Kenya

Kenya

The regional hub for trade and finance, Kenya's business sector is one of Africa's most vibrant. It is the transport and broadband gateway to the landlocked countries of East Africa. The country is far less dependent on official development assistance than most other Sub-Saharan countries, aid amounting to only 4 percent of GDP. Kenya faces the challenges of rapid demographic growth: 43 percent of its population is under 15 years of age. Entrepreneurship and small business growth is key in providing jobs for the young population and keeping the economy healthy and strong.

GBSN Health and Agribusiness Management and Leadership Workshop

Current

In collaboration with Sub-Saharan African business schools, development partners and international experts, GBSN coordinated a 3-day design workshop that worked towards the development of two new training programs in the field of health management and agribusiness. This workshop focused on the management issues common to both health and agribusiness and how to effectively leverage the multi-disciplinary, practical approach of business schools to better serve these two sectors.

As a result of bringing these actors together, GBSN facilitated the creation of two new consortia of schools, which have the collective resources to seek external partners, raise necessary funding, and develop a shared curriculum of international quality to be adapted for each school’s agribusiness and health markets. With the workshop laying a foundation, the new consortia will develop learning platforms for each sector and subsequently oversee the implementation of the newly developed management programs on an initial pilot basis. During this time the schools will have an opportunity to test the markets and revise the newly established programs accordingly while also extending the programs to include additional local and international partners.

2010 Workshop Participants Updates:

Read Press Release GBSN Convenes Stakeholders in Health Management and Agribusiness (April 19, 2010 NAIROBI, KENYA)

Read Program Update: Next Steps & AABS Partnership

Photo of 2010 Workshop Participants

Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Women Initiative

Current

Since November 2007, GBSN has been working closely with Goldman Sachs and the Goldman Sachs Foundation to develop and implement the 10,000 Women Initiative. GBSN has supported the identification of academic partners globally to participate in 10,000 Women. In addition, GBSN advises the Goldman Sachs Foundation on international best practice in enhancing and supporting business education in developing countries and establishing short-term entrepreneurship education programs.

Health Leadership and Management Training Survey

Past

Thanks to support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, GBSN undertook a Health Leadership and Management Training Survey in three countries (Nigeria, Kenya, and Senegal) in order to provide a solid foundation for designing one or more interventions, drawing on the specific contributions of business schools, which will significantly strengthen health care management in these countries.

Johnson & Johnson Health Management Fellowship

Past

GBSN and Johnson & Johnson are working together to offer an annual fellowship which will enable African management faculty to spend two months at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business and one week at UCLA's Anderson School of Management.

Local Corporate Case Studies Development

Past

To make management training programs more relevant to the needs of local businesses, organizations, and entrepreneurs, GBSN worked with the United States International University (USIU) to build its capacity to develop business case studies that address actual problems faced by managers and entrepreneurs in the region.

Strengthening Human Resources for Health: Best Practices in Leadership & Management Training Conference

Past

On July 12, 2007 GBSN convened its International Advisory Board for Health Management along with several other experts and practitioners in the field of health management for a one-day workshop. This workshop focused on best practices and lessons learned in teaching leadership and management to health professionals, and using Business Schools as a venue for strengthening human resources for health in developing countries. This was made possible by a generous grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Food for Thought

“Before the financial crisis, a lot of business schools talked the talk on ethics and their contribution to society, but did not make it a core part of their program. Now they are seeing it as a key part of their curriculum. It is important that the values of excellence, leadership, integrity and social awareness are imprinted on students by business schools – this needs to be just as important as the imparting of business skills.”

– Mthuli Ncube, President of the South African Association of Business Schools and Director of Wits Business School