Overview:

On November 8, 2025, the 9th Annual TKSHS Arts Competition and Academic Awards took place in Kumawu, Ghana. The event featured cultural performances, a fashion show, an arts competition, and the presentation of academic awards to students, teaching, and non-teaching staff. In his speech, Prof. Yaw Nyarko announced the establishment of the Rita Fernandez Fashion Centre, in honor of the grandmother of philanthropist, Mr. Zandre Campos, who has been instrumental in supporting Arts Education at TKSHS. The event highlighted TKSHS’s commitment to academic and artistic excellence, supported by CTED’s transformative education initiatives and community partnerships.

Overview:

DUBAI – New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) and the UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism are expanding their research partnership, building on a series of meetings held over the past year to strengthen collaboration on data and policy.

On 17 September 2025, NYUAD faculty, led by Professor Yaw Nyarko, met with ministry officials in Dubai to discuss new initiatives in applying AI to economic research, advancing data collaboration, policy evaluation, and setting long-term priorities for the UAE economy. Professor Raša Karapandža, Dean of EBS Business School in Germany and Visiting Professor at NYUAD, also joined the project, highlighting the international dimension of the collaboration. 

Both sides emphasized the importance of building a stronger data ecosystem, advancing collaboration through the Ministry’s new Knowledge Hubs, and investing in the capacity of Emirati economists.

This engagement marks the continuation of a growing partnership between NYUAD and the Ministry, with a mission to harness AI to transform economic analysis, drive evidence-based policymaking, and shape the UAE’s long-term economic strategy.

Overview:

The seminar hosted by International Finance Corporation (IFC) Economics focused on Africa and addressed ongoing issues related to technology, agricultural markets and climate change. Professor Yaw Nyarko delivered a keynote presentation on “Transforming Africa: Technology, Agricultural Markets, and Climate Change,” covering how to leverage blockchain and AI to accelerate economic diversification and environmental resilience. Professor Nyarko is in talks with the IFC for additional programs and potential funding.

Overview:

The Abu Dhabi Ideas Summit 2025, hosted at NYU Abu Dhabi brought together leading voices from academia, industry, and government to explore the UAE’s untapped natural advantages in the emerging digital and climate economies. The event featured a series of high-impact discussions on innovation, sustainability, and technological transformation. As a keynote speaker, Professor Raša Karapandža delivered a talk on the powerful intersection of blockchain and AI, highlighting how these technologies can be harnessed to drive economic diversification, environmental resilience, and inclusive growth in the UAE and beyond. Delivered a keynote on leveraging blockchain and AI to accelerate economic diversification and environmental resilience. Engaged with top leaders across academia, industry, and government in shaping strategies for the UAE’s digital and climate-driven future.

Overview:

Professor Raša Karapandža organized a blockchain community meeting between Stefan Jackel head of foreign listings at NYSE and NYUAD and NYU students in NYC Professor Karapandža met with NYU Abu Dhabi students and alumni, as well as Stefan Jackel, Head of Foreign Listings at the New York Stock Exchange. These meetings directly advanced the objectives of project and the Ripple Blockchain Collaboratory by reinforcing institutional partnerships, enhancing alumni and ecosystem engagement, and aligning with Ripple’s broader strategic priorities in blockchain innovation and global outreach.

Overview:

Professor Raša Karapandža and Professor Yaw Nyarko presented their current research to conference attendees. Professor Karapandža and Professor Nyarko shared key findings from their research on the CTED Volta Initiative, showcasing how blockchain technology can drive financial inclusion and economic development in emerging markets. The presentation inspired discussions among business leaders and blockchain experts on practical strategies for leveraging decentralized technologies to enhance financial systems and market access.

Overview:

Professor Yaw Nyarko acted as organizer and speaker for the program in collaboration with The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) and World Monuments Fund. The goal was to foster conversation around recontextualizing the MET’s Arts of Africa Galleries by telling the stories of historic African heritage sites. Professor Nyarko presented CTED’s “Biography of a People” research and cultural heritage site developments. A dynamic panel discussion featured Alisa LaGamma, Sosena Solomon, and Tawanda Mukwende, who shared insights on African cultural narratives, heritage, and reimagining museum spaces.

Overview:

Professor Yaw Nyarko organized the event in conversation with Ann Bernstein, Founder and Executive Director of the Centre for Development and Enterprise (CDE), South Africa’s leading development think tank. Ann Bernstein shared key insights on the challenges and opportunities facing South Africa’s Government of National Unity (GNU). The event explored the mixed reactions to the GNU, both domestically and internationally, and examined what is needed to ensure its future success.

