Toronto, Canada — 15 January 2025
The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program has forged three new partnerships with leading African educational institutions, marking a significant expansion of a network that now spans 50 partner universities and organisations across the continent. The additions, announced in January 2025, come as the Foundation accelerates toward its goal of enabling 100,000 young people to access quality higher education and dignified work by 2030.
The three new partners — Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) in Nigeria, the University of Global Health Equity (UGHE) in Rwanda, and Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Morocco — each bring a distinct institutional focus to a program that has supported over 45,000 scholars since its inception in 2012.
Pan-Atlantic University: The First Nigerian Partner
Pan-Atlantic University, based in Lagos, becomes the first Nigerian institution to join the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Network. PAU is known for its emphasis on entrepreneurial and leadership development, with a curriculum that integrates internships, mentorships, and community service as core components of the student experience.
The university's focus on workforce development aligns with the Foundation's broader strategy of ensuring that scholars not only complete their degrees but transition into employment or entrepreneurship. Nigeria, with Africa's largest youth population, represents a critical geography for the program's scale-up ambitions.
University of Global Health Equity: A Medical Degree First
The addition of the University of Global Health Equity in Rwanda marks another milestone: UGHE is the first partner in the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Network to offer medical degrees. Founded in 2015 and located in Butaro, Rwanda, UGHE focuses on advancing global health care by training health professionals to develop services and systems that connect underserved communities with essential, life-saving care.
Through the partnership, UGHE will offer 500 scholarships over 10 years to eligible Mastercard Foundation Scholars at the graduate level, with a focus on Global Health Delivery and Health Professions Education. The institution's community-based education model, which places students in rural health centres alongside their classroom training, directly addresses the severe shortage of health workers across sub-Saharan Africa.
Mohammed VI Polytechnic University: A Focus on Young Women
The third new partner, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University in Morocco, brings a distinctive focus: the partnership is dedicated exclusively to supporting young women, particularly those facing the highest barriers to education. UM6P, a research-intensive institution with campuses in Benguerir, Rabat, and Laayoune, has positioned itself as a hub for applied research in sustainable agriculture, mining, and energy — sectors where women remain significantly underrepresented.
Through the partnership, the Mastercard Foundation and UM6P will support young women in accessing quality education and contributing to the transformation of their communities. The collaboration builds on the Foundation's existing commitment to gender equity, which has seen women comprise over 55% of scholars across the network.
The Broader Strategy: Phase II and the 2030 Vision
The three new partnerships fall within Phase II of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program, which runs from 2024 to 2030. This phase has seen the program broaden its academic scope beyond its traditional STEM focus to include disciplines such as law, humanities, and theology — a recognition that Africa's development challenges require multidisciplinary talent.
| Feature | Phase I (2012–2024) | Phase II (2024–2030) |
|---|---|---|
| Scholars supported | 45,000+ | Target: 100,000 by 2030 |
| Academic focus | Predominantly STEM | STEM + Law, Humanities, Health |
| Partner institutions | ~40 | 50+ (and growing) |
| Geographic reach | 20+ African countries | Expanding across continent |
Each partner institution manages its own application process and timeline, with calls typically opening 6–12 months before cohort intake. The Foundation has cautioned prospective applicants to be vigilant against fraudulent recruitment notices, noting that it never solicits fees for scholarship applications.
Context: Africa's Higher Education Access Gap
The expansion comes against a backdrop of stark access disparities. According to UNESCO data, gross enrolment in tertiary education in sub-Saharan Africa stood at approximately 9.4% in 2022 — the lowest of any world region and well below the global average of 41%. For young women, the gap is even wider, with cultural, financial, and systemic barriers limiting participation.
The Mastercard Foundation, established in 2006 through a gift from Mastercard International, has committed over $1.7 billion to education and financial inclusion programs across Africa. The Scholars Program is its flagship education initiative, operating on the principle that comprehensive support — covering tuition, accommodation, living stipends, mentorship, and leadership training — is necessary to enable first-generation scholars from low-income backgrounds to succeed.
Looking Ahead
With the first cohort at Pan-Atlantic University set to launch in September 2025, and recruitment underway at UGHE and UM6P, the three partnerships are expected to add over 1,150 scholarship opportunities to the network over the next decade. The Foundation has indicated that additional partnerships are under negotiation, with further announcements anticipated later in 2025.
The program's alumni network — now numbering over 40,000 — includes innovators, researchers, policymakers, and entrepreneurs working across 40+ African countries, from advancing food security initiatives in Zimbabwe to strengthening political engagement in Malawi.
Sources:
- Mastercard Foundation, "The Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Accelerates Impact With Three New Partnerships In Africa," 9 May 2025 (reporting January 2025 partnerships)
- Pan-Atlantic University partnership page, Mastercard Foundation
- University of Global Health Equity partnership page, Mastercard Foundation
- Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique partnership page, Mastercard Foundation
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, tertiary enrolment data, 2022
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Institutional Research Desk · Foresight Institute of Research and Translation
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