GBSN, sponsored by AACSB International and Stanford Seed and supported by Peaqs and Emlyon, is pleased to present a virtual business concept competition for African undergraduate and graduate students. The competition will challenge student teams to design a viable business concept that addresses a locally-relevant challenge or problem related to sustainable development and Agenda 2063. The focus is to promote and support responsible capitalism for emerging markets and to identify high potential young people for mentorship and investment.
Over 80 student teams from 34 institutions in 15 countries across Africa have signed up to participate. Join us as we celebrate the power of entrepreneurship in sustainable development and officially kick-off the 6-week competition.
The competition is designed with the following values in mind:
A commitment to the importance of responsible entrepreneurship and its role in job creation
An international outlook
A commitment to ethical business practices
A strong interest in young people in emerging markets and the role that business can play in creating opportunities that enable them to develop
A believe that business is a public trust with the obligation to improve and serve society
A commitment to lifelong learning and continuing education
The kick-off virtual event featured a line-up of notable speakers, an introduction to the international panel of investors and judges and previews into the Peaqs and Localized platforms. Watch a full recording of the event below.
Opening Welcome Remarks Dan LeClair CEO Global Business School Network
9:10am EDT
Setting the Stage Rickie Moore Professor of Entrepreneurship Director, MSc in Global Innovation and Entrepreneurship emlyon business school
Sponsor Address: Stanford Seed Darius Teter Executive Director Stanford Seed
Sponsor Address: AACSB International Tim Mescon Executive Vice President and Chief Officer of the Europe, Middle East, and Africa Headquarters AACSB International
9:35am EDT
Panel Discussion: The Role of Entrepreneurship in Social and Economic Development Across Africa Adetunji Adegbesan, Founder & CEO, Gidi Mobile Ltd Austin Okere, Founder & Vice Chairman, Computer Warehouse Group Plc. Diana Popa, Founder and CEO, Extensio
10:15am EDT
Unleashing the True Potential of Entrepreneurship How do we get better at fostering the entrepreneurial mindset and get game changing ideas to solve real world problems? Marie Høpfner-Dahl, Managing Director, Peaqs
Questions
For any questions or concerns, please email Emma Martens at emartens@gbsn.org.
In anticipation of World Case Teaching Day on February 5, this Cross-Border Collab will feature a presentation by Richard McCracken, Executive Director of The Case Centre, followed by a moderated Q&A discussion focused on how the case method has evolved, its role in the future, challenges and best practices with case teaching and learning online, and more.
Cross-Border Collabs are exclusive gatherings for GBSN members, focused on engaging our community to tackle some of the greatest challenges of our time. Facilitated by topic experts, these session will provide a place for our members ambassadors and deans to be active participants in GBSN’s mission of improving management and entrepreneurship education for the developing world. Collabs happen every first Thursday of the month.
Date
Thursday, 4 February, 2021
7:00am Chicago
8:00am Washington D.C.
1:00pm London
2:00pm Lagos
5:00pm Dubai
6:00pm Mumbai
9:00pm Singapore
Registration
Collabs are an exclusive opportunity for member school ambassadors and deans. All member school ambassadors and deans can RSVP for this Collab by clicking the button below.
Western Governors University (WGU) is a large online, non-profit, competency-based university based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. The College of Business has a total enrollment of over 41,000 students, 11,000 of which were enrolled in graduate business programs as of December 2020. The majority of its students are non-traditional and/or come from under-served populations. WGU is working to develop innovative products that address access and equitable attainment, creating pathways between talent and opportunity.
In this webinar, learn about its competency-based approach to online education and its faculty model providing students with personalized support as they progress toward completion of a credential. The speakers will discuss WGU’s strategies to scale while maintaining industry relevance, and provide a preview of the skills-focused direction of its program development and redevelopment efforts.
As the year draws to a close, we invite our GBSN Member ambassadors and key contacts to attend GBSNâs Annual Members meeting. While this meeting would traditionally take place during the GBSN Annual Conference, this yearâs challenges have provided us with the opportunity to convene a larger group within our membership network in this virtual meeting. It is for that reason we invite all our members to gather for an opportunity to learn and connect with the entire GBSN community during the 2020 GBSN Members Meeting.
