The African School of Economics (ASE), known for pioneering the development of Africa’s next generation of scholars, researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs, has officially announced its expansion into Zanzibar. This marks ASE’s first presence in East Africa and will establish a state-of-the-art campus focused on training African students and nurturing world-class faculty. In collaboration with renowned institutions such as Princeton University and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, ASE’s new Zanzibar campus will offer graduate and undergraduate programs in STEM and social sciences.
As part of the Silicon Zanzibar initiative, ASE’s Zanzibar location will emphasize technology, aiming to play a central role in the region’s burgeoning tech ecosystem. The university will actively support the launch of tech startups and train the human capital necessary to develop and commercialize innovative technologies. This move aligns with ASE’s mission of empowering African talent and creating policy environments conducive to innovation and growth. The university plans to recruit 50 elite faculty members and 900 students from across the world to maintain high standards of learning and global competitiveness.
Professor Leonard Wantchekon, ASE’s founder and president, emphasized that Zanzibar’s progressive policies on frontier innovation and entrepreneurship made it the perfect location for the school’s East African hub. This expansion into Zanzibar builds on ASE’s already established campuses in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria. Since its founding in Benin in 2014, ASE has grown into one of Africa’s leading universities with over 2,000 students and alumni, and a strong track record in research and graduate placements at global institutions.
ASE’s expansion to Zanzibar is expected to enhance the island’s human capital and tech talent pipeline while contributing to the overall development of Africa’s tech and innovation sectors. This aligns with Zanzibar’s education transformation goals, as noted by Honourable Minister Lela Mussa, who highlighted ASE’s role in advancing the nation’s human capital development.
The move also reinforces ASE’s commitment to nurturing high-quality research and innovation in Africa, and it will likely play a transformative role in attracting talent and establishing Zanzibar as a hub for technological and economic growth in the region.
