From May 25 to 29, 2026, Ashesi University hosted the 2026 edition of the U7+ Student Challenge in Ghana, bringing together students from across the Alliance for four days of collaboration, innovation, and intercultural exchange. The previous edition took place at Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) in Ivory Coast in 2024.
The U7+ Student Challenge is one of the flagship initiatives of the U7+ Alliance and is led by a Task Force from the Universities of Ottawa, Northwestern, and Toronto, with the support of the Secretariat and the host institution. Through its student-focused activities, U7+ seeks to ensure that student perspectives contribute meaningfully to the Alliance’s mission and to the themes addressed by university leaders.
In this spirit, the theme of the 2026 Challenge, “Global Anchor Institutions: Harnessing University Networks for Local Resilience,” was directly inspired by the theme of the 2026 U7+ Communiqué and 2026 Presidential Summit, “The Social Role of Universities in a Divided World.” As part of the Alliance’s efforts to further integrate student perspectives into its work, participants prepared a collective video sharing their reflections and recommendations with university presidents on the role universities should play in contemporary societies. The video was screened at the Presidential Summit on April 14, 2026, and served as the introduction to the panel discussion on this topic.
Before arriving in Ghana, and throughout the week in Berekuso, where Ashesi University’s main campus is located, students worked in interdisciplinary and international teams to develop concrete projects addressing one of three interconnected sub-challenges: transforming campuses into community hubs, combating disinformation through academic rigor, and making university resources more accessible to local populations. Upon their arrival, students also discovered that their final presentations would need to include a concrete application of their project within the local context of Berekuso.
The six teams presented projects focused on strengthening the social role and local impact of universities:
Team 1 – Reducing Child and Maternal Mortality
Team 2 – The Commons, University and Community: Teach, Learn and Grow Together
Team 3 – Countering Social Media Disinformation
Team 4 – Community Skills Recognition and Development Program
Team 5 – SEED: Social Exchange for Educational Democracy
Team 6 – Commons Lab
Congratulations to Teams 2 and 5, whose projects particularly impressed the jury through their innovation, feasibility, social impact, and collaborative approach, and which were jointly awarded first place at the conclusion of the presentations.
Beyond the competition itself, participants also had the opportunity to discover Ghanaian culture and history through a dedicated cultural day on May 28, including visits to the Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park and Osu Castle, followed by a traditional dinner and cultural activities.
The U7+ Alliance warmly thanks Ashesi University for its extraordinary hospitality and excellent organization throughout the week. We also congratulate all participants for their enthusiasm, creativity, and the high quality of their work and presentations. Finally, we sincerely thank the 17 U7+ member universities from 11 countries that supported their students’ participation and contributed to the success of this important initiative.
