ALA graduates, since the inaugural class of 2008, have attended numerous universities around the world. In fact, 99% of ALA graduates have gone on to University in 49 different countries, collectively receiving over $136 million in university scholarships. However, historically the majority of students have attended universities in the United States and Europe, with an increasing presence in Asia and Africa.
Koffi Emmanuel Sadzi ’17 from Togo made the daring decision to continue his education in Israel at Tel Aviv University. Koffi wanted to try something new and different to the pan-African culture he experienced at ALA. As Israel is known to be a hub of innovation for engineering and electronics, Koffi could not give up this opportunity. He believed studying in Israel would help him learn, encourage him to push himself and make meaningful connections in the technology and engineering sector.
Koffi, who received the highest scores in A-level Physics in all of South Africa at the 2019 Cambridge International Examinations, is enrolled in the prestigious four-year engineering program and has just finished his first semester of studies. This program is comprised of 13 international students in a cohort of 21 students. Koffi, one of two African students in the program, has really enjoyed getting to know the other students, especially those from Israel. Although he finds it challenging breaking down preconceived ideas around Africa, he finds that the diversity he has encountered in Israel has helped him with this. Additionally, the small competitive classes enable Koffi to have meaningful interactions with both his peers and his professors on a range of topics. Additionally, he has joined the Youth Innovation Forum which combines engineers in the undergraduate and Masters programs to work together and solve social problems with innovative solutions.
Although Koffi’s peers from ALA currently attend university all over the world, this has not discouraged him from fully embracing the program in Tel Aviv. He is learning many things not exclusively related to engineering. Similarly to ALA, Koffi has enjoyed participating in an environment where all of his peers are pushing themselves to be the next leading innovators. Koffi hopes to return to the continent for an internship this summer focused on semiconductors and connect with his ALA peers to compare university experiences. In the future, he would like to combine his passion for education fueled by ALA with engineering and play a critical role in shaping the perspective of future generations. Through sharing his unique experience, Koffi hopes future ALA graduates will understand the value of attending universities in the Middle East.
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