Overview:

Professor Yaw Nyarko convened and moderated “Mini-Conference on Decision-Making Under Uncertainty: AI, Technology, Markets, and Sustainable Development” at NYU New York. Professor Nyarko  gave a presentation on the “Economic Rationality of Your AI Advisor.” Engaged experts from academia in discussions on the role of AI and technology in shaping decision-making processes under uncertainty, with a focus on market dynamics and sustainable development.

Overview:

Professor Yaw Nyarko led a presentation in a virtual seminar for the Ghana Ministry of Finance and the International Growth Centre (IGC) Ghana Office on using AI, blockchain, and technology for creating inclusion for smallholder farmers to access modern financial markets. This IGC Ghana Policy Seminar Series is hosted for Ghana’s Ministry of Finance staff. Professor Yaw Nyarko presented the “CTED Volta Initiative” project to high-level Ghanaian Ministry of Finance staff and explained how AI and blockchain technology can bridge financial gaps for smallholder farmers, fostering greater economic inclusion and access to modern financial markets. Disseminated research to key policymakers in Ghana.

Overview:

Professor Yaw Nyarko was nominated as one of ten winners by the Falling Walls Science Summit under the Social Sciences and Humanities category. The summit is an annual conference that brings together “leaders from the worlds of science, business, politics, the arts and society” in Berlin, Germany. Professor Yaw Nyarko was honored as one of ten winners in the Social Sciences and Humanities category.

Overview:

Professor Yaw Nyarko hosted an awards and art collaboration program at NYU CTED, Kumawu in Ghana. The event highlighted the collaboration between Tweneboa Kodua Senior High School (TKSHS) art students and teachers. The goal was to showcase the creativity of the students from the arts programs led by NYU CTED. Awards were given for top academic performances and teacher appreciation. The community was a part of this event and learned about CTED’s work and support of youth programs. Students presented their artwork and fashion ideas through a fashion show and developed vocational skills through participating in the CTED programs.

Overview:

The NHEF Higher Education Forum, a prestigious event that brings together educators, industry experts, and private sector leaders to engage in discussion on ways to further strengthen the Nigerian higher education system and identify potential areas of development. Professor Yaw Nyarko was a speaker at the NHEF Higher Education Forum. 

Overview:

NYU Africa House is delighted to collaborate with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) on the conference "Africa AI Blueprint: Building a Sustainable and Inclusive AI Ecosystem. Digitalization, automation, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are revolutionizing prosperity by enhancing daily life through technologies like blockchain, Internet of Things, and 3D printing, which perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence. AI is particularly transformative, driving sustainable development and economic growth across various sectors. In early 2024, the African Union's High-Level Panel on Emerging Technologies (APET) published a White Paper on AI's strategic importance. A Continental AI Strategy adopted in June 2024, aiming to drive Africa’s development and inclusive growth. AUDA-NEPAD is also working on an AI Governance mechanism to address sector-specific applications and policy needs. However, the rise of these disruptive technologies brings risks such as security threats and economic instability, necessitating global collaboration to ensure cybersecurity and digital trust for future generations. To that effect, the high-level event organized by NYU Africa House and AUDA-NEPAD on the side of the Summit of the Future will address the following:  

Building a Foundation for Africa’s AI Ecosystem 

• Bridging the Infrastructure Gap 

• Cultivating Human Capacity 

• Fostering Research and Innovation 

• Mapping the Future of AI in Africa 

Addressing Risks, Maximizing Benefits, and Ensuring Ethical Responsible AI 

• Mitigating Job Displacement and Economic Disruption 

• Ensuring Fairness, Equity, and Inclusivity 

• Navigating the Geopolitical Landscape  

Program:

9:00 am - 9:30 am Registration and Welcome Coffee

9:30 am - 10:00 am Opening Remarks

By Mr. Edward Bergman (NYU Africa House Advisory Board Member), Prof. Yaw Nyarko (Professor of Economics at NYU and Director of NYU Africa House) and Mme Nardos Bekele-Thomas (AUDA-NEPAD CEO)

10:00 am - 10:30 am Prof. Sanjay Reddy (Economics at The New School for Social Research, New York) keynote address on “The Strategic Importance of AI for Africa’s Future: Navigating Governance and Ethical Considerations”

