GBSN2009ConferenceSummary

CapeTown,SouthAfricaJune8‐9,2009

GraduateSchoolofBusiness,UniversityofCapeTown

GBSN would like to thank UCT GSB for their generoussupport in hosting the GBSNmeeting on their campus inCapeTown,SouthAfrica.

The4thAnnualGBSNConferencewasheldinCapeTown,SouthAfricafromJune8‐9,2009attheGraduateSchoolofBusinessoftheUniversityofCapeTown.TheconferencecamedirectlybeforetheAfricaSummitoftheWorldEconomicForum,alsoheldinCapeTown,onJune10‐12.The purpose of the conference was to illustrate the benefits of management education indeveloping countries and emphasize the critical role business schools can play in nationaldevelopment. Following the theme“Partnerships inPractice:LocalManagers inaGlobalizedWorld,”participantsexploredthepotentialofsustainablepartnershipsamongthosewhosharea stake in educating and training managers as an effective approach towards achievingdevelopmentgoals.Representatives of business schools, foundations, civil society, government and companiesfromaroundtheworldcametogethertodiscusstheimportanceofmanagementeducationinimplementingsuccessfulgrowthanddevelopmentstrategies.Discussionswereenrichedbythediversityofparticipantsrepresenting23differentcountriesacross5continents.Animpressive30business schools attended, including19of the34GBSNmember schools. The conferencewas also well attended by members of the private sector, NGOs, and developmentorganizations. Two new business schools joined the GBSNetwork in the wake of theconference:• UniversityofStellenboschBusinessSchool• RobertH.SmithSchoolofBusiness,UniversityofMaryland

Duringthecourseoftwodays,anumberofsessionswereheldonvarioustopicssurroundingthecentralthemeof“PartnershipsinPractice”.Abriefsummaryofeachsessionfollowsbelow.

• FocusonFacultyDevelopment• BestPracticesinManagementEducationBreakoutSessions:

o ResponsibleManagementEducationo PublishingPracticeso ProgramPortfolios

• ProjectShowcase• GlobalCrisisandtheResponseofBusinessSchools• SectorWorkshopBreakoutSessions:

o HealthManagemento Entrepreneurshipo Agribusiness

• PartnershipWorkshopBreakoutSessions:o BusinessSchool–BusinessSchoolpartnershipso DevelopmentPartners–BusinessSchoolpartnershipso PrivateSector–BusinessSchoolpartnerships

• StakeholderPanel:BusinessSchoolsasDevelopmentPartners• SukumaAfrikaYoungEntrepreneursAwardPresentation&Reception

FocusonFacultyDevelopmentPanelists explored the difficulties surrounding recruiting and retaining quality faculty. Theydiscussed the dearth of faculty with PhDs, particularly in Africa, and the resulting use ofpractitionersandvisitingfaculty. Thepanel lookedatongoingfacultydevelopmentinitiativesandsuccessfulpartnershipswithbusinessschoolsaroundtheworldinbuildingstrongerfaculty.Peter Bamkole of Lagos Business School shared his institution’s experience, while HakanBohmandiscussed the successful PhDprogram run inpartnershipbetweenUmea in SwedenandtheUniversityofDaresSalaaminTanzania.ParticipantsheardfromJonathanCookoftheAssociation of African Business Schools about the Teaching the Practice of Managementprogramwhichaimstodevelopcurrentfacultyinparticipant‐centeredpedagogy.

