Opportunities in the New Paradigm: 21st Century Propulsion of Emerging Markets and Innovative Supply Chains

Event Overview

Over the last decade, emerging markets (EM) increased their share of global economic output by 20%, putting more money into the hands of consumers and businesses. Now, new technologies are empowering EM businesses to drive innovation, local development, and global competition. Agriculture is a case in point: Five of the leading agriculture financial technology (fintech) startups were initially formed to close gaps faced by producers and suppliers in Indonesia, Africa, and Latin America.

In this webinar, we’ll learn how these technologies are disrupting agricultural supply chains for the benefit of all players. Our panel will be moderated by Jinhua Zhao, Ph.D., the David J. Nolan Dean of the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management and will feature Lourdes Casanova of the Cornell SC Johnson School of Business Emerging Markets Institute and Pablo Borquez Schwarzbeck, MBA ’15, CEO and co-founder of agriculture fintech leader ProducePay. Together, they’ll explore how technology innovators are connecting EM suppliers directly to international markets, providing access to the data and financing they need to succeed.

What You’ll Learn

How companies in emerging markets are rapidly evolving from imitators to leaders in innovation
What drives successful innovation in emerging food markets
Which innovations in technology, practice, and purpose are expanding the capabilities of food producers

Speakers

Jinhua Zhao, Ph.D., David J. Nolan Dean, Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management
Lourdes Casanova, Senior Lecturer and Gail and Rob Cañizares Director Emerging Markets Institute
Pablo Borquez Schwarzbeck, MBA, CEO

Date & Time

Friday, July 23, 2021

9:30am Washington D.C.
2:30pm London
3:30pm Geneva
3:30pm Cape Town
7:00pm Mumbai
9:30pm Singapore

Opportunities in the New Paradigm: Finance and Sustainability

Event Overview

“Few in government or business today doubt the inherent value of nature or the importance of managing it sustainably,” assert the editors of 2020’s The Little Book of Investing in Nature, a cohort including Cornell Professor of Practice John Tobin-de la Puente. “But once economics rears its head, then the dialogue becomes muffled, and participants start shuffling papers and shifting their eyes nervously.”

At the intersection of sustainability and finance are the hot topics of impact investing, environmental finance and markets, corporate sustainability, and biodiversity investment. In this webinar, Mark Nelson, Dean of the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management, will moderate a discussion between Angela Mwanza, MBA ’00, an SVP of Evergreen Wealth Management at UBS, and Professor Tobin, on the challenges to and benefits from investing for long-term profit and sustainability rather than for short-term gain. Join us to learn how companies can generate measurable social and environmental impact while reaping real financial returns.

This event is part of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business summer series, “Opportunities in the New Paradigm.”

What You’ll Learn

The many ways to understand sustainable finance
How impact investing is expanding its reach to new industries
What metrics can best define success and achieve accountability

Speakers

Angela Mwanza, SVP Evergreen Wealth Management
John Tobin-de la Puente, Professor of Practice and Co-Director, Initiative on Responsible Finance
Mark Nelson, Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean, Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management

Date & Time

Friday, July 16, 2021

9:30am Washington D.C.
2:30pm London
3:30pm Geneva
3:30pm Cape Town
7:00pm Mumbai
9:30pm Singapore

Call for Chapters – Responsible Management of Work Value Shifts Post Covid-19

Editors: Kemi Ogunyemi and Adaora Onaga, Pan-Atlantic University, Lagos, Nigeria
Email addresses: kogunyemi@lbs.edu.ng, aonaga@pau.edu.ng
Publishers: In review with Emerald Publishing
Please send a 200-word chapter proposal to the above email addresses by August 15, 2021.

About the Book

Title: Responsible Management of Work Value Shifts Post Covid-19
Summary: The Covid-19 pandemic is leaving an indelible mark on history. This book aims to reflect on past and present events influencing its global impact and the shifts towards new directions in responsible management of human relationships and workforce dynamics. Future adaptations to heighten responsibility are explored and recommendations are proffered.

