Ashesi University, Ethics, Africa, And I've Been Mugged Blog

I was very pleased to learn that while Ashesi University began teaching to its students in 2010 the ethics curriculum "Giving Voice To Values" (GVV) developed by Mary Gentile, the university also uses the I've Been Mugged interview with Gentile. Ashesi University, located in Ghana, is a private, secular liberal arts institution that offers bachelor degree programs in Computer Science, Management Information Systems and Business Administration. All students perform community service before graduation.

In July 2012, the university and the MasterCard Foundation jointly hosted the first-ever robotics competition in Ghana to encourage high school students to study computer science, engineering, and other technical fields. The Ashesi University Foundation, located in Seattle, Washington (USA) helps donors around the world support the school.

The school was founded in 2002 by Patrick Awuah, a graduate of Swarthmore College. Watch this June 2007 speech by Awuah at the Ted (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) Global Conference held in Arusha, Tanzania. The New York Times reported in January 2011:

"Africa has reached an inflection point with the march of democracy across the continent,” said Mr. Awuah, speaking at the World Innovation Summit for Education in Doha in November... We can bring change in one generation. How we train our leaders will make all the difference. According to Mr. Awuah, the goal of Ashesi, whose name means “beginning” in Akan, the local language of Ghana, is to train a new ethically responsible educated elite to break the cycle of corruption on the continent."

To find all schools (including Ashesi University) that offer the GVV ethics curriculum, browse the list of GVV pilot sites (Adobe PDF) maintained by Babson College, and its curriculum information. Visit the GVV book website to learn more about and the book, available to the public.

If you know of a school that uses the I've Been Mugged blog as part of an ethics or Interent-related curriculum, let me know or share it below.