BestPracticesinManagementEducationBreakoutSessions:

ResponsibleManagementEducationThreefacilitatorsledthediscussiononwhatisneededtodevelopagenerationofresponsiblemanagersandleadersandhowthepurposeofbusinessshouldbere‐defined.DerickdeJongh,Director, Center for Responsible Leadership, University of Pretoria, Ralph Cato, CEO ScoutSolutionsandTrusteeoftheTransformationalBusinessNetwork,andOliverWilliams,Director,CenterforEthicsinBusiness,UniversityofNotreDame,sharedtheirexperienceinresponsibleleadershipandguidedtheconversationaroundreshapingbusinessschoolcurricula.Participantsheardaboutshiningexamplesofcorporateresponsibility,namelyGlaxoSmithKline,Timberland, and Green & Black’s. Through discussions on the Transformational BusinessNetwork,thesessionlookedattheevolutionofcorporategoals,whichputsocialsuccessnextto profit objectives. In the area of curriculum, many voiced the opinion that a revision ofcurriculawas needed. Some suggestionswere to involve students in the process to ensurerelevanceandtofocusonsofterskills,whicharenecessary,butoftenlackingingraduates.Thesessionwrappedupbydiscussingtheneedtojudgethesuccessofthebusinessschoolproductnotjustbyrankingsandthestartingsalaryofgraduates,butbythekindofworktheirstudentsare pursuing, the leaders their graduates become, and the sustainable, ethical change theiralumnicreate.

PublishingPracticesFacilitators fromEmerald Publishing gave an overviewof their organizationwith a particularfocusontheirengagementwiththeAfricancontinent.TheydiscussedtheirregionalprogramsincludingnewjournallaunchesthatfocusonChina,IndiaandAfricaaswellastheirsupportfor

authorsandresearchers.EmeraldisworkingtodemystifythepublicationprocessinAfricabyoffering guides for researchers and authors on their website and by conducting free authorworkshops in various countries. Emerald is also supporting and funding research throughresearchawardsandtheyareworkingonimprovingtheironlineresources.Participants shared that for many researchers in developing countries, there is a lack ofpersonalconfidenceintheirworkanddevelopment.Researchersmustrecognizethevalueofregion‐focusedstudiesforinternationalpublication.Oftenthelackofaccesstointernationallyaccredited journals isahindranceandnewand locallyaccredited journalsneedsupport frominternational publishing houses to improve both quality control and visibility so that localresearchers havemore direct lines to publication. Participants suggested that internationalpublishing houses should use existing regional networks, such as the Association of AfricanBusinessSchools(AABS),toextendtheirpresenceandreputationinAfrica.Participantsalsoraisedtheissueofthedifficultyofpublishingmulti‐disciplinaryarticlesforlackof relevant journals. For example, healthmanagement articles are difficult to publish sinceneither health normanagement journals find such articles relevant to their focus. EmeraldPublishing is currently working on a health management journal with a focus on economicdevelopment.Onthecasewritingsideofpublishing,Africancasestudiesonlymakeupabout2%ofcurrentcases.Thereisnorealincentiveforacademicstopublish,althoughcaseteachingismoreandmore prominent in business school pedagogy, and a good case is expensive towrite (about$15,000).Casesarealsoexpensivetobuy,despitesubsidiesforAfricanuniversities.EFMDdidastudyonwhatmakesacasesell.Theresultsshowedthatthebestsellingcaseshadthebestteaching notes andmost exciting topics. Cases studies in video format aremore andmorepopular since they take less time to impart information and capture students' attentionimmediately.

ProgramPortfoliosBusinessschoolsare likemultiproduct firms; thedifferentprograms–MBA,openenrollmentandcompanyexecutiveprograms,PhD,etc.‐aretheirproducts.Likeothermultiproductfirms,business schoolshave todecidewhichmarket segments to compete in; theproduct space istoogreattocompeteinthemall.Participantsdiscusseddecisionsthatneededtobemadeto“package”theirprogramssuchasprogramduration,residentialfull‐timevs.part‐time,distancelearning and experience required for degree programs in Bachelors, MBA, EMBA, companyspecificprogramsandDoctoratedegreeprograms.Participants reviewedthenon‐degreeanddiplomaopportunitiesthattheymayofferandtheoptionstopursueopenenrollment,sectorspecific,durationsandcompanyspecificprograms.Participantsdiscussedwhatarethemajor

marketsegments,howdopotentialcustomersmap intothem,andhowthesegmentchoicesare made. Participants addressed the tradeoffs, constraints, synergies, and other criticalconcernsinmakingthesechoices.Someoftheissuestoconsiderwhendevelopingprogramsincluded:facultyconstraints,financialriskandreturn,accreditation,schoolmission,go‐it‐alonevs.jointventure,complexity,economiesofscale,brandingandportfoliodevelopment.