Full Description

Covid 19 has deepened the VUCA (volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous) context of the world we live in globally and thus heightened the need for responsibility, accountability, and ethics in the use and management of resources for the common good of all humanity. Big value shifts have taken place both at individual and collective levels – families, companies, communities, countries, etc. New and wicked problems emerged and tested the moral mettle of many – physically, emotionally and spiritually. While the pandemic has had (and continues having) unprecedented effects on our personal and professional lives, it has surfaced physical, emotional, and spiritual gaps and strengths which may have been previously unappreciated. These changes have had a direct impact on the workforce especially with businesses and healthcare. There is however, no aspect of the globalized society that has been left untouched. Thus, it can be considered a special pandemic which is not only relevant to the present but has future implications and will benefit from lessons from the past. For this reason, in this project, we start with a study of past major pandemics and epidemics in relation to their influence on workplace dynamics. This influence is theorized to be at the same time positive and detrimental to development. An analysis of the reasons for growth or otherwise can help with understanding and directing the future post Covid 19.

The pandemic has forced the rapid actualization, worldwide, of a digital potential that was already considered to be speedily developing. However, the progress already made shows that there is still potential for even swifter technological progress to directly and positively impact personal, professional, and social lives while minimizing externalities. The resulting accelerated progress has led to hybrid work models, the automation of services previously provided by human individuals, and the pressured acquisition of new skills and tools in a relatively short time – in all these, responsible management has sometimes taken a hit. We are interested in unpacking what has happened during the period and also in the future directions of this shift in technological skills and ways of thinking about the workplace and work values. Our interest is particularly directed at organizations that have borne the direct impact of changes with Covid and the health sector responsible for its control and prevention. What did it mean and what does it mean to have responsible management in these new circumstances? Where gender equity, social responsibility, and responsible taxation of businesses were previously relevant before the pandemic, what direction should these discussions be taking?

The future of our post-Covid world is of primary concern. It requires active agency to ensure that it is a world that places work in its right context for growth and development and this entails greater responsibility for those who control and distribute resources or make decisions that affect them. How this is achieved will be influenced by the personal and organizational preparation to make it happen. What impact will the workplace shifts have on our physical, psychological, and spiritual health?

The final section of the work looks at the generational impact, relevant virtues, and the physical, psychological, and spiritual adaptations that may be necessary for directing workplace shifts to a wholesome and fulfilling one for humanity. In the wake of Covid 19, the book will aid businesses by providing further insight into the changes that have been caused by the pandemic and how to proactively and responsibly react to them. It will reinforce the efforts they are already making in this regard and broaden their perspectives and provoke them to think outside of the box to do things right. The case studies showcase best practices to guide others who wish to act responsibly. There is an intentional focus on the future of work and management which are rapidly evolving and require deep reflections about their direction and its quality.

Tentative Table of Contents: Please send a 200-word chapter proposal, dealing with or related to the themes below, to the editors’ email addresses (as above) by August 15, 2021.

Section 1- Pandemics and Workplace Dynamics: A Longitudinal Perspective (Taking the long view)

Past epidemics, moral questions raised, and their historical impact on development
Ethical leadership in crises and pandemics – a dilemmatic review
Shifts in CSR and sustainability imperatives over the years due to ‘natural disasters’
The impact of pandemics on governance and public services

Section 2- Covid-19 Impact on Businesses and Organizations (Systemic responsibility)

Applying ethical theories and principles in unusual situations – practical approaches to decision making
Responsible people management and fairness during Covid 19
Working from home and the dynamics for gender equity and the digital divide
Expat quotas, knowledge transfer dynamics and work from home

Section 3- Responsible Healthcare: Gains and Challenges with Covid 19 (Health in crisis)

Resource management and healthcare accountability with Covid 19
New perspectives in occupational health and safety for businesses
Responsible personal care and the logic of lockdowns
Triaging and managing Covid – ethical decision-making
Covid vaccinations and moral questions (production, inclusivity, etc.)
Health and business intersections – profitability and the common good

Section 4- People Management in Fluid Workspaces: Transplanting Corporate Values and Ethical Culture into the New Normal (Recreating responsibility)

Developing resilient people and upskilling
Work ethic from home – (mis)trust and (dis)honesty
Tensions and solutions in upholding organizational culture and values; challenges to resilience
Responsible private-public partnerships for the pandemic – guiding principles for collaborations