Date
Thursday, 3 December 2020
8:00 – 11:00am EST
2:00pm-5:00pm CET
3:00pm-6:00pm CAT
6:30pm-9:30pm IST
9:00pm-12:00am CST
This meeting is meant for GBSN Members Only. To RSVP, please sign into the member portal and Complete Registration
Africa accounts for 17% of the world’s population yet emits less than 5% of the worldâs carbon emissions. Africa boasts a massive talent population, but also demonstrates the highest rate of education exclusion. It is a continent rich in resources, talent potential, and innovation, but lacks the necessary tools to expand its portfolio in sustainable ways.
Session four investigated the various components of sustainable development, from female participation in the workforce to healthcare resources to relevant education, and what the continent is doing to address some of these broader goals.
Africa is leading the way in the business of UN Sustainable Development Goal relevancy, but what is holding its people back from success? This session explored relevant struggles in the integration of the SDG initiatives, as well as provide an engaging discussion of what can be done going forward to achieve these broader goals.
Digital transformation plays a central role in the sustainable development of Africa. Yet the continent does not yet have the tech talent to enable this transformation. How do we develop the skills to support the needed investment? How can business, academia, government, and civil society work together to create an environment that unlocks the full potential of Africa’s aspiring entrepreneurs? Can business schools and universities take the lead in connecting diverse talent needed to accelerate innovation? Join this session to consider these and other important questions in this fifth session of the Talent for Africa Forum.
Africa is rising as a global player and is a true beneficiary in the global arena and we are here to celebrate that, as well as help the rest of the world to benefit from it.
Africaâs most powerful resource is its people. In a world of shrinking working-age populations, favorable demographics point to substantial opportunity within Africa. But there is no guarantee that the demographics will translate into greater prosperity.
Join us in this session, as we tackle some of the more pressing questions related to Africa and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.Â
Does Africa have the capacity to educate the young while delivering on the growing needs for upskilling and reskilling the workforce?
How is technology changing the mix of knowledge and skills that African organizations need?Â
What are the specific sector needs, such as health care, government, and finance?
How are new technologies, and increasing experiences in using them, creating new opportunities that make education both more effective and more accessible?Â
Innovation and entrepreneurship not only increase productivity in existing industries and create jobs, they can transform economies and societies. This session focuses on developing talent for transformative leadership, the kind that can build a more inclusive and sustainable Africa.
Discussions explored the role of business and business schools as catalysts and enablers of innovation and entrepreneurship. It considers opportunities to strengthen collaboration across disciplines, borders, and sectors to enable Africa to leap ahead in efforts to achieve Agenda 2063.
The first session aims to explore the changing global landscape for talent and the special challenges that Africa faces when it comes to developing leadership, management, and entrepreneurship talent. In this kickoff session, panelists will touch on the broad range of pressing talent challenges that will be had throughout the series and provide a birdâs eye view of how these relate to Agenda 2063, and the Africa that Africans want.Â
Join us as we address issues such as Pan-African integration in a de-globalizing world, harnessing a youthful African workforce in an aging global society, AI and the impact of automation everywhere, developing relevant educational opportunities for African business, and so much more.Â
Africa in the Context of the world invites the rest of the global community to hear from African leaders, themselves, and how we can work cohesively to truly create the future of the continent.
Convened by the Global Business School Network and its first corporate member, Ecobank Academy, this virtual forum was born out of the belief that no sectorâbusiness, government, education, or non-profitâcan make meaningful progress alone, especially in a such an incredibly diverse, complex, and dynamic environment as Africa. Indeed, we view collaboration between the sectors as absolutely necessary to achieve the future that Africa wants. The space between the sectors holds the greatest potential for innovative solutions. This unique, virtual forum will highlight the monumental importance of leadership, management, and entrepreneurship across sectors and across the continent.
Discussions aim to explore the challenges of building education and development capacity and aligning it with the needs of a rapidly changing continent. The conversations are designed to review new opportunities for innovation and collaborationâespecially across business and business schoolsâto overcome these challenges.
While the forum is focused on building the capabilities of Africans for Africa, it is intentionally global in three ways.
Africa invites the worldâespecially its business schools and company-based learning and development professionalsâto participate meaningfully in its development.
Africa plays a pivotal role in the future of global society and the planet – it must assert its rightful place in the world.
Africa is an inspiration and catalyst for innovation and change around the world. The rest of the world can learn from what Africa does.
While specific topics vary across the webinars in the series, there are several underlying themes. First is the importance of Pan-African solidarity and solutions. Economic integration and international cooperation are essential, especially as it relates to the mobility of workers, learners, and ideas. Second, is the central role of technology. It is the primary driver of change and its biggest enabler, specifically in the rise of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It also raises important questions about inclusion and sustainability that must be addressed. Third, markets alone cannot achieve the vision for Africaâmarket failures can and do exist and government involvement and support are necessary.
