President Deep Saini’s Visit to Ghana Reinforces McGill’s Commitment to Collaboration and Impact  

Professor H. Deep Saini, President and Vice-Chancellor of McGill University, visited Ghana this month, reinforcing McGill’s commitment to building a global network of partners dedicated to sustainable development, innovation and meaningful impact for communities around the world. 

His visit coincided with the inaugural Higher Education Transformation Convening in Accra, hosted by the Mastercard Foundation, where leaders from universities, government, industry and development organizations came together to explore how higher education can contribute more effectively to economic growth and opportunities for young people across Africa. 

As a distinguished participant, President Saini joined discussions on the future of higher education, and the role universities must play in preparing graduates for rapidly evolving economies. Conversations focused on strengthening connections between education, research and industry, and on enabling universities become drivers of innovation, entrepreneurship and job creation. “Transformation is not just a better university. It is a university that makes the whole economy around it work better for young people,” said Sewit Ahderom, President and CEO, Mastercard Foundation.  

Towards impactful results 

The visit reflected McGill’s broader commitment to international collaboration that creates lasting value beyond campus. By working alongside universities, governments, industry and communities, McGill seeks to advance solutions to shared global challenges while creating opportunities for students, researchers and entrepreneurs to contribute to sustainable growth. 

Following the Convening, President Saini met with Nkabom Collaborative partners, industry leaders and higher education representatives to discuss how collaboration between universities and industry can be strengthened. Participants emphasized the importance of practical, industry-informed learning opportunities, stronger research partnerships and deeper engagement between academia, government and the private sector. Drawing on McGill’s experience, President Saini shared examples of work-integrated learning approaches that help bridge the gap between classroom learning and evolving workforce needs. 

Celebrating a growing partnership 

President Saini also visited the University of Ghana (UG), where he met with university leadership and the Nkabom Collaborative at UG’s team. The visit highlighted the strong and growing partnership between McGill and Ghanaian institutions, including through the Nkabom Collaborative’s work to advance youth employment, entrepreneurship and sustainable agrifood systems.  

During the discussions, Professor Richmond Aryeetey highlighted several collaborative projects that demonstrate the practical impact of this partnership. One example involved a young entrepreneur exporting sesame seeds who seeks to scale operations from approximately 1.5 tonnes to 500 tonnes annually. To support this growth, the entrepreneur needs specialized seed-cleaning and sorting equipment, with imported options costing as much as $85,000.  The challenge presents an opportunity for engineers and students from UG and McGill to work together to explore a locally adapted and more accessible solution.  It also illustrates the potential for continued collaboration between McGill and Ghanaian institutions across areas including agriculture, engineering, nutrition, health, food processing, markets and communications. 

A highlight of the visit was his engagement with young entrepreneurs at the University of Ghana Business School Innovation Hub. There, President Saini met youth-led businesses supported through the Nkabom Collaborative and learned how they are developing innovative solutions to challenges across Ghana’s agrifood sector. 

From high-level discussions on higher education transformation to direct conversations with emerging entrepreneurs, President Saini’s visit demonstrated the value of partnerships that connect ideas, institutions and people. It also reinforced a shared belief that sustainable economic progress depends on stronger connections between education, research, industry and the next generation of leaders driving change across Africa and beyond.