ProjectShowcaseThis event highlighted tangible projects that are making a difference on the ground. GBSNinvited partner schools and organizations to showcase their activities, giving meetingparticipantstheopportunitytolearnmoreaboutthevariousinitiatives.TheShowcasewasagreatchance to illustrate the innovativeways inwhichbusinessschoolsaregettinginvolved,andagoodopportunitytonetworkwithpeersandpotentialpartners.

Organizations/ProjectsShowcased:• GlobalBusinessSchoolNetwork• AssociationofAfricanBusinessSchools• GoldmanSachs10,000Women• ecch• EFMD• EmeraldPublishingLimited• MITSloanSchoolofManagement• UniversityofStellenboschBusinessSchool• TuckSchoolatDartmouth• UnitedStatesInternationalUniversity• WitsBusinessSchool• CEEMAN

GlobalCrisisandtheResponseofBusinessSchoolsThefirstpaneloftheseconddaywasoneofthemostanticipateddiscussionsofthemeeting.Manyparticipantswerekeentohearwhatrolebusinessschoolsfelttheyplayedinthecrisis,theimpactthecrisishashadonbusinessschools,andwhatchangeswouldneedtobemadeasa result of the current situation. Four distinguished panelists spoke including JohnMullins,AssociateProfessoratLondonBusinessSchool,JamesW.DeanJr.,DeanofUNCKenan‐FlaglerBusiness School,Mthuli Ncube, President of South African Business Schools Association andDirectorofWitsBusinessSchool,andChristopheTerrasse,AssociateDirectorofKnowledgeandSurveys,EFMD.ThepanelwasmoderatedbyMillsSoko,SeniorLecturer,UCTGraduateSchoolofBusiness.

A recent study completedby EFMD indicated that themajority of business schools havenotbeenaffectedby thecrisis.Certainprogramshavedonebetter thanothers;MBAenrollmenthasincreasedastheunemployedheadbacktoschool,andexecutiveeducationhasdecreasedascorporationshavetightenedtheirtrainingbudgets.However,therehasnotbeenabacklashagainst business education as some feared and business schools are notwidely viewed as amajor cause of the crisis. Looking back at the roots of the crisis ‐ including high levels ofavailablecapitaltofuelconsumption,securitizationofhomeequityloans,highrisktaking,andpoor financial literacy ‐ it is clear thatbusiness schoolsneed toask themselves someseriousquestionsandmakesomeseriousdecisionsbeforemovingforwardwithbusinessasusual.Duringthediscussion,therewasageneralagreementthatthecurrentsituationisanexcellentopportunitytorestructurebusinesseducationasweknowit.Businessschoolscanteachhubrisor they can teach integrity; they can choose to talk about shareholders or they can choosestakeholders. Business schools have the opportunity to mainstream ethics and goodgovernancethroughouttheirprogramswhileteachingsustainabilityandenvironmentalimpact,risk management, and new models for compensation and incentive structures. Businessschools need to teach their students strong leadership and critical thinking skills in order tomanagethecomplexityoftheglobaleconomy.Additionally,businessschoolsmightconsider,assomehavealreadydone,adoptingasetofvaluestowhicheachstudentsubscribes,givingstudents an ethical framework in which to undertake their studies, and later their careers.Althougheachbusinessschoolwilldealwiththecrisisinitsownway,itwasclearbasedonthispaneldiscussionthatthereisagreatopportunityforchangeandalotofseriousdebateonthewayforwardforbusinesseducation.

