Hi reddit I'm Patrick Awuah, a former Microsoft engineer who founded Ashesi University in Ghana, which has been called a "new model" for higher ed in Africa. I'm also a 2015 MacArthur Fellow. AMA!

How accessible is the university to ordinary or underprivileged Ghanaian youth?

PA: We strive to make our institution accessible to everyone. Currently, 55 percent of our students receive scholarships. 29 percent receive full scholarships (tuition, housing, meals, etc.)

How much did a former job at Microsoft help you with the University?

PA: At Microsoft, I learned to work in teams, gained experience managing complex projects, developed grit, and gained a network of colleagues whose support has been invaluable to Ashesi. My work at Microsoft also gave me the financial leverage to take the risk of moving back to Ghana with my family to start Ashesi.

Hello Patrick. Appreciate your good work. Do you plan to host postgraduate courses anytime soon? Really itching to join your school.

PA: We will probably develop a few postgraduate courses in the future. For now, our focus is on expanding and strengthening our undergraduate programs. Undergraduate education will likely remain the core of Ashesi.

What would you say is the biggest learning experience from setting up such a massive project?

PA: I have two significant learning experiences that I would like to share. First, I have learned that working with integrity is fundamental to achieving excellence. Second, I am very keenly aware of the fact that Ashesi would not have been possible without the contributions of many people. Nothing significant can be accomplished by just one individual.

I am a big fan. Quick question: Is Ashesi University an educational qualification based (e.g WASCCE or SSCE aggregate 36 or better) or it places more importance in knowing the applicant and what you can offer him and what he has to offer? Does it mean I can't be enrolled into a University because I got aggregate 40? Thank you.

PA: Ashesi's admissions process evaluates applicants on the basis of academic achievement and factors such as leadership potential and character. We really do try to know the applicant before making a decision.

Another Berkeley grad doing great things! What are some of your most memorable times at Berkeley?

PA: I loved the entrepreneurial spirit at the Berkeley Haas School of Business! There were lots of great projects going on all around me. Loved the ropes course (an outdoors leadership and team building course). Developing Ashesi's business plan with some of my colleagues at the business school and dreaming up a vision for Ashesi's campus with students from the architecture school was simply an amazing experience.

What was it like to receive the MacArthur Fellowship? How does it impact you and the university?

PA: Receiving the MacArthur Fellowship was amazing! It's a very strong validator of Ashesi's work, and we're all excited about it.

This may sound odd but can I get an invitation to tour your school and how do I get one? I just couldn't help but ask.

PA: Yes, you are welcome to visit during the weekdays from 9 am to 5 pm. Just go to the admissions office, and someone can arrange a tour for you. For directions to campus, see http://www.ashesi.edu.gh/about/contact-us.html

Would you rather fight 1 Horse-Sized Duck or 100 Duck-Sized Horses?

PA: This is fun question. I would seek more information before making a choice. For example, I would want to understand the strength and speed of the horse-sized duck and the duck-sized horse. I would also want to better understand the terrain we would fighting on. Would we be in water or on land? I would want to know what weapons would be available to me.

Thanks for coming on here, Patrick! Having experienced the situation in both US and African higher ed, what inefficiencies do you see in the American scheme, and what do you see as the next big revolution in American higher education?

PA: One thing that concerns me about the US higher education model is the high cost. Most US universities and colleges provide a very rich learning experience, but at high cost. I believe that universities can achieve similar learning outcomes to their current performance, with fewer course electives and higher student-faculty ratios than the current norm. It is very difficult to predict what the next big revolution will be, but I'm sure that it will be driven by technology.

I'm a computer science major. Is there any way I could inquire about possibly helping in a computer science program at Ashesi?

PA: I encourage you to send email to [email protected] or [email protected] and we'll get back to you.

Don't you agree with me that graduations, examinations, various tests are all walls that block ones capability of thinking and delivering? Do you also agree with me that the GES needs to have a reform of our educational system, reintroduce a proper “STEM system” mixed with “Liberal Education” as both “types” of education are extremely valuable and necessary for a prosperous society. Will you also agree with me that it is simply “easier” to administer what we call “progress” through taking standardized tests versus using more hands-on, real-world experiences that are relevant to students?

PA: I agree that the liberal arts and STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) are valuable components of any educational system. I also agree that students' performance should not only be evaluated on the basis of sit-down exams, but also on the basis projects and hands-on experiences.