Section 5- Directing the Future of Work Value Shifts Responsibly (Work value shifts and the future)

Flexibility as virtue (or vice) in future work dynamics
Generational impact for the future of responsible management of the generations
Preparing for the next pandemic – legacy learnings
Psychological needs for future work value shifts
Dealing ethically with legal restrictions and the implications of contractual failures
Protecting against abuses of trust – private, public, NGOs, media actors; future trust issues
Religion and spirituality in management in a post-Covid world

There is an intentional focus on the future of work and management, which are rapidly evolving and require deep reflections about their direction and its quality. Please send a 200-word proposal to kogunyemi@lbs.edu.ng by August 15, 2021.

University of British Columbia: Dean, Sauder School of Business

Location: Vancouver, BC

The University of British Columbia (UBC), one of the world’s most dynamic universities, invites applications and nominations for the position of Dean of the Sauder School of Business.

UBC’s vision is to create an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada, and the world. Ranked among the top 40 universities globally, with campuses in Vancouver and the Okanagan, UBC has close to 65,000 students and offers both intellectual riches and an unrivalled quality of life.

The Sauder School of Business is Canada’s leading academic business school, maintaining an international reputation for excellence in research and learning, and unmatched global partnerships. Ranked number one for business programs in Canada, Sauder School combines theory with practical application, emphasizing business fundamentals and critical thinking. Today, UBC Sauder is home to more than 4,700 students in Bachelors, Masters and PhD programs, with significant additional enrolment in non-degree professional accreditation programs unique to Sauder for accounting and real estate professionals. Dedicated to rigorous and relevant teaching, UBC Sauder’s programs generate business leaders who drive change and shape industries and organizations around the world.

The new Dean will bring a successful track record in significant leadership roles within a research-intensive university. The Dean will have a strong track record in research and teaching, which they will bring to bear in their role in promoting excellence in both. A strategic leader, they will engage and inspire a diverse range of people in the evolution of the School’s vision, develop collaborative partnerships with other Faculties, and work closely with students, faculty, staff, alumni and others across the University. Committed to excellence and innovation, the Dean will build upon the values UBC Sauder places on ethical and social responsibility. The new Dean’s background and credentials will merit an appointment as full professor in the Sauder School of Business at UBC.

This is an opportunity to lead a world-class business school, with tremendous forward momentum, situated in a city that consistently ranks as one of the most liveable cities in the world.

To explore this opportunity and receive the full position profile, submit nominations, or to apply, please contact our search consultants in Boyden’s Vancouver office at 604-685-0261 (ask for Ella Hipolito) or email: ubcdeansauder@boyden.com.

For more information about UBC, visit www.ubc.ca.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. All applicants will be asked to complete a confidential equity survey.

We thank all applicants for their interest in this position. Please note that we will only be in contact with those individuals moving forward with our client.

The New Rules: Redefining Global Business Leadership

Event Details

Once upon a time, there was a somewhat defined set of “how-tos” for succeeding in business. Yet today’s complex, interconnected, and often chaotic global marketplace doesn’t follow the old rules. The modern business community is being called upon to do things differently, with some of the loudest calls coming from business leaders themselves.

Join a high-level moderated discussion about the “new rules” for business and what they mean for the future of business schools and higher-education around the world. Andrew Karolyi, Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, and Judy Samuelson, founder and executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Business & Society Program, will explore emerging priorities for business leaders as well as for those responsible for their training, development, and ultimate success. Michelle Duguid, Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging at the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, will moderate.

What You’ll Learn

How profound shifts in attitudes and mindsets are redefining business success
How intangible concepts like reputation, trust, and loyalty are imposing new ways to assess risk and opportunity in investment and asset management
Why employees are now businesses’ best allies and newest accountability mechanism
How the current environment is creating important new challenges and opportunities for business education

Date & Time

Friday, July 9th, 2021

9:30am Washington D.C.
2:30pm London
3:30pm Geneva/Cape Town
7:00pm Mumbai
9:30pm Singapore

Learn More and Register

The 2021 EFMD Case Writing Competition is OPEN!