10:30 am - 11:30 am Panel Discussion 1, featured Prof. Yaw Nyarko (Professor of Economics at NYU and Director of NYU Africa House) and Prof. Raša Karapandža, (Professor of Finance and Dean at EBS and Visiting Professor at NYU Abu Dhabi) to present on “The Future of Global Banking and Economic Development in Africa in the Era of Digitalization”

11:30 am - 12:30 am Panel Discussion 2, featured Dr. Rachel Adams (Director of the African Observatory on Responsible AI), Mr. Pierre-Christopher Gam (MIT Researcher) and Dr. Byron E. Price (professor of public administration at Medgar Evers College), to present on “Addressing Risks, Maximizing Benefits, and Ensuring Ethical AI”

12:30 am - 1:30 pm Lunch

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm Roundtable Discussion, featured Mr. Amine Idriss Adoum (Director Economic, Infrastructure, Industrialisation and Market Trade), Mr. Kojo Boakye (Meta’s Vice President of Public Policy for Africa), Leonida Mutuku (AI Research Director Local Development Research Institute), Dr. Duncan Cass-Beggs, (Executive Director of AI Global Risk Initiative Center for International Governance Innovation)

2:30 pm - 2:45 pm Closing Remarks and Next Steps

Overview:

The conference, hosted by the African Finance and Economic Association (AFEA) focused on the theme “Strengthening African Economies: Targeted Innovations and Strategies for Inclusive Growth and Sustainable Development,” providing a platform for discussions on shaping the continent’s financial and economic landscape. Professor Yaw Nyarko delivered a presentation highlighting technological interventions such as AI and blockchain for African development. Presented research to academics, researchers, and policymakers in Ghana and Africa.

Overview:

The AERC’s 60th Biannual Research Workshop opened with a high-level plenary session in Nairobi, Kenya, focusing on youth, migration, and economic opportunities in African economies. Keynote speeches and presentations explored strategies for harnessing the demographic dividend, tackling youth unemployment, and promoting productivity in the informal sector. Professor Yaw Nyarko presented our research projects regarding technology and economic development in Africa, focusing on economic opportunities for the youth.

Overview:

As part of NYU Abu Dhabi’s Blockchain Collective, Professor Raša Karapandža led an engaging session for students to learn about Solana. Participants gained insights into the Solana blockchain and the Superteam UAE initiative, exploring opportunities to learn, earn, and innovate in the crypto space. The event fostered networking among blockchain enthusiasts while offering hands-on learning experiences.

Overview:

As part of NYU Abu Dhabi’s Blockchain Collective, Professor Raša Karapandža led an engaging session for students to learn about career opportunities in AI, blockchain, and tech. NYU Abu Dhabi students engaged in an interactive session where they minted their own NFTs, gaining hands-on experience with blockchain technology. The workshop provided valuable career insights, learning opportunities, and networking.

Overview:

Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) are experiencing unprecedented levels of interest globally, with more than nine out of ten central banks considering their adoption according to a recent Bank of International Settlements survey. This is no surprise, as CBDCs may offer the potential for more agile monetary policy tools, something which is of great interest to many African countries facing debt distress resulting from pandemic and geopolitical related shocks, as well as recent rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve. Yet, there are also risks involved, given that CBDCs combine the inherent hazards of any currency redesign with the still novel blockchain technology. Join us for a discussion on the future of global banking and economic development, with an emphasis on emerging regions, and particularly Africa, in the era of digitalization. The conference will feature discussions on:

• Introduction: A New Financial Era;

• Programmable Money: Blockchain 2.0 – The Future is Here;

• Digital Money in the Bush; and

• Machine Learning and Large Language Models (LLMs), AI, and ChatGPT: Implications for Financial Management and Economic Development.

Chairman Armando Manuel, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Angola Sovereign Wealth Fund

Chairman Armando Manuel is a distinguished professional renowned for his contributions to economics, finance, and governance, both nationally and internationally. With a rich and varied career, Mr. Manuel has played pivotal roles in shaping economic policies and fostering strategic leadership, leaving an enduring impact on the global landscape of economic development. As Chairman of FSDEA, Mr. Manuel leverages his extensive expertise in sovereign wealth management to drive sustainable economic development and enhance Angolas economic resilience. In his role as Advisor to the President of the Republic of Angola at the Economic and Social Council, Mr. Manuel provides strategic insights and policy recommendations to the President, contributing significantly to the countrys economic and social development agenda. His dedication to education and research underscores his passion for nurturing talent and fostering intellectual growth.

Sponsored by the CV Starr Center.

©Jolly: Courtesy of NYU Photo Bureau.