History

“College students are hungry to be part of something larger than themselves, to engage in meaningful work that they believe can make a difference in the lives of those around them and, in the process, in their own lives. Ashoka offers this opportunity through social entrepreneurship. Ashoka is enabling students to participate in improving their campuses and the communities that surround them.”

—Tom Ehrlich

Sr. Scholar, Carnegie Foundation for Teaching and Learning
Former President, Indiana University

In 2008, Ashoka U launched as a program of Ashoka, because after three decades of working with leading social entrepreneurs (almost 3,000 of them in 70 countries!), we realized that far more changemakers were needed to become the architects of a sustainable and flourishing society.

Moreover, we recognized that solving the most complex social and environmental problems would require sparking and sustaining collaboration between key innovators across sectors and experts with deep knowledge – from geology to art history to neuroscience – to drive towards collective impact.

For this, we saw immense potential in the institution of the university as platform that educates the next generation of leaders, and brings together a startling diversity of stakeholders and expertise. We believe higher education can help society innovate at the rate the world is changing.

Once investment in transportation and manufacturing capacity was crucial to catalyze the industrial revolution. We believe now is the time to invest in the entrepreneurial university – we call it a Changemaker Campus – as the essential infrastructure for the innovation revolution.