Ghana is one of the African mid- income countries that is currently upgrading its higher education. In the next years technicons and universities are required to carry through reforms supporting quality and managerial structures. Dutch Academic Services was invited by Leiden University ICLON institute for graduate teaching to develop and organise the programme for Universities of Ghana Overseas Office (UGOO): Re- focussing sustainable best practice in Higher-Education Management. The programme included different learning lines, putting developments in the Netherlands in an international perspective (Bologna) and linking strategic choices with business and management (and less bureaucracy!) After the official opening by His Excellency Dr. Tony Aidoo Ambassador of Ghana and Simone Buitendijk, Vice–rector of Leiden University, participants were provided an in-depth overview on operations and managerial structures of Netherlands Higher Education structure. Including the annual planning and control cycle, the role and functions of the financial shared service centre (FSSC), the up-scaled procurement processes, as well ase of the University Leadership towards its quest for maintaining quality in research and education. At The Hague Applied Science University focus was on the ‘triple helix’, the close cooperation between universities, city management structures’ and private sector. Carl Dittrich, chairman of the Netherlands Association of Universities (VSNU) and Jürgen Rienks of the Council for Applied Universities (HBO Raad) explained how the transformation of applied and research universities took place in the past 30 years. We made a working excursion to Zealand, were the Dutch West Indies Company originated. One of their businesses was transferring slaves from Ghana to America.