Innovation and creativity

With the support of the Case Centre and our category sponsors, the case writing competition encourages innovative and impactful case writing and teaching. Take part in this yearly case writing competition, organized since 1988.

Join a learning community

You get a chance to be assessed by an international judging panel, who reviews more than 400 cases every year; have an impact on teaching management development and join a community of outstanding innovators.

Impact on management development

Through seventeen categories representing critical managerial areas, you can contribute to management development and some of its future challenges.

Evaluation criteria

Content: The ability to create a strong and interesting learning experience
Form: A good balance between a well-told story and sufficient data
The teaching notes: Accompanying each submission to enhance the learner’s experience
Innovation: Ideas should improve teaching and student engagement

CASE WRITING AWARDS BENEFIT

SHOWCASEBe published by the Case Centre and gain wide visibility across the EFMD network
AWARDGet a chance to be awarded with €2000, applicable to all the winning cases
INSPIREImpact students of management institutions across the globe and practitioners seeking innovations
SHAREEngage with incumbent organisations in discussing strategic business solutions

IMPORTANT DATES FOR THE 2021 EDITION

June 2021: Submission Open
31 October: Deadline for Case Submission
April 2022: Winners Announcement

Submit your case

Submissions Categories

1

African Business Cases

Cases on an African company or a multinational company operating on the African continent in any of the business disciplines, including strategy, entrepreneurship, marketing, OB&HR, supply chain, finance, etc. It must deal with critical challenges, issues, or decisions that students can analyze using theories, frameworks, and analytical methods and tools.

2

Bringing Technology to Market

This category welcomes cases featuring current and future challenges of industrial companies in global B2B markets and their strategies to remain competitive. Cases can focus on industrial companies

introducing digital-based solutions
going global
implementing innovative business models
sustaining a quality leadership position
fighting low-cost competition

3

Continuous Improvement: The Journey to Excellence

Continuous Improvement emphasizes the need to create a culture of progress among companies, permanent change in search of competitiveness, and excellence to improve the business over time. Cases should focus on specific projects leading toward greater efficiency, productivity and the creation of value for clients, which eventually become part of the company’s philosophy.

4

Corporate Social Responsibility

Cases addressing innovative ways companies manage the demands for socially and environmentally circular business practices. Circular context introduces complexity but permits to identify practices in relation to important challenges to promote responsible business. Cases can come from any disciplinary perspective (operations, strategy, finance, etc.).

5

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial processes are present in large organizations as well as in public and social sectors. Cases which address entrepreneurship within these broad sectors are invited.

6

Family Business

This category welcomes case studies featuring inter-disciplinary coverage of family business entrepreneurship related issues. Scholars and other research practitioners are invited to submit case studies addressing various themes: strategy development of a new start-up; family business serial entrepreneurship and many more.

6

Finance and Banking

Cases submitted for this category should have a clear link to business situations occurring in the sector of Finance and Banking.

7

Hidden Champions

“Hidden champions” are large medium-sized companies which hold a leading international market position but aren’t well known to the general public. Cases focus on the challenges of hidden champions to support them in even better mastering their jobs. Topics include international growth strategies, innovation, digital transformation, marketing and sales management, leadership, and corporate culture.

8

Inclusive Business Models

Cases embracing inclusive business models, i.e. commercially viable models that include the poor on the demand side as clients and customers, and on the supply side as employees, producers and business owners at various points in the value chain. These firm-level case studies will provide insights into the effects inclusive business models have on communities, environment and profitability.

9

Latin American Business Cases

Cases describing business development in Latin America, which can feature all types of disciplines of the Business Administration (Strategy, Foresight, Innovation, Marketing, Internationalization, Human Resources, etc.) and cover challenges related to internalization of the regional companies and many more.

10

MENA Business Cases

The MENA Business Cases category focuses on the MENA region, which is experiencing fast development, and whose prospects are promising. Contribute to business cases in the MENA region and stimulate the development of teaching materials related to the main issues characterizing the region.

11

Responsible Business

This mainly include cases that address corporate governance, financial reporting and auditing, integrated reporting, anti-corruption, business ethics, social marketing, gender equality, corporate sustainability, and responsible business education and practices.

