According to the President of African School of Economics, Professor Leonard Wantchekon, the university works towards sustainable development and economic justice in low- and middle-income countries, according to international standards. Through a series of podcasts, which you can listen to here, Professor Leonard Wantchekon explains the role African School of Economics plays in this development.

Established in 2014 in Abomey-Calavi in Benin, African School of Economics (ASE), founded by Professor Léonard Wantchékon, already has campuses in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and soon in Abuja, Nigeria. The university’s objective is to train the next generation of African economists. In the first episode of the podcast, Professor Wantchékon stated public opinions on the real challenge of low- and middle-income countries.

“As African nations tackle new economic challenges and pursue new development opportunities, their success will depend partly on a critical, often overlooked resource, which are African economists”

, he says in the podcast. It was precisely to help African students pursue policy-relevant economic research as a process of “self-discovery” that the Beninese economist founded African School of Economics. This university, which trains young economists from the sub-region and opens the doors to international careers, is essential to the equitable development of the African continent, according to Professor Wantchekon.

Cutting-edge training for the new generation of African economists

In its curriculum, African School of Economics offers Master’s degrees in Mathematics, Economics, Statistics and Business Administration. In addition, the prestigious school also issues degrees in Mathematics-Economics, Statistics-Computer Science, Management-Marketing and Finance-Accounting. ASE also trains doctorate students in Economics. To expand its presence globally, the school has signed a dozen academic partnerships, including with Princeton University. ASE also plans to open campuses in East Africa and West Africa to serve more than 15,000 students.

Professor Leonard Wantchekon, a role model for young African economists

He is the author of several ground-breaking research studies on topics such as education and human capital externalities, public deliberation and clientelism and the impact of the slave trade in West Africa. His research has appeared in the Financial Times, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Economist and BBC, among others. The rich career of Professor Wantchekon in development economics was shaped in part by his experience as a pro-democracy student activist under military rule in Benin in the 1970s and 1980s.