This exciting and paramount series consists of five sessions. The first explores the changing global landscape for talent and the special challenges that Africa faces when it comes to developing leadership, management, and entrepreneurship talent. In each of the three sessions that follow, we will address (a) transformative innovation and entrepreneurship; (b) digital transformation and labor market changes; and (c) the business of sustainability. The fifth and final session returns to the world to consider Africaâs future a global power. We look forward to seeing you there!
Dates
Tuesday 19 January – 31 March, 2021
Registration
This virtual forum is presented by GBSN and Ecobank Academy. Please register for each session individually by navigating to the session page and completing the registration form.
Session Line-Up
Session 1: Africaâs Talent Challenges in a Changing World I Tuesday, 19 January, 2021
In this kickoff session, panelists will touch on the broad range of pressing talent challenges that will be had throughout the series and provide a birdâs eye view of how these relate to Agenda 2063, and the Africa that Africans want. Join us as we address issues such as Pan-African integration in a de-globalizing world, harnessing a youthful African workforce in an aging global society, AI and the impact of automation everywhere, developing relevant educational opportunities for African business, and so much more. Africa in the Context of the world invites the rest of the global community to hear from African leaders, themselves, and how we can work cohesively to truly create the future of the continent.
Session 2: Transformative Innovation and Entrepreneurship I Wednesday, 3 February, 2021
Innovation and entrepreneurship not only increase productivity in existing industries and create jobs, they can transform economies and societies. This session focuses on developing talent for transformative leadership, the kind that can build a more inclusive and sustainable Africa. It explores the role of business and business schools as catalysts and enablers of innovation and entrepreneurship. It considers opportunities to strengthen collaboration across disciplines, borders, and sectors to enable Africa to leap ahead in efforts to achieve Agenda 2063.
Session 3: The Future Workforce â Learning and Development in the Fourth Industrial Revolution  I Wednesday, 17 February, 2021
Africaâs most powerful resource is its people. In a world of shrinking working-age populations, favorable demographics point to substantial opportunity within Africa. But there is no guarantee that the demographics will translate into greater prosperity. Join us in this session, as we tackle some of the more pressing questions related to Africa and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Does Africa have the capacity to educate the young while delivering on the growing needs for upskilling and reskilling the workforce? How is technology changing the mix of knowledge and skills that African organizations need? What are the specific sector needs, such as health care, government, and finance? How are new technologies, and increasing experiences in using them, creating new opportunities that make education both more effective and more accessible?
Session 4: The Business of Sustainable Development I Wednesday, 3 March, 2021
Africa accounts for 17% of the world’s population yet emits less than 5% of the worldâs carbon emissions. Africa boasts a massive talent population, but also demonstrates the highest rate of education exclusion. It is a continent rich in resources, talent potential, and innovation, but lacks the necessary tools to expand its portfolio in sustainable ways. Session four investigates the various components of sustainable development, from female participation in the workforce to healthcare resources to relevant education, and what the continent is doing to address some of these broader goals. Africa is leading the way in the business of UN Sustainable Development Goal relevancy, but what is holding its people back from success? This session will explore relevant struggles in the integration of the SDG initiatives, as well as provide an engaging discussion of what can be done going forward to achieve these broader goals.
Session 5: Powering Digital Transformation I Wednesday, 17 March, 2021
Digital transformation plays a central role in the sustainable development of Africa. Yet the continent does not yet have the tech talent to enable this transformation. How do we develop the skills to support the needed investment? How can business, academia, government, and civil society work together to create an environment that unlocks the full potential of Africa’s aspiring entrepreneurs? Can business schools and universities take the lead in connecting diverse talent needed to accelerate innovation? Join this session to consider these and other important questions in this fifth session of the Talent for Africa Forum.
Ecobank Academy is one of the largest capability development centres in Africa focused on Banking, Digital Financial Services and Leadership Development. As a corporate university, Ecobank Academy provides training programmes reaching over 16,000 front-line, middle to senior managers across 36 countries. Founded in 2012 and operational in 2014, Ecobank Academy is the first pan-African corporate university and is the epicentre of Ecobank culture. Since becoming operational, Ecobank Academy has become a hub for Ecobankâs leaders from across the world to convene and receive world-class management development.