This track is believed to add knowledge to different stakeholders about the area of responsible business highlighting its extreme importance.

12

Responsible Leadership

Responsible leaders demonstrate through example their commitment to leading with integrity and to values-driven decision making that considers interests of shareholders, employees, clients, the environment, and the community. Cases are welcome which address the challenges leaders face engaging diverse stakeholders in the creation of economic and social value.

13

Women in Business

Case studies featuring women protagonists in the business environment and focusing on the challenges and issues faced by women in business; how women either overcame these to find growth and success, or lessons drawn from having been inhibited by them. The cases can address a variety of topics and situations, such as women as leaders and entrepreneurs, gender equality, changing workplace dynamics and how to tap into visible or invisible opportunities.

click here For more information

Toward Successful Transitions – Economic Recovery and Democratic Renewal

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is pleased to invite you to join us for the inaugural, public conference of the Free Enterprise & Democracy Network (FEDN). This virtual, two-day conference will serve as a compliment to the World Movement for Democracy and convene leaders and advocates under the theme of “Towards Successful Transitions – Economic Recovery and Democratic Renewal”.

Registration is required to obtain access details.

About the Event

As economic recovery ticks up in certain countries, democracies remain under pressure. The pandemic has exposed weaknesses and disparities that challenge the credibility of democracy, while authoritarian tendencies continue to encroach on freedom. Democracies can adapt, but their prospects will look very different depending on the economic model that dominates crisis and recovery.

In its inaugural conference, which is open to the public, the Free Enterprise & Democracy Network will delve into the prospects for markets and private business to support democratic transition and resist autocracy. Can free markets create inclusive opportunity? Will business take new leadership roles in society? And if it does, will it be trusted? FEDN members and guest speakers will explore priority policy choices to shape recovery and private sector solutions that will change the rules of the game.

To view the full conference schedule and speakers, visit the conference event page.

Access the Conference Event Page

Dates & Time

Monday, June 28 – Tuesday, June 29 2021

Beginning at:

8:00 AM Washington D.C.
1:00 PM London
2:00 PM Geneva
2:00 PM Cape Town
5:30 PM Mumbai
8:00 PM Singapore

Call for Poster Session Contributions at the 29th CEEMAN Annual Conference

CEEMAN invites faculty members and researchers to showcase their work at the traditional CEEMAN poster session related to the overall theme of the 29^th CEEMAN Annual Conference, “Management Education at the Crossroads“. The conference is taking place on 22-24 September 2021 in Trieste, Italy. The poster session will take place in the hybrid format, allowing participants to join online or in person.

The poster session is an opportunity to display innovations faculty members and researchers have implemented during the last years. Even when these innovations are still at an experimental phase, presenting them to the CEEMAN community will give the chance of finding support and receiving valuable feedback, and a publication in the Conference Proceedings.

Poster session co-chairs:

Claudio Rivera, RTU Riga Business School, Latvia
Zoltán Buzády, Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary

Details about Posters and Submissions

The goals of the poster session are:
(a) to raise the visibility of new, emerging or proven, successful pedagogical innovations of faculty members at CEEMAN member and partner institutions
(b) to promote the exchange of new research findings and tools
(c) to foster networking among faculty members and researchers
(d) to create a new platform for publishing and disseminating research findings, teaching materials and solutions

CEEMAN encourages you to submit your proposal for a poster presentation in one or several of the following subtracks:

Your teaching case study,which you have developed yourself and already use in your teaching practice;
Your research work,which may be a fundamental or applied research project, or alternately your concrete, new research findings which have a clear reference to their application in management/business teaching;
Your teaching tool & technique, which you have developed or adopted successfully in your course/program;
Your other experience, which you would like to present and is relevant to the conference theme.

The potential contributors need to:

1. Submit your poster presentation abstract by 10 July 2021 to claudio.rivera@rbs.lv (with email subject “CEEMAN Poster Session”). Your submission should indicate the sub-track of your poster (teaching case study / research / teaching tool or technique / other experience), what is your poster presentation topic, what aspects you plan to present and how it relates to the conference theme. All submissions will be reviewed by a selection board for possible inclusion in the conference poster session.