SectorWorkshopBreakoutSessions:

HealthManagementDuringthehealthmanagementworkshop,participantsdiscussedtheimportantroleofbusinessandmanagement skills in improving health delivery. Two recent studieswere presented asbackground for the discussion. The first studywas presented by GBSN and showed findingsrelating to the management and leadership skills gap in the health sector. The secondpresentationwasdeliveredbyGregoryClineonbehalfof Intelandfocusedonautomation intheclinicsetting.ThesurveycompletedbyGBSNwascarriedoutinKenya,NigeriaandSenegalandsurveyed800healthworkersandstakeholders.Thesurveyshowedthatbettermanagementpracticescouldhave a significant positive impact on health outcomes. Conversely, without such practices,thereisnoguaranteethatincreasinghealthcareresourceswillleadtobetterresults.Thereis

growingawareness,notonlyamongprivateproviders,oftheneedforimprovedmanagement.Thesurvey identifiedkeyareas inwhichbusiness schoolscanplaya strong role in improvingleadership andmanagement for health, and outlined a number of recommendations for thecontentanddeliverytoensurerelevanceandaccessibility.Intelpresentedthefindingsofstudythatidentifiedthoseworkprocessesinpublicclinicswhichwouldbenefitmostfromautomation. Thesurvey included46units in3hospitalsandusedasetofweightedcriteria.Itfoundthatautomationwouldhavehugebenefits,includingreducedwaiting, reduced human error, and reduced duplication. The top three areas that wouldbenefitmostfromautomationwerethepharmacy,medicalrecords,andinpatientseparations.Discussionfollowingtothetwosurveypresentationssurroundedissuesoftaskshiftingandtheneedtoeithertrainnursesanddoctorsinbasicmanagementskillsorshiftthosetaskstoanewset of health management professionals. Given the large shortage of skilled clinicalprofessionals, itwasdiscussed thatmanyof theadministrative tasks thatnursesanddoctorsperformcanandshouldbeperformedbyanadministratororclinicmanager.However,itwasmentioned that even clinical health workers benefit from exposure to management andleadership training and that a hybrid approach to developing a management profession inhealthshouldbepursued.

EntrepreneurshipAttendeesofthissessiongainedadeeperunderstandingofhowentrepreneurshipcanactasalever for economic growth and development. Drawing on key findings from the recentlypublishedWorldEconomicForumGlobalEducationInitiativeReport‐‘EducatingtheNextWaveofEntrepreneurs',speakerssharedtheirexperiences,knowledgeandinsightsatbothamacroandmicro level and from a broad range of European,North American andAfrican contexts.Participants heard from Dennis Hanno, Dean of Babson College in the US, on makingentrepreneurshipthefocalpointofBabsoneducation.JamesWanjohioftheBransonSchoolofEntrepreneurship in Johannesburg shared their innovative and successful model forentrepreneurship trainingwhilediscussing someof thechallenges they face. Success factorsand key challenges to developing and implementing entrepreneurship education programswithinaformalandinformaleducationalsettingwereexploredwhilebestpracticesandlessonslearnedwhereexchangedamongparticipantsandfacilitatorsalike.The entrepreneurship panel highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship education usinghands‐on experiences from schools in South Africa and theU.S. Some of the topics coveredincluded the need to integrate entrepreneurship into the curriculum, both vertically (acrosslevels)andhorizontally(acrossdisciplines),andthenecessityforblendingtraditionalteachingmethodswithopportunitiesforinteraction,actionlearningandexperimentation.Someofthe

cultural differences and barriers to entrepreneurship in Africa, Europe and the U.S. werediscussedaswell as the fact that local entrepreneurial ecosystemsneed tobe strengthened.Severalspeakershighlightedthecriticalneedfortraining‐of‐trainerprogramsparticularlysincethetypeofteachingnecessaryforentrepreneurshipvariesfromtraditionalmethods.

