The New ACAS

The Africa Center for Advanced Studies of Governance, Economic Development, Climate and Innovation (ACAS-GEDCI) was incorporated in 2023 to take over from IIAS. The International Institute for the Advanced Study of Cultures, Institutions and Economic Enterprise (IIAS) was founded in 2006 and launched in 2007 in Accra as an international institute that pursues multi-disciplinary research into African cultures, institutions (legal, social, cultural, political, economic, health), enterprise and everyday life as a platform for institutional reform and the creation of supple structures to meet new challenges. The institute had the mission to develop African solutions to African problems, informed by current international scholarship, best policy practices, emanating out of a dialogue between academic researchers, policy makers, and government officials. IIAS was therefore birthed from an opportunity to harmonize expanding global possibilities to guide development in Africa in a distinctly African way.

After almost two decades of existence as IIAS, its core directors on reflection on the current intellectual challenges and opportunities that face Ghana, Africa, and the world, recommended a focused but expanded remit for the Center. At the heart of the expanded remit will be three streams of intellectual activity. They affirm key historical insights from political economy, such as Adam Smith’s observation from the 18^th century that the best organized societies combine civic humanism and natural jurisprudence (a well-governed society) with free trade; and respond to new challenges of our time, such as global warming and climate change. The Center will continue to leverage the best of international scholarship while being attuned to the particularities of Africa. The three streams of intellectual activity are mainly:

1. Law, Governance, and Strengthening Civil Society.
2. Economic Growth and Development; Financial Institutions.
3. Climate Change, Technology and Innovation, Cities.

Vision

The core vision of ACAS (as it was with IIAS) is to use deep research to provide an African imprint to development on the continent. With an international cast of fellows, we intend to leverage our scholarly networks to advise government and private sector through workshops, consultancies, and commissioned reports.