicable, and scalable.

Evidence-Based Practice and Thought Leadership: With new frameworks, toolkits, and research contributions, the Collaborative is positioning African institutions as global knowledge leaders in higher education reform.



Presentation of Student Development Research Findings at 2025 June Convening

As the network advances into the next phase of its ten-year strategy – building on an initial foundation of institutional engagement (Phase One) and the expansion of member growth and exemplar development (Phase Two) – these stories reflect more than progress. They represent shared momentum, ownership, and a growing belief in Africa's ability to build the higher education systems it needs and deserves.

This third phase aims to strengthen member engagement, unify the network’s voice, and bring Africa's successful educational models to global attention.

The Education Collaborative is entering a transformative new phase of influence through enhanced partnerships, data-driven storytelling, and institutional advocacy.

Readers are invited to explore, reflect, and be inspired by the commitment, innovation, and collaboration reflected in these stories – a powerful showcase of what happens when institutions work together and remain committed to driving change.



Access the full 2025 Impact Stories publication here.

This article is the fifth in a series sponsored by The Education Collaborative.