AgribusinessJeffrey Fine opened the session asking the participants whether there is a role for businessschools in the agribusiness sector, and if so, how could business schools effectively engage?Thisledtoaveryengageddiscussionaroundissuesincludingthepossibleskillsbusinessschoolscould bring to the table and the potential key entry points into the sector, challenges andbottle‐necks that business schools might face were also discussed. Possible areas ofcollaboration included research, fundraising, curriculumdevelopment,modular training, casestudies, entrepreneurship courses and exchange programs. Another area for collaborationcouldbetrainingpolicymakers,aswellasfurtherengagingpolicygroupsandfarmers.Business schools need to think carefully about the level of degree that would be mostappropriate to enter the sector. Students who typically enroll in agribusiness programs arethosethatcan’taffordhighereducationandaretypicallypaidbythepublicsector. Onealsocan’t expect a small‐scale farmer to obtain an MBA. Farmers need to be moved fromsubsistencelivingbyassistingthemtobecomemoreproductiveandaddvaluetotheirproduct.ItmaynotbeusefultotrainentrepreneursattheMBAorundergraduatedegreelevel,butattheminimallevelwherepeopleneedknowledgeandskills.Forexample,USIUdevelopedtheirentrepreneur centerwhere studentsonlyneed tobe literate tobeable toparticipate in theprograms.Additionally,businessschoolsmayhavelessofanimpactonthefarmerlevel,versusthebusinessenterprisesservingtheagriculturesectororthecentralpolicylevel.Participants discussed that there needs to bemore research in agribusiness—MBA studentsneedtoknowaboutagribusinessandfarmersneedmoremanagementskills.Integratingpolicymakers, skilledmanagersand farmersatapolicy roundtablewouldbehighlybeneficial,andbringanewappreciationofthevariousviewpointstoallsittingatthetable.Businessschoolsare theenginesofchangemanagement,and there isgreatopportunity tobe involved in theagribusinesssector.

PartnershipWorkshopBreakoutSessions:

BusinessSchool–BusinessSchoolpartnershipsThissessionfocusedonthereasonsbusinessschoolscometogethertoformpartnerships.Thegoalwastoshowcaseexistingsuccessfulpartnershipsinordertodemonstratemodelsofbest

practicethatenabletheseschoolstocollaborateeffectivelytothebenefitofbothinstitutions.The discussion covered the objectives, tools, benefits, requirements and challenges ofsuccessful partnerships between business schools engaged in capacity building. Participantsagreedontheimportanceofproducingdetailedevaluationsofthesesuccessstoriestobettersharemodelsofbestpracticeinpartnershipswithotherinterestedschools.

HighlightedPartnerships:1. IESEandLagosBusinessSchool2. IESEandStrathmoreBusinessSchool3. UmeaBusinessSchoolandUDSM4. HECParisSchoolofManagementandISM

These partnerships shared similar objectives of faculty development and supporting self‐sustainingbusiness schools. Theyaccomplished thesegoalsusingvarious toolsand trainingscomprising of joint degree programs, peer‐to‐peer faculty cooperation, faculty developmentseminars and workshops, professor exchanges, case study training, and doctoral researchtraining.Allschoolsenthusiasticallysharedthebenefitsoftheirpartnershipsincludinggainingskillsinemergingmarkets,supportingfacultyinterests,combatingbraindrain,retainingfaculty,multiplying new capacities across other schools, improving access to doctoral trainingsupervisors, producing local relevant case studies, testing newmanagement training, forgingglobalalliancesandlearningby“cross‐fertilization”ofschools.Thesebenefitswerewonbyhardworkandadherence to severalprerequisites suchas goodcommunication, common ground, convergence of missions, shared commitment, andsustainability.Mostimportantly,theseschoolsstressedtheimportanceofthewin‐winnatureoftheirrelationshipsandtheireffectivecooperation,despitedistanceandculturaldifferences.Thesepartnershipsaresolidifiedbyastrongdisplayoftrustfromeachsidesupportedbybothinstitutionalcommitmentandindividualchampions.Several challenges were overcome to maintain these partnerships, namely managing timeefficientlyandworkingthroughfrustrations,suchasdelayeddecisions.Asoneparticipantsaid,“Frustration is theprocess,adaptation is the learning.” Someciteda riskofover‐relianceonvisiting faculty and stressed the need to develop local faculty. Overall, themain challengesweremoregeneralinnaturethanspecifictobusinessschoolpartnerships.Participantsagreedthatarunningchecklistofeffectivepartnershipsandwhatmadethemwork(andwhatdidn’t)wouldbevaluableforbothexistingandfuturepartnerships.

