First Graduating Class: Joint Master's in Mechatronics Engineering
ETH4D sends out a heartfelt congratulations to the first graduating cohort of the joint Master in Mechatronics Engineering between ETH Zürich and Ashesi University!
Last Friday marked the celebration of a huge milestone for the 23 graduates as they walked across the commencement stage. Since the start of the programme in 2022, they have been immersed in an intensive curriculum ranging from robotics to machine learning to renewable energy, all co-developed by both universities.
The success of this first cohort is a testament not only to their hard work, but also to the promise of cross-continental collaborations. Class speaker Timothy Asare put it best in his commencement speech:
“As a class that has had two parent institutions—Ashesi University and ETH Zurich—it is an honour to have inherited our social and academic DNA from both institutions... We got to be inspired by incredible faculty. We crossed bridges we thought were impossible. We learnt the importance of teamwork. But most importantly, we learnt to embrace the uniqueness of our differences. In a world that is filled with many voices and opinions, we learnt to do signal processing—not just on our computers, but most importantly in our minds. To become better at understanding which voices matter, and which ones do not.
In our time at Ashesi, many seeds have been sown in us, and each has the potential to grow into a great tree—whose seeds grow into greater trees. Every day, by our actions and decisions, we choose to nurture or stunt the growth of these seeds. In 17 or 20 years, when taking stock, will we have inspired growth and development? Will our actions have lifted people above the poverty line, improved education access, or helped industrialise this continent we call home?”
Thank you to the professors, teaching assistants, and coordinators from both universities. Thank you also to former and current ETH Rectors Professor Dame Sarah Springman and Günther Dissertori, Ashesi President Patrick Awuah, and Provost Angela Owusu-Ansah for your leadership. Major appreciation goes to Marriette Mertens, Programme Manager from the ETH4D side, for going above and beyond in your work supporting the joint Mechatronics Masters and all the students and faculty within it.external page
Finally, thank you to our generous partners and donors for making it possible:
- Barry Callebaut Group
- Bühler Group
- HPW
- Holcim
- Nestlé
- Tetra Pak
- Adrian Weiss Stiftung
- Arthur Waser Foundation
- Bärbel und Paul Geissbühler Stiftung
- First Advisory
- Georg und Bertha Schwyzer-Winiker-Stiftung
- Louis Dreyfus Foundation
- Tarbaca Indigo Foundation
- SECO Economic Cooperation and Development
Can you envision yourself as a part of the next cohort? external page Applications are open now.
Watch Timothy’s commencement speech external page here.