2. Prepare an online poster and if attending in person, also bring one paper poster or any other brief visual presentation (sized A1) about their pedagogical/research work, which will remain posted throughout the conference.

3. Present their ideas and proposal in an open session to other participants of the 29^th CEEMAN Annual Conference in about 10 minutes on Wednesday, 22 September 2021.

4. Submit a high-quality photo of their poster work and a final write-up of their presentation for publication (two pages) by 18 October 2021 for publication in the Conference proceedings.

We recommend that each poster includes the following elements:

A clear statement informing everyone on ‘What is this poster about?’
An outline of the related topics or elements
A recommendation where and how the proposal object can be used in teaching/management education
Your name, affiliation and contact

Please note that many tips and tricks on preparing a poster presentation are on the internet.

Conditions of participation:

The cost of participation in the poster session only (without attending the conference) is EUR 150. All poster presenters are entitled to a 10% discount for attending the 29^th CEEMAN Annual Conference (covers attendance of all conference events, conference materials, coffee breaks, lunches and dinners, transportation between the venues as specified in the conference program). The fee does NOT cover travel, airport shuttle, accommodation, participation of accompanying persons, or sightseeing tour.

Important Dates/Deadlines

10 July, 2021 – Submission Deadline
22 September, 2021 – Conference Presentation Date (virtual or in-person)

Contact

For any questions or clarification, please contact poster session co-chair Claudio Rivera at claudio.rivera@rbs.lv (with email subject “CEEMAN Poster Session”).

For more information about the conference, logistics and conditions, please visit: http://www.ceeman.org/29thconference.

Online is Here to Stay: The 7 Benefits of Digital Transformation in Business Schools

Join CEEMAN for a free webinar with Nikos Mylonopoulos, EdTech Program Director and Associate Professor of Digital Business at ALBA Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece.

It is said that the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation. However, how did Business Schools transform in the past year and how should they move forward post-pandemic? It is time to take stock and reframe the agenda for the future, get your comments and questions ready!

CEEMAN has prepared a pop-up session with Nikos Mylonopoulos, EdTech Program Director, on digital disruption and the impact of the pandemic for Deans and their teams and everyone interested in the topic.

The digital transformation that will prepare Business Schools for the next wave of challenges can be outlined in 7 “battlefields” of priority for the agenda of every leader.

What are those 7 battlefields and when is the right time to act on these agenda items – to start the fight? Join the lecture and the debate!

Date & Time

Wednesday 26 June, 2021

8:00am Washington D.C.
1:00pm London
2:00pm Geneva
2:00pm Cape Town
5:30pm Mumbai
8:00pm Singapore

Registration

AFROEU

Overview

Jean Monnet Module on the European Union and the Contemporary Sub-Saharan Africa – an Interdisciplinary Approach – Smart Specialisation-EUAfrica/AFROEU

AFROEU was established by Dr Anna Masłoń-Oracz to raise the knowledge and awareness on African topics among students and young professionals. The scope of the project covers the EU-Africa relations and the situation in the member states concerning the issues connected with EU External Economic Relations, as well as related policies at the EU and country levels. In the course of development of modern countries and regions; knowledge, skill, innovation and creativity were gradually gaining the position of the most distinctive and individual resources. This transformation has caused a change in the paradigm of thinking about the competitiveness of regions and forced it to move towards tight relations with knowledge and intellectual capital in enterprises.

The huge scale of demographic challenge, coupled with the impact of climatic changes on fragile populations, is a fundamental threat for European and African stability alike, even though rapid African economic growth bears at the same time the promise of fantastic opportunities. Indeed, 5 percent yearly growth will not be sufficient to fulfil this promise. The fertility rate will not be controlled unless decisive progress is made in educating more women. Both demographic and economic trends will need to be channelled and as soon as possible for African development to become sustainable.

