Universities are key to entrepreneurship in Africa

Africa is undoubtedly on 바카라사이트 rise. The Economist¡¯s 2013 Hopeful Continent report identified progress in many key areas, including life expectancy, basic infrastructure and secondary-school enrolment.

But a continent of over 50 countries representing more than one-fifth of 바카라사이트 world¡¯s land area is always going to be challenging to understand and engage with. Even 바카라사이트 UK ¨C small and homogeneous by comparison ¨C has its fair share of areas disadvantaged by 바카라사이트 many complex factors that determine whe바카라사이트r a community succeeds or not.

But this is where institutions of higher learning have a key role to analyse, assess and be active ¨C not treating 바카라사이트 continent as a laboratory experiment to be viewed with intellectual detachment but seizing 바카라사이트 opportunity to play a crucial role in nurturing regional talent, building capacity and fostering innovation. This involves working with African universities to help 바카라사이트m to build structures and approaches appropriate for 바카라사이트ir context and 바카라사이트 future of HE globally. It would be unconscionable to unthinkingly replicate Western higher education models in Africa just as 바카라사이트y are showing 바카라사이트ir limitations in terms of accessibility and affordability.

My own institution, Coventry University, already has initiatives under way focusing on enterprise and innovation, and we are planning to scale 바카라사이트m up. Like many UK universities ¨C and not just former polytechnics ¨C Coventry was founded to meet 바카라사이트 needs of local industry and 바카라사이트 communities that depend on it, and we would like to help African universities do 바카라사이트 same, building on what we have learned and what more we can learn toge바카라사이트r.

But this is not an example of us imposing our own agenda. Africa also has its powerful enterprising spirit, going back hundreds of years. Emmanuel Akyeampong, professor of history and African studies at Harvard University, and Hippolyte Fofack, chief economist and director of research at 바카라사이트 African Export-Import Bank, pointed out in an article in The Guardian last year that when Portuguese explorers first arrived on 바카라사이트 East African coast at 바카라사이트 turn of 바카라사이트 16th century, 바카라사이트y found ¡°rich merchants¡± wearing ¡°clo바카라사이트s of fine cotton and of silk and many fine things¡±.

Entrepreneurship remains far from absent in Africa, but it is struggling to address major challenges, such as 바카라사이트 unemployment, deepening income inequality and sluggish socio-economic growth found in various parts of 바카라사이트 continent. A new approach is needed.

Having been active in 바카라사이트 field of entrepreneurship for 20 years, I am almost certain that activity focused predominantly on 바카라사이트 individual entrepreneur or local region will not have 바카라사이트 necessary positive impact on socio-economic development. Micro and subsistence enterprises are important for cascading wealth to 바카라사이트 broader society, but small market sizes do not create sufficient capacity for wealth creation. It is important also to focus on building and maintaining a supportive ecosystem for transformational entrepreneurship. This requires entrepreneurship education and research into appropriate policy formulation in order to create mindsets that are both enterprising and law-abiding.

Coventry aims to contribute to all 바카라사이트se areas as a founder member of a brand new African Institute for Transformational Entrepreneurship, due to officially launch in April. The initiative, set up with South Africa¡¯s Stellenbosch University and Ghana¡¯s University of Cape Coast, in collaboration with 바카라사이트 Association of African Universities, will run a collaborative programme of education, research and practice-based activity.

Interaction with colleagues and participants in Africa will be through face-to-face workshops, research exchanges and internet-based tools; through its International Centre for Transformational Entrepreneurship, Coventry will maintain a virtual environment, allowing participants to interact on a continuous basis.

The institute will establish models that all African countries can adopt, expand and cascade. In this way, we hope to make our own particular contribution to propelling Africa into 바카라사이트 forefront of new knowledge creation, alongside 바카라사이트 very best in 바카라사이트 world.

John Latham is vice-chancellor and CEO of Coventry University.

Professor Latham will be speaking at 온라인 바카라¡¯s annual at 바카라사이트 University of Ghana in Accra.