The new Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Prosperity is the result of a partnership between the University of Utah’s own Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity and Ensign Global College.
Stephen Alder, PhD, MBA, President of Ensign Global College and a professor at the University of Utah (the U), said,
“We aim to make Ensign Global College a place where the world is positively impacted and a gateway for the University of Utah to make an impact and have a presence in West Africa.”
The center is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind facility located in Kpong, in the West African country of Ghana.
The Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Prosperity (CLIP) has been established to accelerate economic and social development in this region and send a ripple effect around the world. CLIP will house activities and programming that integrate finance, impact, entrepreneurship, innovation, and policy with health to improve the lives of others. The focus of CLIP is to combine business approaches (especially entrepreneurship and innovation) with healthy practices to bring prosperity to communities.
Alder, noted:
“The Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Prosperity will promote self-reliant approaches to creating value as a pathway to prosperity. These activities will highlight resources to benefit Ghana and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region and build stronger diplomatic ties between Ghana and the USA.”
The new facility was designated as the Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Prosperity (CLIP) at its ribbon-cutting ceremony in November 2023. This new initiative was supported through a collaborative grant through Ensign Global College and the U in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA). The support from USAID was designed to promote US values and practices within a Ghanaian context. Additional sponsorship was provided by Unitus Labs, Robert and Lynette Gay, Mike and Joyce Murray, Glen and Shelina Way, and other private anonymous donors.
Construction on the new building began in July 2019 and was completed in September 2023.
Ensign Global College and the U have a longstanding, mutually beneficial relationship, resulting in the establishment of a US-oriented and supported academic institution in Ghana, now in its 10th year of operation and remaining fully functional during the COVID-19 pandemic. CLIP will provide an avenue to augment programs that are already functioning and create new initiatives as part of this global partnership.
Health 2 Go
Health 2 Go (H2Go) is a community health worker program providing basic health services to underserved communities in Ghana. H2Go uses an adaptation of the Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) program, jointly developed by the WHO and UNICEF, to create a community-based extension of existing clinical and public health systems.
Under the direction of Professor Alder and Dr. Stephen Manortey, Director of Programs at Ensign Global College, H2Go has been operational for over 6 years. Alder and Manortey are working with the Ghana Health Service to expand H2Go to full-scale implementation throughout Ghana and beyond.
The Ghana Branch of the University of Utah Center for Global Surgery
The U’s Center for Global Surgery has over a decade of experience building the capacity of medical institutions in West Africa, Asia, and North America to increase the size and technical skills of the surgical workforce. The Center currently collaborates with Ensign Global College to host personnel and operations to sustain year-round activity and deepen problem-solving engagement with key stakeholders throughout the country. Each year, the center partners with Ensign Global College students to promote awareness months for the National Cervical Cancer and Breast Cancer Associations.
With the addition of CLIP, the satellite Center for Global Surgery aims to expand its reach. Dr. Edward Kofi Sutherland, Faculty and Medical Director at Ensign Global College and Site Director for West Africa with the University of Utah Center for Global Surgery, highlights the significant collaborative efforts between the Center and Ensign Global College in Ghana and West Africa.
“Our ongoing commitment involves the generation of evidence-based research aimed at positively impacting the lives of local populations in areas such as women’s health and cancer research…
With the addition of the Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Prosperity (CLIP) as a cornerstone for partnership, our collective efforts will escalate at a momentum that knows no bounds.”
Prosperity U Global
The Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity has offered students global experiences to study and participate in programs in Ghana since 2019. Programs have included coursework on poverty alleviation, entrepreneurship, business development, internship opportunities, and more. CLIP will provide even more options for University of Utah students to work side by side with local organizations in Ghana to make an impact and increase prosperity throughout the region. Global student experiences that involve working with communities in the region give students a whole new perspective on their academic journey and beyond.
Stephanie Dutson, a student in the Masters of International Affairs and Global Enterprise, talked about how her experience has forever changed the way she views the world.
“The time I spent in Ghana has already reshaped my ideas, hopes, and goals for my future career and opened my eyes to see the impactful work that is going on throughout the world. Not only did my academic understanding of international affairs, health, and development increase, but my understanding of cultures, people, and life was significantly altered as Ghana became another place for me to call home. My experience in Ghana was priceless, and I will forever see the world through a new pair of eyes.”
Global Prosperity U has also provided opportunities for top University of Utah faculty to travel to Ghana and share training, knowledge, and best practices with professionals in West Africa.
Professor Don Wardell, University of Utah, David Eccles Faculty, and a Francis A. Madsen Scholar, commented on his experience.
“I had the wonderful opportunity to teach a course on quality management to healthcare executives as well as a Six Sigma course to alumni and current Master of Public Health students at Ensign Global College in Kpong, Ghana, in January and February of 2022. We all learned a great deal about the applications of quality principles and tools as they apply to the delivery of healthcare in Ghana.”
CLIP will increase the involvement of the University of Utah in this region of the world. Alder noted during the November 2023 dedication ceremony for the new building that there will be new spaces for gathering, innovation labs, and addressing some of the world’s most challenging problems, such as an office dedicated to ending human trafficking-related issues and supporting those affected.
For more information about the University of Utah’s partnership with Ensign Global College and the new Center for Leadership, Innovation, and Prosperity, visit prosperityu.utah.edu.