DevelopmentPartners–BusinessSchoolpartnershipsDuring this session, participants heard from the International Finance Corporation, IBM, andEnterprise Development Services about their successful partnership in serving small andmedium enterprises through locally relevant, online tools. In addition to the specificpartnershipbetweentheorganizations,thepanelistsspokeaboutpartnerships ingeneralandtheneedforclearcommunicationsandcompromise.Sessionparticipantswereevenofferedan“ABCs”ofpartnerships:

A Agendabargaining–partnersmustnegotiateanagendabetweenpartnersB Budget correctly – partner need to anticipate what the program will require

includingadministration,M&Eandotherstafftime,andbudgetappropriatelyC Communicateconstantly–clearcommunicationsbetweenpartnersiskeyD Diversifypartners–besuretohaveanumberofpartnershipstoensurestability

andsustainability,ratherthanputtingalleffortsintooneE Evaluation&monitoring–understandtheindicatorsandbegintheprocessfrom

thebeginning.The session ended with a discussion on sustainability and the need to ensure that everypartnershipagendaismutuallybeneficialandhasaclearlydefinedpathtosustainability.

PrivateSector–BusinessSchoolpartnershipsCharles Mayaka, USIU, opened the session with two examples of how their Center forEntrepreneurshipispartneringwiththeprivatesectoronvariousprojects.ThroughaninformalpartnershipwithFinabank,thebanksupportsfinancialandbusinesstrainingandinreturntheschooltrainsthebanksSMEclients.ThroughtheKenyaRuralProgram,USIUisprovidingSMEtraining support. These private sector partnerships require trust and consistency with thebusiness leaders to be successful. The institutionmust alsoprove to theprivate sector thattheycanreducethecostofdoingbusiness.Mike Harrington, UCT, described theirwork for the Ackerman Academy, a free education inentrepreneurshipandbusinessskillsprovided to the impoverished. Theacademy, supportedbytheAckermanFoundation,hashadasubstantialamountofsuccess:65%ofgraduatesfoundfull‐timeemploymentupongraduationand19%ofgraduateswentontofurthereducation.Acritical component inworkingwith the private sector is that companiesmust know that theinstitutioncandelivertheproduct.NickBinedelldescribedhowGIBShassuccessfullypartneredandworkedwithover80privatesector businesses in their community. Through their executive education programs offeredGIBS has also become a financially independent institution. They have found success by

offeringcoursesandexecutiveeducationclassesatGIBSthataredesignedtomeettheneedsofgeneralmanagementand seniorexecutivesbyaddressing their challenges. Theyhave foundthatitisimportanttohireacademicsthathaveexperienceinwhattheyareteachingbecausebusinessesdonotwanttoinvestintheory.HestressedthatGIBShasneveraskedtheprivatesectorformoney,butrathertheyaskwhattheinstitutioncandoforbusinessandhowtheycansupporttheirstrategy.