The rise of a “smart”, connected Africa is allowing countries across the continent to leapfrog several stages of development in key areas such as banking and telecommunications and is reshaping business and society. Despite this, growth in several African countries has slowed in recent years after more than a decade of solid expansion. Rickety infrastructure, skills shortages, weak governance and a reliance on commodities continue to plague the continent, underscoring the need for economic diversification for sustained, inclusive growth in areas such as agriculture, manufacturing, healthcare, education and banking. Agenda 2063 is the African Union’s blueprint for the future based on inclusive growth and sustainable development. It calls for an integrated Africa guided by Pan-African ideals: an Africa shaped by good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and rule of law; a peaceful and secure Africa; an Africa with a strong cultural identity, common heritage, shared values and ethics; an Africa whose development is people-driven with a key role for women and the youth; a strong, united Africa that can be an influential global player. Smart Specialization underlines the importance of the preparation process which occurs at the regional/country level of the research and innovation strategies.

Leading Questions:

How can we address the governance, political and stability challenges facing Africa and the EU?
How can we develop policies to encourage female leadership and participation in politics, business and society?
How can we mobilise investment for structural transformation Africa?
What can we do to foster business in Africa including in areas such as health and agriculture?
Kenya—the silicon savannah
EU-Africa relations
EU – Economic Partnership Agreement – how to enhance its effectiveness
The African Union: Autocracy, Diplomacy and Peacebuilding in Africa
Compact with Africa: fostering private long-term investment in Africa

Agenda

9:00am CEST – Welcome Address
- Professor Piotr Wachowiak – Rector, SGH Warsaw School of Economics
- Phd Michal Matusewicz – Dean of Collegium Management and Finance
9:20am CEST – Opening Guest Speech
- His Excellency Ambassador Jacek Jankowski – Head of the EU Delegation to Zambia
9:40am CEST – Opening Discussion
- Moderated by PhD Anna Maslon-Oracz, Rector’s Plenipotentiary for Africa, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Vice-President of Polish European Community Studies Association
- Her Excellency, Madame Fatoumata Jallow-Tambaiang, Former Vice-President, Republic of Gambia
10:00am CEST – Panel I: Governance for growth and inclusive development versus the African Private Equity and Venture Capital
- Moderated by Fatoumata Diaraye Diallo, Programme Development Manager, Justina Mutale Foundation
- Katarzyna Kacperczyk – former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and former Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister of Poland
- Maurice Dezou – Founder and Chair of the Tees Valley BME Network
- Professor Radosław Miskiewicz – CEO Luma Holding, University of Szczecin
- Professor MP Kilion Munyama – Member of Polish Parliament
- Dr. George Njenga – Executive Dean Strathmore University
11:30am CEST – Panel II: Women – political representation and successful development in Africa
- Moderated by professor Aleksandra Szczerba – Zawada, professor of law at the Jacob of Paradies University in Gorzów Wielkopolski
- HE Phd Justina Mutale – the African Women of 2012, Justina Mutale Foundation
- Macdella Cooper – Political Leader at the Movement For One Liberia (MOL)
- Anna Maria Rozek – Political leader
- PhD Tomasz Gigol – SGH Warsaw School of Economics
Virtual Coffee Break
1:15pm CEST – Panel III: Smart specialization strategies and their applicability to sustainability
- Moderated by PhD Aleksandra Borowicz – Faculty of Economics, University of Gdańsk
- Phd Mafini Dosso – Project Leader “Smart Specialisation in Innovative & Informal African Economies” at European Commission’s JRC
- Professor Anna Visvizi – SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw, Poland
- Ewa Osuch-Rak, PhD Candidate, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw, Poland
- Professor Jose Mella – Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Coordinator of AMENET
2:45pm CEST- Panel IV: A digital economy in Africa. -building innovation ecosystems
- Moderated by Phd Maria Pietrzak – SGH Warsaw School of Economics
- Ayo Eso – PhD Candidate Lead City University, Nigeria
- Ewa Geresz – Director Program and Global Partnerships, VENTURE CAFÉ WARSAW FOUNDATION, CIC
- Aleksandra Gadzala Tirziu, PhD – Head of Research, The Singularity Group, Senior Fellow, Atlantic Council
- Kari Mruz – Chief Operating Officer, Nairobi Garage
- Phd Tomek Pilewicz – SGH Warsaw School of Economics
4:15pm CEST- Closing Remarks
- Dan LeClair, CEO GBSN and Anna Maslon-Oracz

Date & Time:

Friday, 25 June, 2021
9:00am CEST – 4:15pm CEST