AsanSka University College of Design and Technology is the brainchild of businessman and entrepreneur, Mr. Kwabena Asante-Asare, founder of AsanSka Football Club and the founder and CEO of AsanSka Minerals Ltd., established in 2004 which is in the business of gold products manufacturing and export of gold to the international market under the Ghana Free Zones Board. As an astute businessman with rich experience in gold and diamond business, the knowledge acquired and observations made about the gold business in other countries (South Africa, New York, Dubai, Switzerland, India) set him thinking about how to add value to Ghana’s gold.

He also felt that, by creating an avenue to sustain employment in the jewellery industry, it may be possible to create a thriving gold market in Ghana. Such a market would be supported and sustained by highly-skilled artisans with the capacity to produce beautiful items of jewellery with enhanced or excellent finishes.

In 2006 AsanSka Jewellery Ltd (now AsanSka Minerals Ltd) opened its factory doors to students posted there on attachment. All students were required to write and submit an attachment report. Though a very busy person, Mr. Asante-Asare made time to read most of these reports written by the students. The contents of these reports led him to seek audience with some of the students and later with their supervisor. After these meetings, he came to the conclusion that:

1. there was the need for an institution to train jewellery designers; and
2. such an institution should be fully equipped to provide a complete working knowledge of current best practices in the jewellery industry.

It was after these meetings that he made the decision to set up a Jewellery Design College. To confirm the decision that he had taken, he called a good friend of his, Gigi Mazzocco, who owns one of the top jewellery manufacturing companies in South Africa who gave him a thumbs up, accompanied by invaluable words of encouragement.

When Mr. Asante-Asare felt fully convinced that the idea of setting up such an institution was a good one, he requested the company of his senior brother, Dr Emmanuel Amankwah Asante, a Senior Research Scientist at the MRC Prion Unit in the UK, who both paid a visit to Professor Jack Cunningham (now retired) of the Birmingham City University School of Jewellery in the UK. Professor Cunningham recommended that a second course be added to jewellery design.

Upon his return to Ghana, Mr Asante-Asare, through two graduate students, came into contact with Mr Emmanuel Ansah, an Industrial Designer and Small Craft Naval Architect trained in the US. After hearing a presentation of ideas and his vision for a design school on 27th August 2014, Mr. Ansah recommended that Product Design should be the second course offered by this new design college.

As AsanSka University College of Design and Technology begins its ascent, its Governing Board and staff share a commitment to accomplishing the college’s mission.