StakeholderPanel:BusinessSchoolsasDevelopmentPartnersPanelists represented a wide range of stakeholders and discussed the challenges andopportunities for partnering with business schools to achieve a wide range of developmentgoals. Representatives from the International Finance Corporation, Bill & Melinda GatesFoundation, Aga Khan Development Network, and Transformation Business Network talkedaboutthewaysschoolscaneffectivelybuildcapacityinemergingmarketstoproducequalifiedmanagers. Discussionscenteredaroundvaryingviewpointsontheroleofbusinessschools indifferentsectors,suchashealthandagriculture,andanumberofpanelistsspokeonissuesofpartnerships that reaffirmed and summarized what had been discussed in the partnershipworkshops.Itwasclearfromthepaneldiscussionthatthereisstillanunsettleddebateonhowbesttofitbusinessschoolintothedevelopmentpicture,someadvocatingforbusinessschoolstoengage inhigh‐level,policydebatewhileothersadvocatedaction‐oriented,on thegroundtraining for businessmanagers andentrepreneurs of all size in all sectors.While this debatewas not settled, it illustrated the wide range of possible business school activities, andsuggestedthatthenatureofbusinessschoolpartnershipsandactivitiesshouldbedeterminedbasedoncontextandneed,notonapredefinednotionoftherightwaytoengage.

SukumaAfrikaYoungEntrepreneursAwardPresentation&ReceptionThe Sukuma Afrika competition for Young Entrepreneurs’recognizes outstanding commercial initiatives and projects thatsupporttheMillenniumDevelopmentGoals(MDG)inAfrica.Entriesactasameansof inspirationforentrepreneurs inandoutsidethecontinentandprovideopportunitiesforSukumaAfrika’snetworkofinvestorstosupportandfundthemostimpactfulbusinessplans.Inadditiontotheir recognitionbySukumaAfrika, thewinnersof theawardwereofferedanopportunitytostudybusinessattheIEDC–BledSchoolofManagementinBled,Slovenia.ThefellowshipswereofferedonthespotbythePresident,DanicaPurg,whowassoimpressedbythededicationoftheawardwinners,sheofferedtohosteachoneatherschoolforfurtherbusinesseducationandtraining.Formoreinfo,visitwww.sukumaafrika.org

TheSukumaAfricaAwardsweregivenaccordingtowhichMDGthenomineessupportedandwereawardedtothefollowingindividuals:

FINALISTMDG1:IsaacChegeUchumiGrainMillersEALtdCountryofresidence:KenyaPhoneNumber:+254722367766E‐mail:chege.isaac@gmail.com

Projectdescription:Wearestrategicallylocated20KMsouthofNairobiCityinKenya.Ourmodern28tonsaday,processingplantensuresvalueaddedGrainMilling.OurMsosibrand,fillsthefoodgapforhighqualitymorenutritious,morehygienicallyproducedmilledgrainthatisaffordablypackagedindesiredquantitiesforallincomegroups.Ournichemarketsarehighpopulationareasthatarecharacterized by slums, low‐income groups, households andmarketplaces in Nairobi and itsenvirons. Our unique combination of excellent geographical distribution network and use oflocal dialect in the marketing strategy ensures communal ownership and loyalty. OurcoordinatedmultifacetedapproachhasprofitablyturnedaroundthecompanytoachievesalesofUSD391,912againstUSD200,403overasimilarperiod2007.Representing95%growth inrevenue.Wearestrivingtodoubleour15%marketshareinouridentifiednichemarketofanestimated 2.2 million inhabitants. We gear toward a growth and expansion phase with afinancingneedofUSD154,000 in formofequityand/ordebtThekeydevelopment impact isthe jobs createdby thebusiness.Our total direct employees are 25ofwhom7 arewomen.Indirectlywehavecreatedmore than1320 jobs throughourdistributionchannel.Our short‐term goal is to have created another 17 jobswhenworking at full capacity. Uchumi’s socialentrepreneurshipmodelinfoodprocessingsectorensurespeoplesaveonfoodcostsasitarecheaper than competitors. By creating jobs and high quality nutritious products, we directlycontributetoeradicationofpovertyandhungerwhilecontributingtothehealthofsociety.

