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Brain power |
Jackie Cameron |
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Posted: Thu, 02 Jun 2005 12:00 | ©
Moneyweb Holdings Limited
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There’s a wind of change sweeping
through Africa’s tertiary business institutions as academics embrace
goals to boost the continent’s economy and generally improve the
quality of living of its citizens.
It’s increasingly out with the theory books produced in first-world
countries and in with practical case studies of companies doing
business in Africa.
Tertiary institutions – particularly those with an emphasis on
business education – are also moving closer together along with the
increasing acknowledgement by political leaders that the key for
sustainable growth lies in educating Africa’s citizens.
This was the message from deans from across Africa who attended the
World Economic Forum’s Africa Economic Summit in Cape Town this week.
Academics are hoping – and expecting – that the G8 group of countries
will agree to hand over about US$8-bn over 10 years for education
projects in Africa. Institutions
that should benefit will also be expected to support neighbouring
institutions and use their expertise to help boost education on the
continent.
John Rowett, of the Association of Commonwealth Universities (UK),
says science and technology education are “the absolute key(s) to
economic growth” and obvious areas where Africa has “a major
deficiency”.
Every G8 country “is investing hugely” in its own tertiary education
systems, he noted.
The gap between Africa and the rest of the world will “just get wider
and wider” unless the educational requirements of the continent are
addressed, said Rowett. Universities
are “the key to sustainable development of the continent”, he told
Moneyweb.
A breakfast meeting of academics heard how business schools around
Africa are increasingly emphasizing the practical rather than
theoretical in courses.
Nick Binedell of the Gordon Institute of Business Sciences in South
Africa, said business schools have become “quite practical, are
delivery and action-oriented”. The
case studies are “real” and appropriate to Africa – rather than
textbook examples, like GE and Enron, which perhaps have less
relevance for business players on this continent.
Peter Bamkole, director of Enterprise Development Services at the
Lagos Business School, Nigeria, pointed out that in many countries,
particularly Nigeria, most businesses are “classified as small
business”.
It is essential, therefore, to factor this in to educational
programmes aimed at business. In
Nigeria, his institution has started, among other things, networking
programmes so that entrepreneurs can put pressure on one another to
succeed and learn from each other.
Small businesses have different needs and are often overlooked in
their importance as contributors to economic growth, employment levels
and wealth creation, said Bamkole.
He cited a number of Nigerian business successes as a result of these
practical programmes: small operations growing their businesses
substantially or turning adversity to business advantage.
In one example, a small company helped a telecoms company increase its
subscriber base from 4 000 to about 150 000; in another, a local fruit
juice trader started manufacturing produce after a trade problem
stopped its supplies.
As Nigeria and South Africa move closer together in their business
relationships, it is also essential to make sure the political and
business leaders are sharing information, he said.
Guy P Pfeffermann, former chief economist of the IFC and director of
the Global Business School Network (GBSN), said the International
Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank
Group, had brought deans and professors from across Africa to
participate in the annual Africa Economic Summit.
“As highlighted in the report of the Commission for Africa, higher
education is crucial for economic development. While the primary focus
of the World Bank and IFC is on infrastructure development, GBSN is
focusing on “human” infrastructure development.”
The GBSN has launched several African pilot programmes, financed by
the IFC, in which some of the world’s top business schools are lending
their support to African business schools.
This includes a program focused on introducing practice-based teaching
and learning methods – often involving classroom discussion of case
studies -into African management education curricula.
“It is important to educate people not just at a school level, but at
a business education level. Africa, now, is the IFC’s top priority”,
said Pfeffermann.
He said that an important consideration is reversing the “brain drain”
experienced by Africa, where qualified individuals seek employment
elsewhere in the world after obtaining tertiary qualifications.
“If people are taught locally and taught by the locals, the chance
they will work locally is much greater. This in turn will improve the
investment climate because companies go to countries where they can
find a pool of competent managers,” added Pfeffermann.
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World Economic Forum
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