FINALISTMDG2:EmmanuelEmekaOkworPrimarySchoolCountryofresidence:NigeriaPhoneNumber:+234‐8067144476E‐mail:eeokwor@hotmail.com

Projectdescription:My project is aimed at equipping and empowering under‐served school age children withquality, functional and affordable education in partial fulfillment ofmy age long dream. Theneed for such sound educationmakes a strong business case; thus the need to bring to theforeknowledge of prospective investors who have interest in recreating the future for theteeming African children by serving their educational needs. I’m immensely grateful to theSukuma Africa Organization, the United Nations and other stakeholders who are genuinelyinterestedandareworking collaborativelyhard toemancipateAfrican childrenwhose futurehadbeenmortgagedbypoorgovernance.Theplanofestablishingamodelprimaryschoolthatwill cater for the educational need of children is a worthwhile investment and will pay‐offhandsomely in long‐term. Such lucrative and strategic investments will create a promisingfuture for theAfricanchildren.This informedmycommitmentandspiritedeffort to leveragesuchnoblyenvisionedend,whereAfricanchildrencanstandshoulderto‐shouldertocompetewiththeircontemporariesaroundtheglobetorealizetheirendowedpotentialsanddreams.Innutshell,thistimelysupportandinvestmentineducationwillofferhopeandencouragementtoAfricanchildrenwhilethereturnoninvestmentwillbesustainablyhigh.FINALISTMDG3:IsaacAggrey

WomenBusinessCenterCountryofresidence:SouthAfricaAddress:4AVolksCentre,CrossStreet,Bellville7530,CapeTownTelNumber:+27219483533MobileNumber:+27839412656E‐mail:isaacaggrey@webmal.co.za

Projectdescription:Women Business Center has been focusing on socio‐economic and educational programs tohelpyoungadultwomentodiscovertheirtruepotentialsthroughinnovativeentrepreneurial,leadershipskills, skills training,andenterprisedevelopmentusingtechnology.Theprogram isdesigned to identify, develop and promote emerging women entrepreneurs to attain andsucceed in business. This has provided an opportunity forwomen to gain financial capacity,enterprise development, access market, networked with top business women and createdsustainable business opportunities. 250 women have had support, made their voices heard,gainedmoreinfluenceinthepoliticalandsocialprocessesthataffectthemandtheirfamilies.The young feminist team targets dynamic young women interested in developingtransformationalleadershipskillsintheircommunity.Theyareyoungwomenwithexceptionalskills,exhibitedleadershippotentialandtackleissuesaffectingwomen.Theyaddresskeytopicssuch as: Gender Justice and Equality, Women’s Health and Safety, Political Participation,

Personal development, International Trade and Technology among others. It has becomeevidentthattheinternalembryonicdevelopmentofwomenentrepreneurshipcouldbeusedasacatalysttoopenaspaceforregionaldiscussionandmovementfortheintroductionofwomenentrepreneurshipaspartofoveralleconomicdevelopmenttoendworldpovertyby2015.

FINALISTMDG7:YoussefTravalySolarEnergyAssemblyPlantinWestAfricaCountryofresidence:SenegalPhoneNumber:+32‐475‐348487E‐mail:travalyy@imec.beProjectdescription:Access to energy has a tremendous impact on the socio‐economic

performance of Sub‐Saharan Africa. In addition to that, even though the continent onlycontributes 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions, it is the most affected by climatechange. Since the choice of what energy sources to use can still be made and since thecontinenthasasubstantialunderexploitedsolarenergyresource,boostingthescalingupofPVtechnologies is a viable route for addressing both the climate issue and our energy deficit.Today, the prices are going down andPV technology is forecasted to be grid‐competitive by2013.LocallyproducingPVpanelsandco‐developingwithlocalpopulationcustomizedenergysolutions are avenues for making the technology cost‐competitive while providing a viablestrategyforincomegenerationandtherebywealthcreation.OurproposalistosetupaSenegal‐based factory assembling photovoltaic panels. The strategic location of the factory, as entrypointoftheEconomicCommunityOfWestAfricanStates,isbelievedtoen‐ablebothsuperiorbusiness returnsandexpandedmarketopportunitieswithin this region,ultimately leading tothescaling‐upof solarenergyuse.Whileaddressing thecleanenergyconcerns, thisbusinessalsoprovidesanavenueforlong‐termhigh‐techemployments.